How To Integrate Yoga and Mindfulness for Lower Back Pain Relief

Can yoga help with lower back pain?

Practising yoga can help reduce the risk of experiencing back pain and improve symptoms if you are affected by back pain.

Lower back pain is something many of us experience on occasion. Our modern lifestyles are much more sedentary than they once were. This has led to an increased risk of lower back pain.

If you are experiencing lower back pain, or pain in other parts of your spinal column, it is important to be mindful of the reasons why.

When it comes to back pain, you don’t have to do dynamic exercises to reduce symptoms. Gentle exercises such as yoga are as effective. When you practise yoga mindfully, you find it is an excellent way to support your entire well-being.

Yoga For A Healthy Mind and Body

Why do yoga and mindfulness go hand in hand?

Many of us are confused about yoga. We think we must practise both meditation and physical yoga to benefit from this ancient way of exercising.

Although it helps to do this, it is not strictly necessary.

But, if you try to be mindful of how your body feels when you do certain yoga exercises, you benefit more from your exercise routine.

So, when you do your yoga exercises, take a few minutes to feel how your body feels in certain poses. If your body feels tight when doing Warrior I, see if you can identify what muscles you are using.

Ask yourself why a particular group of muscles is feeling stiff. Does it have something to do with your standing posture or how you sit?

If you can identify the source of the problem, you can correct your seating position or improve your posture when standing.

Muscle memory is a big part of yoga. Our muscles remember how we move even when we adopt new positions.

Being mindful how of your body feels at all times is a real game changer. Next time when you do the same yoga asana, you may find it easier.

Yoga Breathing Techniques

Do yoga breathing techniques help?

Yes, they can. Yoga breathing techniques are a great way of controlling both mind and body.

As far as your mind goes, breathing in the right way can slow down the thought process. When we slow down our minds, it allows our bodies to explore areas of pain and discomfort.

It is important to be aware you may not experience pain. Instead, you may experience stiffness or soreness. Both can lead to pain.

When we rush around and go about our daily lives, we are not always aware of these areas. It is only when we slow down, that we become aware.

From a physical point of view, yoga breathing techniques can also help. Once we have learned them correctly, we use a greater surface area of our lungs. This means we increase our body’s uptake of oxygen.

Oxygen is an antioxidant which helps to reduce inflammation in body tissue.

Do I Need To Do Advanced Yoga to Benefit?

The good news is that you don’t have to do advanced yoga exercises to benefit.

If Bridge pose is not your sort of thing, you don’t have to do it to feel better or discover how you feel.

The Sun Salutations are a great way of working almost every muscle in your body without thinking about it.

The trick is not to rush the exercises. Take your time and breathe through them instead.

Also, instead of doing them just once, do a series of sets. During the first set, you are likely to feel some stiffness. But, the feeling should go once you are on the third set.

The trick is always to do yoga exercises slowly. Slowing equals mindfulness.

When you find standing up or getting down on the floor challenging, there is no reason why you can’t do some yoga exercises seated.

Yoga Classes

Attending yoga classes helps.

Most yoga teachers have experience working with students with physical challenges. Simply make the teacher aware of the problem or your limitations. They are happy to show the best way to get around the problem.

Once you have mastered the technique, try following the rest of the class.

Yoga blocks and other supports can help. You may also find simple aids such as holding a towel to stabilise your pose.

If you have back pain problems, it is always best to join a class. That way, you are 100% certain you are getting your pose right.

It also gives you a chance to find a yoga discipline which is right for you.

How Long Does It Take To Notice An Improvement?

It depends on how often you practise yoga.

When you practise yoga daily, you find you will notice improvements faster.

It is a bit like taking a medication. When you don’t take your medication regularly, you will not experience any improvement in your condition. Little and often is a good idea. Yoga is one of those exercise formats which can be practised several times per day.

Although yoga does not come in a tablet format, it helps you to heal. You can call it a natural healing system.

Many physiotherapists recommend yoga. They believe as long as it is practised mindfully, yoga can help you to heal your body.

Remember when it comes to yoga, the emphasis is on what is right and “feels” right for you.

Final Thoughts

Yoga is great for managing lower back pain. Before you start, see if you can sense how your body feels. That is what mindfulness is all about.

Grow with your yoga practice slowly letting it help you improve your overall health and well-being. Yoga helps to improve not only lower back health. It also benefits the entire muscular and skeletal system.