20-Minute Lunch Break Yoga: No More Back Pain

Hello,

I'm happy you're here with me today for this lunch break yoga practice to ease back pain.

If you've been sitting at your desk a lot today or if you experience back pain often,

This practice is really for you.

It's also just a great opportunity to check in in the middle of the day and to ease any niggles or tension that's built up through the day already.

For this practice you may need a yoga mat,

However that's optional.

You can practice wherever you are,

At home,

In a quiet spot in the office if you like,

Anywhere that you can prioritise your calm and move for the next few minutes.

We'll begin this practice seated,

On the floor or on your mat.

You can sit with your legs crossed,

You can sit with the soles of your feet together and your knees out to the side so your legs are making a diamond type shape,

Or you can sit with your legs straight,

Whatever feels most comfortable for you and whatever enables you to lengthen your spine the most.

So feel that inner lift from your head,

Your heart and your hips.

Take a moment and if you'd like to,

You can place your hands on your belly.

Close your eyes if that feels comfortable for you and just start to tune in towards your breathing.

Breathing in and out through your nose as best you can.

If your morning's been particularly stressful already you might want to take a couple of breaths exhaling out through your mouth.

Just to let go,

Release and arrive here,

Carving out this short time to prioritise you.

Watching the natural ebb and flow of the breath move through your body.

We'll begin our practice just by stretching out your neck.

So lengthening up through the back of the neck,

Really feeling that lift between your earlobes and your collarbones.

As you exhale just bring your right ear down towards your right shoulder.

Breathe into that stretch across the left side of your neck and feel around for wherever you find that stretch the most vibrant.

Inhale your head back to the middle.

Exhale your left ear down to your left shoulder and be mindful not to allow your shoulder to move up towards your ear.

Isolate the movement just towards your head.

So just tipping your head over to the left.

Feeling the stretch along the right side of your neck.

Inhale your head back to the middle.

And then make your way onto all fours to our tabletop position.

So your shoulders,

Elbows and wrists are stacked on top of each other.

Knees are underneath your hips.

Take a moment and just breathe into this posture.

Before we start to move through some cat and cow stretches.

Mobilizing the spine,

Starting to strengthen and stretch those muscles of the lower back and the muscles in between your shoulder blades.

So as you inhale we'll start to arch the spine,

Lifting your tailbone,

Dropping your belly button down towards the floor,

Opening through the chest.

So you're sliding your shoulder blades down your back and then look up towards the ceiling.

As you exhale we'll begin to round the spine.

So tuck your chin in towards your chest.

Tuck your tailbone underneath and draw your navel in towards your spine.

As you inhale arch,

Lifting the tailbone,

Opening your chest.

As you exhale round your spine,

Pushing the floor away,

Tucking the tailbone under,

Chin towards your chest.

Move through two more of those in your own time.

So using your breath as your guide.

As you inhale arch.

As you exhale round.

As you inhale arch.

As you exhale round.

As you inhale now come into a neutral spine and we'll sit back towards child's pose.

So sitting your hips towards your heels,

Bending your knees.

You might want to bring your knees slightly wider and your toes towards each other and then just reach your arms forward.

So your forehead's coming in the direction of the mat,

Your hips are coming in the direction of your heels.

You don't have to make it all the way there.

Just lengthening that lower part of the back here,

Tractioning the whole spine,

Creating space after all the compression of sitting at a desk this morning.

Breathing into the sides of your ribs,

Breathe deeply.

With each inhale see if you can creep your fingertips forwards just a little bit further as you reach your hips back with every exhale.

Inch by inch lengthening through your spine.

We'll isolate the stretch just to one side of the spine at a time now.

So maintaining this length through your spine,

Keep your hips and heels as they are.

Just walk your hands over to the right side of you.

So your torso starts to move towards your right thigh.

You can place your left hand on top of your right hand just to lengthen through the left side of the body.

Feeling that stretch isolate a little bit louder now to the left side of the body.

Breathe into that,

Slow smooth breaths in and out through your nose.

Inhale and walk your hands back to child's pose,

Back to centre and as you exhale walk your hands over to the left side.

Again keeping your hips where they are but just isolating that movement or walking the hands to the left side.

You can place your right hand on top of your left hand to intensify the stretch and then feeling into that dynamic long stretch all along the right side of the body.

From your right hip to your right hand.

As you inhale come back to centre and then once you're ready slow you'll make your way back up to all fours.

From here we're gonna make our way into a lunge,

Opening out through the hip flexors.

They often get very tight when you're sitting at the desk.

So place your right foot in between your hands.

So you'll be bringing your right foot forwards,

Your left leg stays behind and then lift your hands up and shoulders up.

So you're sat with your left knee down,

Your right foot forwards,

Your shoulders are stacked on over your hips.

Tuck your hips underneath and squeeze your glute on the left side.

So you feel that opening,

That stretch on the front of the right thigh,

The front of the right hip.

To intensify that stretch you can keep your hips tucked under and gently start to inch your right foot forwards,

Sinking into that lunge a little bit more.

Intensifying it further by inhaling and raising your arms up overhead.

Lifting your ribs up and out from your hips as you reach up with your arms.

Breathing deeply.

As you exhale lower your hands back down so they're either side of your right foot.

Bring your right knee back into all fours and we'll take that lunge on the other side.

So as you inhale bring your left foot forwards in between your hands and then lift your shoulders up so your shoulders are stacked over your hips.

Tuck your hips underneath once again and engage the glute on the right side.

So squeezing that glute on the right side.

Feeling into that stretch in the front of the right thigh,

The front of the right hip.

Maybe intensifying that stretch a little bit by inching your left foot forwards.

Keep tucking your hips under and if you'd like to inhale and raise your arms up overhead.

Lifting your ribs up and out from your hips drawing your navel towards your spine.

Keep tucking your hips underneath and breathing into that stretch on the front of the left hip.

And breathing into that stretch on the front of the right hip.

As you exhale lower your hands down either side of your left foot once again.

Come back onto all fours and then slowly make your way down onto your mat so you're laying on your belly.

We're going to move through a couple of lower back strengthening postures.

It's called Shalabhasana,

Locus pose.

Often when we have back pain we think it's because there's back tension but it's more likely because it's a slight weakness in those lower back muscles.

So this next series of postures will start to strengthen that area.

Be mindful if you have a lower back injury and be mindful of any pinching or holding in the lower back as you do this.

So you're laying flat on the floor on your belly.

Bring your heels together and squeeze your inner thighs.

Squeezing your heels toward each other like you're trying to hold a piece of paper in between your feet.

Bring your hands next to your hips and allow your head to be straight.

On your next inhale simply keep squeezing those heels together.

Simply lift your head and shoulders up off the floor.

Isolating that moment just lifting the head and shoulders up off the floor.

As you exhale allow your head and shoulders to come back down onto the floor.

We'll move through with the breath.

Inhaling to lift and exhaling to lower.

We'll do this five times.

So inhale to lift your head and shoulders up off the floor.

Exhaling to lower down.

Inhale to lift up.

Exhale to lower down.

Keep squeezing those inner thighs,

Squeezing your heels.

Inhale to lift.

Exhale to lower down.

If you're feeling strong,

The next two breaths you can lift your heels as well.

So inhale to lift your head and shoulders up,

Maybe lifting your feet up.

Exhale to lower.

Inhale to lift.

And exhale to lower.

Turn your head to one side and just relax on your mat for a moment.

Breathing slow and smooth.

And then gently make your way into child's pose just to stretch those muscles out once again.

So hands underneath your shoulders,

Push yourself back through tabletop toward that extended child's pose we did earlier.

So big toes coming towards each other,

Knees wide,

Reach your arms forwards,

Really lengthening through the lower back.

Once you're ready,

Slowly start to walk your hands up to a seat.

Swing your legs around so you're sat with your legs straight out in front of you.

And then come to lay down on your back.

We'll end the practice with a twist.

So hug your knees in towards your chest.

Maybe rock a little bit side to side.

You can also make some circles with your knees to begin to massage out your lower back,

Making circles one way and then the other.

And once you're ready,

Bring your arms out to the side.

So you're laying in a T-shape.

Then allow your knees to come over to the floor on the right side of your body.

You can use your right hand to guide them down.

Then either look up towards the ceiling or look over your left shoulder,

Allowing the floor to take your weight,

Allowing your body to relax into that floor as much as you can.

And allowing this twisting posture to start to lengthen all the way through the torso,

The lower back,

The outside of the hips.

Inhale your knees back to centre.

Then we'll make our way to the other side.

So gently allow your knees to come toward the floor on the left side of your body.

You can use your left hand to hold them or guide them down.

With your right arm out to the side,

Either look up towards the ceiling or over that right shoulder towards your right hand.

Again,

Allowing the floor to take as much of your weight as you can.

So allowing the shape to stretch the body more than effort.

Inhale your knees back to centre.

Hug your knees towards your chest once again for as long as you need to.

And then whenever you're ready,

Stretch your legs out for a short rest before you move on with your day.

So stretching your legs out in front of you into Shavasana,

Our final resting posture.

If you feel any pinching in your lower back,

Then bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor.

Make it so your feet are wide and you can bring your knees towards each other.

That slight internal rotation of the thighs really helps to release the lower back.

Bring your arms out to the side with the palms of your hands facing up.

Close your eyes.

Allow your body to fully relax into the support of the ground.

Surrender.

Allow the floor to take the weight of your body,

To take the weight of whatever's running through your mind at the moment.

Allow your body the space to receive the effects of today's practice,

To receive the effects of this ease for back pain.

Take any time that you have to rest here for a moment.

If you are ready to move on with the rest of your day,

Slowly start to wake up the body,

Maybe moving your hands or moving your feet.

Rock your head from side to side.

Bring your feet together and stretch your arms up overhead to stretching your body head to toe.

Then hug your knees in towards your chest and roll onto one side.

Take as much as time as you like on your side.

And when you're ready,

Press your hand into the mat and push yourself up to sit.

If you haven't already,

Take your time to gently start to open your eyes.

Thank you so much for sharing your practice with me today.

I hope it's found some ease of the back pain that you've been feeling.

I do advise that you practice this often.

It's through stretching and strengthening those muscles of the lower back that we can really start to counter act the effects of our day-to-day lives and counteract particularly the effects of sitting at a desk throughout the day.

So I recommend you come back to this practice whenever you can.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day and take care.