Exhale as you press through your chest, moving it towards your thighs. Hold for five to 10 breaths.
Bedtime Yoga: Supta Kapotasana (Reclined Pigeon Pose)
This relieving stretch is especially beneficial for those with sciatica. It opens the hips while stretching the lower back, hips and inner thighs. Since the muscles of the lower back, hips and glutes are connected to the pelvic girdle, stretching these areas help alleviate pressure on the lower back and reduces tight back pain.
How to do:
Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent, with your soles of the feet flat on the floor. Set you gaze towards the sky. Cross your right leg over your left, with your right knee sticking out to the side.
Clasp your hands together behind your left leg, gently pulling your legs towards your chest, while keeping your lower back flat. Hold for ten deep breaths. Repeat on opposite side.
Salamba Bhujangasana (Sphinx Pose)
Sometimes referred to as the baby of backbends, this gentle pose helps reverse the hunched over position many experience after spending majority of their day sitting at desks or constantly looking down at their phones. It soothes the lower back, strengthens the spine and also opens the chest, lungs and shoulders.
How to do:
Start by lying down on your stomach with your legs hip-width distance apart. Keep your chin on your mat and your forearms flat by your sides with your finger tips facing forward.
Press the tops of your feet into the mat. On your inhale, press your forearms into the floor and lift your head and chest off the mat as your middle fingers point forward. Align your elbows under your shoulders and gaze at point in front of you.
Lengthen through your entire spine, keep your neck long and draw your shoulders blades down your back to keep your shoulders away from you ears. Hold for up to 10 breaths.
Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose)
As mentioned earlier in this article, because the hip bones and glutes are connected to the pelvis, overly tight hips and hamstrings limits motion in that area. Essentially, stretching those body parts help ease stress on your lower back.
How to do:
Begin by lying down on your back with your knees bent, soles of the feet on the floor. Inhale and extend your right leg to your right arm, grabbing your foot, calf or thigh with you right hand (you can also use a strap to loop around the arch of your foot as you relax the the upper body).