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Five Poses To Ease Pain

Published by jboyo at
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Supta Baddha Konasana or Reclining Bound Angle Pose

By helping to create space in the groin and pelvic region, this is a great pose for relieving the pain caused by menstrual cramps.

HOW TO DO THIS POSE

  • Lie on your back bringing the soles of your feet together.
  • Arms are at your side palms facing up, or you can place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly.
  • Stay in this pose for 5-15 minutes while gently breathing in and out through your nose.
  • When you are ready to come out, take your hands to the outside of your knees to help draw them into the midline.
  • With your feet pressing into the floor, a little wider than hips distance apart, allow your knees to knock together for a few breaths.

Viparita Karani or Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose

Touted as a miracle pose, Viparita Karani is a restorative yoga pose that helps with everything from headaches and arthritis to insomnia and depression.

HOW TO DO THIS POSE

  • Place your right or left hip snug against a wall, then begin to extend your feet up the wall.
  • Your buttocks should be fairly close to the wall and your feet will be close together.
  • Arms are at your side with palms facing up, above your head in a cactus shape, or you can have one palm resting on your heart and one palm resting on your belly.
  • Close your eyes and quietly inhale and exhale through your nose for 5 -15 minutes, allowing your body to completely soften into the ground.
  • To come out of the pose, bend your knees and press yourself away from the wall. Gently roll to your left side and hang out in the fetal position for a few moments before making your way upright.

Salabasana or Locust Pose

Between sitting at computers or in our cars for much of the day, it’s not uncommon to experience lower back pain. Often when we think of core strength we think of working our abs, but our back muscles are the other part of that equation and all too often they are neglected. Salabasana serves to simultaneously strengthen these muscles while also creating space in the lower back and lengthening the entire spine.

HOW TO DO THIS POSE

  • Lie on your stomach with the tops of your feet pressing into the mat, no wider than hips distance apart.
  • Interlace your hands at the small of your back. As you inhale, reach back through your hands and begin to spiral your chest up off the mat with your gaze slightly forward.
  • Your shoulder heads press back as your shoulder blades release down your back. There is a sensation that your inner thighs are spiraling up to the ceiling.
  • Your buttocks muscles should be fairly relaxed. Hold here for several breaths then repeat the pose again, interlacing your fingers with the opposite thumb and index finger on top.
  • Practice Salabasana 2-3 times daily.

Ardha Parshva Hastasana or Half Sideways Hand Pose

We are on our phones, tablets, and computers a lot and one of the first places we feel this is in our wrists. This is a simple pose you can do anywhere to relieve some of the pain your wrists may be feeling.

HOW TO DO THIS POSE

  • Stand straight with your weight equally distributed on both feet, approximately an arm’s distance away from a wall. Place the palm of your left hand on the wall making sure that it is line with your shoulder.
  • Turn the hand out so that your middle finger is pointing behind you. If this variation is too strenuous you can have your fingers pointing up toward the ceiling.
  • Keeping your left elbow slightly bent, begin to externally rotate your upper arm, wrapping it in the direction of your fingers.
  • Make sure that your fingers are spread and that you are pressing evenly through your entire hand. Gradually begin to press the wall away, straightening your left elbow as you do so.
  • Hold for 5-8 breaths then repeat on the right side. Practice this pose a few times throughout your work day.

Balasana or Child’s Pose

When done with a block or blanket to support the head, Balasana is great for relieving pain in the neck and back, while simultaneously calming the brain and relieving stress and fatigue. Child’s pose is a great way to start and end your day.

HOW TO DO THIS POSE

  • Bring your big toes together and your knees a little wider than hips distance apart.
  • Begin to lay your torso down in the space you have created between your legs, resting your forehead on a block, blanket, or even a thick book.
  • Calmly begin to breathe, inhaling through your nose, then exhaling through your nose.
  • After holding for several minutes you will feel your hips start to gently open and release and your spine lengthening.
  • Hold for 5-8 breaths then repeat on the right side. Practice this pose a few times throughout your day.