5 Simple Stretchs If You Sit All Day

By Dani Ibarra~ YogaWorks Teacher Trainer, Instructor and Mentor

1.  Start lying down with feet as wide as mat and knees touching.  Allow inner thighs to release towards floor, this opens the low back/sacrum.  Hold 9 breaths

2.  Drop knees to left and place left foot on right knee to gently stretch out hip flexors.  If you experience pain in the knee lower the foot back down to the floor.  Hold 5 breaths and switch sides.

3. Dynamic Bridge Pose.  Step feet hip width distance apart and parallel.  press feet down and lift hips up, extend arms overhead, exhale everything back down to floor.  Repeat 6-8x

 

4.  Supta Baddha Konasana- bring soles of feet together and open knees apart.  This externally rotates the thigh bones and opens the hips.  Support thighs if needed, you can also elevate the feet on a pillow to release low back pain

5.  Low Lunge-step right foot in between hands, stacking knee over heel.  Extend left leg back on diagonal and allow the hips to melt forward. hold 5 breaths.  Repeat on other side

 *If lunges are not available to you due to knees injury or extreme tightness then move to a wall, stand and hold ankle stretching thigh muscle and knee down towards the floor.  Hold 5 breaths and switch sides.  Use a strap if unable to reach foot.

*The timing for these poses can always be modified according to your ability.  Always listen to your body and remember, YOGA SHOULD NOT HURT!  If you experience any sharp negative sensation come out the pose and check your alignment. 

ALWAYS WORK FROM A PLACE THAT DOES NOT CAUSE ANY MORE 

HARM IN YOUR BODY.

Thanks for reading! Namaste' Sweet People

Yoga for Sciatica Pain

 By Dani Ibarra ~ YogaWorks Instructor, Teacher Trainer and Mentor

The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body which runs down the back of each leg.  When a disc is compressed it begins to bulge.  Depending on the extent of the bulge, it could press up against the sciatic nerve. When this occurs it may result in low back, hip and buttock pain and can eventually move down the back of the leg causing weakness, tingling and even numbness.  

Disc compression occurs for numerous reasons, therefore being mindful about posture and how to sit properly in a chair could be a simple way of preventing future problems from occurring.  When the pelvis gets pulled into a posterior tilt the tailbone tucks under the body causing the low back (lumbar spine) to flatten.  Over time the flattening of the spine may cause compression to disc areas L4- L5 and L5-S1.  Since the spine starts to curve at this juncture and bears the most weight, these discs become more easily prone to injury.   

When sitting for long periods of time be sure to sit far back into the seat of the chair, so that the pelvis can remain neutral.  Think of your pelvis like a bowl, where you don't want anything spilling out of the back of the bowl.  When the pelvis is in neutral alignment, the sitting bones will press evenly and the spine can maintain it's natural curves.  Keep your thigh bones parallel and your feet flat on the floor.  Maintain Tadasana, "Mountain Pose", not only when you're standing but when you're sitting at your desk, driving your car and especially when sitting on long flights.

Another way to prevent sciatica is to GO TO YOGA! Yoga is all about creating space and freedom in the body.  Finding the right yoga class is important and I would recommend staying away from fast moving flow classes when your sciatica is fired up.  Avoid holding deep standing and seated forward bends because this may only aggravate the area. Keep the knees bent if you are in classes focusing on these particular postures. Having lived with sciatic pain for almost a decade, I have explored many yoga poses to help alleviate my pain.  These are a few of my favorite postures that continue to keep this area pain free.  They work for me...maybe they'll work for you!

20 min Sciatica Buster~ Sequence #1

Traction Stretch:  Press thigh bones away as you inhale and expand the chest towards your chin.  Move sitting bones apart- this is a very subtle action. *Additional action if appropriate, press foot into floor and lift pelvis about an inch off the floor while moving thighs away, this will intensify stretch (Hold 9 breaths on each side)

Thread the needle:  Move legs slightly off center, rest one arm on a block and press opposite elbow into front thigh. Continue to move sitting bones apart to create more space.

 (Hold 9 breaths on each side)

Supine Gomukasana:  Cross one thigh over the other, hold under the shins, flex feet as you press front thigh into back thigh.       (Hold 9 breaths on each side)

Supta Hasta Padangustasana 1:  Place a large loop in the strap and take it under your ribs and around your heel bone.  This is a nice variation if you have wrist issues, it can actually be done without holding onto the strap.  Keep leg vertical and tighten the strap until you feel the thigh bone being pressed down into the hip socket. (Hold 9 breaths on each side)

 

Supta Hasta Padangustasana 2:  Open the leg to the side while keeping the opposite hip and buttock grounded.   Keep the strap around the rib cage just under the chest. 

(Hold 9 breaths on each side)

Supta Hasta Padangustasana 3:  Cross the leg over and twist, hook thumb into hip crease and move hip away from your waist. (Hold 9 breaths on each side)

Balasana- Great for stretching low back and hips.  Bring big toes together and knees slightly apart. You'll get a great shoulder opener with the hands on blocks, press base of thumb and index finger down as you firm outer upper arms (triceps) in towards the bone.  (Hold 1-2 minutes)

Viparita Karani-  Add a bolster or sand bag to weigh the thigh bones down into hip socket. (Hold 3-5 minutes)

Supta Baddha Konasana- Support the spine with either a bolster or pillow, use blankets to support the head and legs.  This pose will gently extend the spine, open the shoulders and hips, great for woman during menstrual cycle.  This pose is recommended for sciatica and it's a great pose to end your practice with.  (Hold 5-10 minutes)

If you're looking for a slow and gentle yoga practice I am currently teaching 7 Therapeutic/Restorative classes per week at Valencia and Pasadena YogaWorks.  My schedule of classes and upcoming Teacher Trainings can be found on my website www.daniibarra.com  

For more yoga tips you can follow me on FB and Instagram-  Dani Ibarra Yoga 

Hope to see you on the mat! Namaste' Sweet People