Yoga for Low Back Pain: Wind Removing Pose or Pavanamuktasana a great stretch for stiffness & pain

Join Jennifer Dixon ERYT 500 and Authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher for a quick tutorial on Wind Removing Pose or Pavanamuktasana.

Yoga pose for Low Back Pain

Wind Removing Pose (Pavanamuktasana) is the pose I found to be the single best pose in helping to relieve my low back pain back when I first started practicing yoga. That’s because this pose helps to stretch the hip flexors (which get tight from sitting too long) and it helps to build mobility in your hips (which also get tight from sitting.) It’s super easy to do in bed and is often one of the first things I do when I wake up in the morning.

When my back is really hurting, I have been known to go back to bed and try a modification of this pose described below.

The Benefits of Wind Removing Pose

This pose is great to help build mobility in your hip area while simultaneously helping to stretch the hip flexor on the straight leg. Also, because you’re compressing the belly on this pose, you get the added benefit of some massaging of the intestines. (There’s a reason it’s called wind removing pose! If it removes some wind, you’re doing it right ;))

How to Perform Wind Removing Pose

• Lay on your back & bring your right knee in towards your chest.
• Leave your left leg outstretched. (You can bend that left leg if you need to.)
• Wrap your hands around your bent right knee, just below the knee joint, on your shin, and gently pull that thigh closer to your chest.
• Try to bring your shoulders back down on the bed/ground (and away from your ears).

Hold this 3-5 minutes then do the other side.

You can do this with both knees in towards your chest as well, which makes for a great low back stretch.

Modifications to Wind Removing Pose

Once you can get your knee to your chest, try taking it out to the side of your rib cage. Eventually, that thigh may touch the bed or the ground beside your body. You can also make this a twist and take the bent leg over to the side. This twisting action stretches your IT band and your piriformis muscle

With both knees into your chest, you can make little circles (both clockwise and counter-clockwise) with your knees to help get into the hips a little more.

There ya have it, my favorite low back stretch when the stuff gets tight down there!

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