Vimanasana: a pose to strengthen the muscles of the sacroiliac joints.
This is the third part of the series on yoga for back pain and the second half of the sequence I started in the last column.
This part focuses on yoga poses done while lying prone (on the belly) and supine (on the back).
These exercises are not to be done individually and separately, so try to do these poses as a sequence, incorporating those poses showed in the last column.
Again, remember to stay in tune with your breath. The breath is always free and deep, through the nostrils. Breathe in to lengthen the spine, creating space in our vertebrae, and breathe out to move or continue deeper into the posture. Try to do the poses from the first half of the sequence (from the last column) before you proceed with these poses.
Prone Poses
1. Bhujangasana – to stabilize the sacrum
Lie on the belly and begin with the knees together. Place the hands under the shoulders, hugging the arms to the side of the body with elbows pointing up. Inhale and push back on the hand, lift the chest upward. Exhale and come back down. Repeat several times
2. Ardha salabasana – to strengthen the lower back and stabilize the hips.
Lie on the belly like in the previous pose. Inhale and lift the chest as you raise the right leg, keeping the leg straight. Exhale and come down. Then repeat on the other side. Repeat on both sides a few times.
3.Salabhasana – to strengthen the lower back and stabilize the hips
Still in the same prone position, inhale and lift the chest as you raise both legs. Exhale and drop the right leg to the floor. Now still keeping the other leg up, inhale and take the right leg back up, then exhale and release from the pose. Take a rest then begin the same sequence on the left side. Repeat a few sets.
4. Vimanasana – to strengthen the muscles of the sacroiliac joints
Inhale and lift the chest and then raise the legs while spreading the legs as wide as you can. Then exhale to bring the legs together, touching the knees if you can. On the inhale, open again, and exhale to come down.
Supine poses
1. Dwipada pitham
Lie on your back with the knees bent and the heels close to the hip bone. On the inhale, press on the feet and raise the hips up towards the ceiling as you raise both arms over the head. Exhale and come down vertebrae by vertebrae, releasing the arms back down to the side of your torso. Repeat a few times.
Supta padangusthasana: a symmetric version.
2. Supta badhakonasana – to strengthen the hip abductors and stimulate circulation to the sacrum
Lie on the back with the knees bent, letting them open wide as you bring the soles of the feet together. Take an inhale, then on the exhale take the knees up and closing the knee one-third of the way. Pause, then inhale and take the knees down. Repeat three times then inhale and exhale, take the knees up two-thirds of the way, pause, inhale down. On the last round, slowly close the legs all the way. Repeat a few times.
3. Supta padangusthasana
Bring both knees up toward the chest and place each hand behind each knee. Inhale and extend the heels up to the ceiling, straightening the arms and stretching the hamstring. Exhale and bend the elbows, bend the knees and bring the thighs toward the belly.
6. Urdhva prasarita padasana – to strengthen abdomen, the psoas muscles and lower back
Take both knees up toward the belly and hold the right leg with both hands. Inhale and straighten the left leg to the floor hovering a few centimeters above the floor. Exhale and slowly raise the left leg up to 90 degrees, extending the heel up towards the ceiling. Then inhale and slowly lower the leg to the floor a few inches from the floor. Exhale and take the knee back to chest. Do the sane sequence on the other side and repeat a few times.
7. Jathara parivritti – to strengthen and stretch the lower back, work the hips abductor
Lie on the back with the knees up to the ceiling, the arms extended to the side in line with the shoulders. On the exhale, drop the knees to one side. Then inhale to come up again, and exhale to drop the knees to the other side. After a few repetitions, stay for a while during the twists.
Now that you’ve done the whole sequence, give your body some time to rest and absorb the practice. Lie down on your back in the most comfortable position you can find. If you feel discomfort in this pose, place a pillow under your knees to keep the legs relaxed. Close your eyes and stay rested for a while.
I hope this sequence will help keep your spine in better shape. Namaste.
— Photos by JP/P.J. Leo
