Last summer, I was traveling in Bulgaria, soaking up the beauty and adventure of being somewhere new. And then… I tweaked my back.
For a couple of days, I could barely move. Rolling over in bed felt like trying to flip a log. It was so frustrating—when your back is in pain, it’s hard to focus on anything else.
Oddly enough, the thing that helped most wasn’t what I expected. It wasn’t stretching or deep twists. It was gentle abdominal exercises. Thesesmall but intentional movements eased the pain and brought stability back to my spine. We drove a lot and while sitting in the car, I found relief simply by pulling my belly in, and pressing my low back against the seat.
I’m lucky in that I’ve never suffered much with back pain before. But this made me deeply aware of how much spinal health affects everything—our ability to move, breathe, focus, and simply feel good in our bodies. Now, I’m extra sensitive to any tension along my back body and address it immediately. I also focus on preventative practices to keep my back healthy.
6 Tips to Help Foster Ease in Your Spine
Have you ever felt stiff, sore, or restricted in your back? Here are some simple ways to bring more ease and mobility into your spine:
1. Strengthen and Engage – Strength supports mobility. Gentle core activation (like elbow-to-knee abdominals) and exercises for the backline of your body (e.g., Shalabhasana / Locust pose) build strength and create support for other poses in your practice.
2. Move your Spine in All Directions – Your spine craves:
- Flexion and extension: Try Cat-Cow – I do this almost every day!
- Twisting: Open Twisting Lunge and Lying Down Spinal Twist feel wonderful.
- Side bending: Standing Side Bend or Lunge with a Side Bend are great for creating space along the side body.
A well-rounded practice includes all of these!
3. Don’t forget your Upper and Mid Back – It’s all connected! Practice shoulder shrugs and scapula pushups to release tension and bring awareness to these areas.
4 Micro-Movements Matter – Instead of static poses, add small, flowing movements. Like rocking in Happy Baby pose or swaying side to side in a Forward Fold.
5. Massage you Back
- Try what worked for me: Take a deep breath in. Exhale, tilt your tailbone up, pull your lower belly in strongly, and press your low back into a chair, the wall, or your mat. Notice how it feels.
- On your back, hug your knees in. Put your hands on your knees. Gently circle them out away from each other and back in to center. Do this a few times in one direction, then the other, massaging your lower back into your mat as you do.
6. Daily Mini-Practice – Seated spinal waves: Round and arch your back while seated, syncing movement with breath. It is like Cat-Cow but seated, making it easy to sprinkle throughout your work day!
I Love Teaching Backbends
Backbending classes are my favourite to teach! 💜
These poses offer a perfect balance of traction, strength and opening. When done with awareness, they don’t just increase flexibility—they build stability, help increase breath capacity, and can be profoundly healing. Even gentle backbends can help counteract the effects of sitting and slouching that so many of us experience.
I have a couple of short video practices to help you explore backbends in a way that feels supportive and safe:
▶️ Gentle Spinal Movements for Creating Spaciousness (10 min)
▶️ Chair Yoga Sequence for Your Neck and Back (10 min)
I’d love for you to try them and let me know how they feel!
👉 Is there one area of your back (or body) that tends to feel stuck? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to share specific tips in a future email 🙂
See you on the mat!