Suffering from a stiff back? A yoga practitioner provides five exercises to alleviate tension and enhance flexibility
In the yoga and Pilates communities, Mary Goodsell is renowned for her exercises that focus on flexibility, tension release, and core strength. However, specific lists of her top five yoga poses for releasing back tension are not readily available from these sources.
Nonetheless, if you're seeking effective yoga poses for easing back tension, here are some commonly recommended poses that can help:
- Child’s Pose (Balasana) - This pose is a gentle stretch for the hips, thighs, and ankles while reducing stress and fatigue.
- Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana/Bitilasana) - This pose eases tight muscles in the neck all the way to the base of the spine, offering a gentle backbend.
- Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) - This pose strengthens the arms and legs, helps to improve digestion, and relieves stress and mild depression.
- Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) - This pose gently stretches the chest and strengthens the spine and back muscles.
- Reclining Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana) - This pose helps to relieve stress, improves digestion, and massages internal organs.
While these poses are not specifically attributed to Mary Goodsell, they are commonly suggested for back tension relief. If you're interested in Mary Goodsell's specific recommendations, further research may be required.
In addition to these general poses, Mary Goodsell shares two poses that are particularly effective for releasing tension in the upper and middle back:
- Thread the needle pose - Hold this pose for 15-20 seconds, remembering to breathe intentionally, and repeat on the other side twice.
- Arm drop pose - This pose is beneficial for tight upper backs or after a long day of desk work. Perform the pose three or four times on each side.
Another pose Mary Goodsell recommends is the Half eagle / wide-leg stretch. This pose requires less focus on balance and allows for a strong back and shoulder blades stretch.
Lastly, the Toe tap pose is another pose that Mary Goodsell suggests, but further details about this pose were not provided in the sources.
To perform the Thread the needle pose, start on hands and knees, raise the right arm, twist the torso, and thread the right arm between the left arm and leg, bringing the right shoulder to the floor. For the Arm drop pose, raise your left arm so your biceps is next to your ear, bend your left elbow so your left hand moves behind your head, take hold of your left elbow with your right hand, and gently pull your elbow behind your head until you feel a stretch in the trapezius muscles underneath your shoulder blades.
For the Half eagle / wide-leg stretch, bring arms in front of the chest with elbows bent to 90°, cross the right arm under the left arm, lift the elbows away from the body, point the fingers up, press palms together or grab hold of a thumb, exhale, engage the core and fold from the hips to bend down towards the floor.
To perform the Toe tap pose, fold at the hips and bring the left hand to the right toes, shins, or knees, as mobility allows. For the Cat-cow pose, start on hands and knees, pay attention to the breath, exhale and round the spine, lowering the head to look at the toes, inhale and look up, lowering the stomach to create a U shape in the spine.
- Mary Goodsell, known for her wellness-focused yoga exercises, recommends the Thread the needle pose as an effective method for releasing tension in the upper back.
- The science of health-and-wellness supports the use of the Downward Facing Dog pose, a common exercise for strengthening the arms, improving digestion, and relieving stress and mild depression.
- In her fitness-and-exercise routines, Mary Goodsell includes the Reclining Twist, a pose that helps to relieve stress, improve digestion, and massage internal organs.
