Child's Pose (Balasana): Begin by kneeling on the floor, then sit back on your heels and stretch your arms forward, lowering your forehead to the ground. This gentle stretch helps release tension in the lower back.
Cat-Cow Stretch: Start on your hands and knees, then arch your back upwards (cat) and downwards (cow) in a fluid motion, coordinating with your breath to stretch and mobilize the spine.
Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): Begin on your hands and knees, then lift your hips up and back, straightening your legs and forming an inverted V-shape with your body. This pose stretches the entire back and helps relieve tension.
Forward Fold (Uttanasana): Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then fold forward from the hips, bringing your hands towards the ground or holding onto your elbows. This stretch lengthens the spine and releases tension in the lower back and hamstrings.
Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana): Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you, then hinge forward from the hips, reaching towards your feet or shins. This pose stretches the entire back body, including the lower back, hamstrings, and calves.
Thread the Needle: Begin on your hands and knees, then reach one arm underneath your body and thread it through the space between your opposite arm and leg, resting your shoulder and ear on the ground.
Supine Twist: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, then drop your knees to one side while keeping your shoulders grounded, twisting the spine. This pose releases tension in the lower back and improves spinal mobility.
Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana): Sit on the floor with one leg extended and the other bent, then twist towards the bent knee, wrapping your opposite arm around the thigh and reaching the other arm behind you.
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana): Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, then lift your hips towards the ceiling while pressing into your feet and shoulders.
Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana): Lie on your back and bring your knees towards your chest, then grab onto the outsides of your feet or ankles and gently pull your knees towards the floor.
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani): Sit close to a wall and lie on your back with your legs extended upwards, resting them against the wall. This gentle inversion relieves pressure on the lower back and promotes relaxation.