Back contracted from sitting, hips that pull as soon as you get up from the sofa, head full… When tensions build up, the body ends up saying stop, often at the lower back. Many people then turn to yoga for the back, but don’t know where to start or how to practice without hurting themselves. What if the key was a single movement, gentle and somatic, to slip into your routine?
Because deep down, our muscles record everything: stress, suppressed emotions, endless days in front of the computer. Somatic gymnastics, still discreet, proposes to release these traces through slow, very simple gestures, which teach the body to relax again. One exercise in particular targets the lower back and hips in just a few minutes, with a surprising unlocking effect.
Yoga for the back: when the lumbar and hips maintain tension
Low back pain is not exceptional: in 2020, 619 million people suffered from it worldwide, and 843 million could be affected in 2050, according to the World Health Organization. With , osteopath Adrien Ezine reminds us where this pain often comes from: When this muscle remains in tension, the entire lower back tenses.
And then there is what we don’t see: the emotions. On Instagram, professional coach and kundalini yoga teacher Camille Soustra explains the “somatization of trauma” in this area. For her, she explains on her account. Somatic education relies on very gentle, slow movements to recreate a deep body-mind connection and release these blockages.
A somatic yoga exercise for the back to do at home in 3 minutes
The movement proposed by Camille Soustra is practiced on the ground, with a mat and, ideally, a yoga block. It is similar to a yoga for the back that is very accessible, even for beginners. To reproduce it at home, you can follow these simple steps:
- Lie on your back and place a yoga block under your lower back, at the level of the sacrum.
- Extend your arms out to either side of your body, palms facing the sky, then raise your knees slightly.
- With your eyes closed, slowly swing your knees from left to right, without moving your head and keeping your torso as neutral as possible, for 2 to 3 minutes.
This swing massages the lower back against the brick and gently mobilizes the hips. The rhythm remains calm, synchronized with breathing, to create real active relaxation. Many describe a feeling of lightness and diffuse warmth in the lumbar region, as if the back was finally “settling down”. Even without a brick, using a large book or a firm cushion, this little ritual can become a benchmark for releasing everyday tensions.
Other yoga postures for the back to stretch, breathe and release
To complete this somatic exercise, certain classic yoga postures for the back remain valuable allies. The downward facing dog position tones the front of the legs, stretches the hamstrings, calves and lengthens the spine, which improves posture and can relieve pain in the lumbar region. Journalist for , yoga expert and co-founder of Método Beautiful Life, Amalia Panea also emphasizes that this position helps to rest the nervous system and release the emotions: , she assures. It also evokes better circulation to the heart and head, a feeling of increased energy and a lower level of cortisol, often associated with inflammation.
On the lower back side, happy baby pose, or , detailed by yoga teacher Jenny Haynes in the British version of , directly targets the sacrum and hips. It is practiced lying down, head on the ground, knees brought towards the armpits, hands holding the feet. , she explains. Gentle sideways swings can further massage the lower back, and one can, if one feels stable, extend one leg to stretch the hamstrings. In approximately 90% of cases, back pain linked to “common lower back pain” heals in less than 4 to 6 weeks, but, as Health Insurance points out, In this case, follow-up by a health professional, for example a physiotherapist, remains recommended in addition to yoga.
