“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, ao-button” } }”>
Are you going out? Check out this article about the new Outside+ app now available on iOS devices for members!
>”, “name”:in-content-cta”, “type”:link”}}”>Download the app.
You’ve probably heard yoga teachers tell you to bring your big toes together in standing poses so many times that you instinctively fall into that position without even thinking about it — or how it feels in your body. And if you are a yoga teacher, you have learned this cue as traditional and correct.
But if you or your students experience lower back pain, tension, or discomfort during or after yoga, following this instruction could actually do more damage, especially if you’re newer to yoga and working to build your strength, balance, and condition. attitude.
The one sign you need to know to relieve lower back pain during yoga
There could be countless causes of low back pain, including muscle tension, hip flexor tightness, sacroiliac joint disruption, poor posture, spinal alignment, herniated discs and other physical conditions. Any concern requires your attention. Don’t ignore your doctor’s recommendations, but also stay aware of your body and make specific adjustments to your yoga practice.
There is a simple adjustment that can often help relieve (or at least not worsen) low back pain and provide you with some relief: Try placing your feet hip-distance apart.
When we stand with our big toes together in common poses such as Tadasana (mountain pose) and Utkatasana (chair pose), it is difficult to find equal weight distribution to support the load on our lower back. Without constant body awareness and conscious attention, the pelvis and spine can become misaligned as your body tries to compensate.
When we instead set our feet slightly wider, with the hip bones stacked on top of the ankle bones, it becomes easier for our entire body to resist gravity. With better posture, we can more easily balance weight between our feet and use our core in a way that supports a neutral spine. This can help us develop postural awareness to combat spinal misalignments such as lordosis (a forward pelvic tilt) that can cause even more strain on the low back over time.
Adjusting your posture won’t solve your pain, but it can help you get to class without inviting more pain into your practice.
How to find a safe position if you experience lower back pain
It may sound deceptively simple to know what “hip distance apart” means in your body. The first few times you separate your feet in these poses, take a moment and explore what gives you a sense of stability and relief.
1. Feet in line with your hip points
Bring your attention to your hip points, or the anterior superior iliac spine of the pelvis (ASIS), which are the bony parts at the front of your hips that stick out a little. If you imagine drawing a line straight down from these two bones, you should be staring at the center of each of your ankles.
2. Use a block
If you have a block, keep it handy and place it between your feet. If you notice that the block does not match your hip distance, set the block aside but keep it in sight as a reminder to adjust your feet so that your big toes are not touching.
About our contributor
Jenny Clise has been teaching yoga since 2012. Her classes are inspired by many yoga schools, but her favorite yoga style to teach is alignment-based flows. She is an avid traveler and leads retreats around the world. She is also the author of the yoga ebook BLOCK ASANAS. For more information about Jenny, her classes or upcoming events, visit JennyClise.com or follow her on Instagram @jennyclise.