Relaxing Yoga Posture for Back, Chest and Shoulders

At the beginning of my classes I usually ask students to share what they need from their practice. The 3 most frequent requests are de-stressing/relaxation, releasing tension from shoulders and low back pain relief. I tailor each class to address what is needed so that yoga helps students feel better and more balanced.

Hearing these requests on a daily basis motivated me to upload videos to YouTube so that my students and other people could benefit from living with less pain, less stress and more clarity.

I am humbled to see the wonderfully positive reception that the videos for low back pain relief have had in YouTube. It makes my day to know that many people are using them to feel better. Thank you!

Here is a simple yoga posture to relax the back, shouders and chest. This posture is an excellent complement for the sequence for low back pain and for the sequence to release shoulder tension.

When you need to relax your back and rest you can try this simple and easy posture to help you release tension along your back as well as to help relieve tension from your shoulders and chest. What I like the most about this posture is that it is easy and simple and can be done by most people.

You will need one or two towels.

• Roll up the towel(s) along the long side into a smooth roll with no folds.
• Place the roll on a padded surface on the floor.
• Sit on the roll aligning the center of your back pelvis (sacrum) on the roll. Start with your knees bent.
• Recline your spine along the roll until your head rests comfortably on the roll.
• Let your arms slide to the sides at a comfortable angle with the palms of the hands facing up.
• You may keep your knees bent or you can rest the legs on the floor at an angle that helps you feel balanced. Try both options and choose the one that feels better to you.
• Close your eyes and maybe point your chin towards your chest.
• Focus on expanding your breath in a satisfying way.
• Relax.
• Stay for a few minutes and then remove the roll and lying down on your back noticing the effects in your body and mind.

It may be a good idea to practice this posture at the end of your day, after exercising, or after doing one of the sequences to relief back pain or to relax the shoulders and neck.

As usual, there is never forcing or pain in yoga. The idea is just to do what we can do at this moment. Remember that yoga benefits result from practicing with patient persistence.

I hope you enjoy this posture and its effects.

Namaste.