10 Best Yoga Poses For Sciatica Pain Relief

By Jola @YolaYoga | January 25, 2022

Are you suffering from sciatica pain? The sharp, throbbing, or burning sensation that can radiate down your leg? If yes, some simple yoga poses can help you relieve this unpleasant feeling and prevent, soothe, and heal the sciatica symptoms.

Yoga has been proven to be one of the therapeutic alternatives for alleviating back and sciatica pain. Research shows that yoga can reduce chronic back pain, improve mobility and reduce the need for pain medication. Especially yoga poses such as Cobra Pose and Locust Pose can help improve sciatica symptoms.

Let’s dive deeper into which yoga poses are best for sciatica pain relief. For best results, do them in order we present them in this article.

10 Best Yoga Poses for Sciatica Pain Relief

1. Child’s Pose – Balasana

This pose calms the mind and draws the attention inward. If you need a break at any point during your practice, return to this pose. It lengthens and stretches your spine, promoting flexibility in your hips, thighs, and lower back.

1. Begin by coming to your hands and knees. Separate your knees wider than your hips and bring your big toes together. Sit back onto your heels.
2. Allow your belly to drop between your thighs as your ribs rest on the inner thighs. Bring your forehead to the floor. Keep your arms alongside you.
3. Close your eyes and bring awareness inward. Hold for 5 minutes.

Modifications: If it is difficult to sit back on your heels, place a rolled towel or blanket under the ankles and sit on that. You can also place a cushion or bolster under your thighs, chest, and forehead to create better support.

2. Downward Facing Dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana

This pose calms the mind, helps to relieve stress, and also stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, and calves.

1. To start come toyour hands and knees. Spread your fingers wide on the floor. Make sure your hands are shoulder-distance apart. Tuck your toes under.
2. To come to position press into the palms and lift your hips up and back to create a “V” shape with your body. Press the heels down toward the floor.
3. While in pose straighten your arms and roll the inner part of the elbow forward while pressing evenly through all fingers. Allow the head to release down. Look toward feet. Bring the awareness to calf or hamstrings. Hold for 1 minute. Come down to your fours or Child Pose (pose 1) if you are tired.

3. Half Moon Pose – Ardha Chandrasana

Half Moon Pose strengthens and balances your body, and stretches your spine, glutes, and thighs.

1. Start in Triangle pose on the right side. Fix your vision in one point on the floor in front of your right foot and bend your right knee.
2. Shift your weight onto your right leg, straighten right knee as you lift your left leg so it is parallel to the floor. Place right hand on the ground or a block and extend your other hand straight up. Gaze first toward the floor. Later you can start turning the chest forward and gazing towards top hand.
3. While in pose flex your back heel and keep your neck in line with spine. Take a 5 breaths. To come out from position just bend the right knee and bring back foot to the floor and come to triangle. Switch the sides.

Modifications: You can do this pose with the wall behind you for easier balance.

4. Cobra – Bhujangasana

Cobra pose strengthens and stretches your spine, promoting better flexibility.

1. Lie facedown on your mat. Bend your elbows and place your palms flat on the floor alongside your lower ribs so that your elbows are stacked directly over your wrists. Keep legs together.
2. On an inhalation, press into your hands and use the muscles of your lower back to lift your chest off the ground. Keep your shoulders relaxed away from your ears as you draw them back and down.
3. Start to work your arms toward straight, but stop as soon as you feel your shoulders raising toward your ears. Take 5 to 8 breaths and come down. Repeat 2 more times.

5. Locust Pose – Salabasana

This pose strengthens your spine, glutes, and thighs. It stabilizes your core and lower back. It also improves flexibility in your hips.

1. Lie on your stomach and place your palms facing up underneath your pelvis.
2. Bring your chin to the floor and slowly lift your legs above teh floor.
3. Engage your glutes, lower back, and abdominals.
4. Hold for up to 30 seconds.
5. Release the pose and bring the chin to the floor and relax your body for a few breaths.
6. Repeat 1–2 times.

6. Knees To Chest Pose / Wind-Relieving Pose – Pavanamuktasana

This pose relieves tightness in your lower back, hips, and glutes.

1. Lie on your back and draw both knees in toward your chest.
2. Draw your ankles and knees together as you reach your hands around the backs of your thighs or around your shins.
3. If your hands reach, interlace your fingers or take hold of opposite elbows.
4. To deepen the stretch, lift your head and tuck your chin into your chest.
5. Hold this pose for up to 1 minute.

7. Bridge Pose – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Bridge Pose stretches the spine, relieving pain and tension.

1. Lie on your back. Bend your knees. Place your feet flat on the ground, hip distance apart and parallel to the side of the mat. Stack your knees directly over your ankles. Place your arms alongside you, palms face down.
2. Inhale, press down into your feet to lift your hips up toward the ceiling.
3. Roll your shoulders toward each other underneath you. Interlace your fingers. Open chest toward ceiling. Engage buttocks.

Modifications: If you have lower back issues, try turning this into a restorative pose. To do so, place a block on its low or medium height underneath your sacrum, the boniest part of the back of your pelvis.

8. Reclined Pigeon – Supta Kapotasana

Reclined Pigeon Pose stretches your glutes and hips as well as the piriformis muscle.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels in toward your hips.
2. Bend your right knee and bring your right ankle to the left thigh.
3. Stay here if you already feel a deep stretch.
4. To go deeper, lift your left foot and draw your left knee in toward your chest.
5. Interlace your fingers to hold behind your left thigh or shin.
6. Hold for up to 1 minute.
7. Repeat on the opposite side.

9. Half Lord of the Fishes – Ardha Matsyendrasana

This twist stretches and lengthens your spine, relieving pain and tension.

1. Seat straight with legs extended in front of you. Bend you right knee and place your right foot over your left thigh and set it on the outside of left leg.
2. Bend your left leg and the heel toward right sit bone. Sit tall.
3. Place your right hand behind you and lift left hand to the ceiling.
4. As you exhale, twist to the right and bring your left elbow to the outside of your right knee.
5. Hold for 1 minute and repeat on the other side.

10. Legs Against The Wall – Viparita Karani

1. Put a bolster or folded blanket against the wall. Sit next to the wall on the blankets so that your right hip is pretty close to the wall and your legs run parallel to the wall.

2. Lean back into your hands so that you can bend your knees and lift your legs up the wall. Lie on your back and straighten your legs up the wall to create an “L” shape with your body while keeping the hips on the blankets. Move your sit bones as close to the wall as possible.

3. Relax your legs, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Hold the position for at least 15 minutes.

Conclusion

If you experience sciatica pain, the poses above may help you relieve pain and feel better. The most important is to do these poses with ease, and gentleness.

It is a good idea to schedule a private yoga session. If you would like to schedule a virtual session with us, please email Jola at info@yolayoga.co to make an appointment.

If you have sciatica pain that lasts longer than a month it is best to see a doctor or a physical therapist.

Namaste.

Jola at YolaYoga