Yoga for tight hamstrings
Yesterday's post was directed towards helping the ills of two men in my life, so here's a second post to go with the first.
As mentioned, a common cause of lower back pain are tight hamstrings. As the muscles in the hamstrings tighten up, they tug on the muscles in the lower back, causing strain and making it much easier to pull back muscles. This seems to be a bit more common in men, which is perhaps why I commonly hear men say they feel less flexible, on a whole, than women. Hopefully, sequences like this can help with more flexibility, and less inferiority complexes.
As mentioned, a common cause of lower back pain are tight hamstrings. As the muscles in the hamstrings tighten up, they tug on the muscles in the lower back, causing strain and making it much easier to pull back muscles. This seems to be a bit more common in men, which is perhaps why I commonly hear men say they feel less flexible, on a whole, than women. Hopefully, sequences like this can help with more flexibility, and less inferiority complexes.
Yoga for tight hamstrings
Another group with tight hamstrings are athletes. With ridiculous strong muscles, but maybe not the most developed full-body stretching practice, injuries can occur. There was an article fairly recently in Yoga Journal about female Olympians who are also yoginis. Hopefully the trend continues.... just as long as yoga doesn't become an Olympic sport.
- Begin practice by lying on your back
- Supta Padangustasana (Reclined Big Toe Pose)
- Supta Trivikramasana (Reclined Vishnu Pose)
- Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana (Upward Facing Fold Pose)
- Repeat steps 2-4 on other side
- Taking hands under knees, rolling on back along spine
- Come to knees
- Yoga Mudrasana (Seal of Yoga Pose)
- Garbasasana (Child's Pose)
- Uttana Shishosana (Puppy Pose). Hold for 5-10 breaths
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
- Try to move, without coming down, into Dolphin Pose
- Move between steps 11 and 12
- Hold Dolphin 3-5 breaths
- Garbasana
- Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Pulsing in low lunge
- Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)
- Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
- Parsvottanasana (Intense Stretch)
- Prasarita Padottanasana (Forward Fold Pose)
- Repeat steps 17-21 on other side
- Dandasana (Staff Pose)
- Janu Sirasasana (Head to Knee Pose)
- Repeat steps 17-21 on other side
- Come onto back
- Urdhva Mukha Kapotanasana (Upward Facing Pigeon). Come into this pose on your back, using your hands to hold the leg in pigeon. Gently rock the leg like a baby to open hips further
- Reclined Thread the Needle pose: one foot coming across opposite thigh, arms coming around that thigh and pulling it towards your torso
- Supta Upavishta Konasana (Reclined Wide Angle Pose)
- Repeat steps 27 and 28 with other leg
- Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose)
- Savasana
