12 Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain Relief + Safety Guidelines

The World Health Organization reported that lower back pain affected 619 million people globally in 2020 alone. For many, that dull or nagging ache isn’t just a temporary issue, but a daily struggle that limits mobility, disrupts sleep, and makes even simple movements a challenge.

From sedentary lifestyles to common exercise mistakes and age-related issues, lower back pain can affect anyone. And while painkillers, massages, or an ergonomic workstation might offer temporary relief, they rarely address the underlying causes.

Thankfully, yoga poses for lower back pain offer lasting relief. When practiced correctly and consistently, yoga doesn’t just relieve pain; it helps correct the imbalances that cause pain in the first place, preventing it from returning.

Read on to discover the 12 best yoga poses for lower back pain, which are safe, effective, and suitable for all fitness levels.

Lower Back Pain: Causes and How Yoga Helps

You might think your lower back pain is popping up out of nowhere, but in reality, it’s often the result of everyday habits that add up over time. Some of the most common causes include:

• Poor posture from long hours hunched over a desk

• Weak core muscles that fail to stabilize the spine

• Tight hip flexors from prolonged sitting

• Sudden movements or lifting heavy objects without proper alignment

• Chronic stress and anxiety, which can cause physical tension in the back

• Age-related changes like spinal degeneration, disc issues, or arthritis

While many solutions offer temporary relief, yoga addresses these causes with a comprehensive, body-and-mind approach. Here’s how it helps:

1. Strengthens Core Muscles: A strong core is crucial to support the spine and prevent back pain. Poses like Bridge and Locust engage the abdominal and spinal stabilizers, helping you brace the lower back.
2. Improves Flexibility: Tight hamstrings and hip flexors can tilt the pelvis out of alignment, increasing pressure on the lower back. Forward bends in yoga focus on flexibility, helping release these areas and reducing strain on the spine.
3. Enhances Posture: Practicing yoga improves your awareness of how you hold and move your body, making it easier to catch and correct poor posture habits before they cause harm.
4. Reduces Stress: Chronic stress can lead to persistent muscle tension and increase the perception of pain. Breathwork and mindfulness practices in yoga activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting deep relaxation for the mind and body.

12 Best Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain Relief

Try these 12 yoga poses to relieve tension, strengthen key muscles, and improve mobility, helping reduce and prevent lower back pain in the long run:

1. Standing Forward Fold
2. Downward-Facing Dog
3. Cat-Cow Pose
4. Child’s Pose
5. Bridge Pose
6. Locust Pose
7. Cobra Pose
8. Triangle Pose
9. Pigeon Pose
10. Figure 4 Stretch
11. Knees to Chest Pose
12. Supine Spinal Twist

Gentle Relief & Mobility Poses

These poses gently mobilize the spine, release built-up tension, and soothe the nervous system, making them ideal for those who spend long hours sitting.

1. Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

This pose relieves tension in the lower back by lengthening the spine and stretching the hamstrings.

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides.
2. Inhale deeply, lifting your arms overhead to lengthen the spine.
3. Exhale and hinge at the hips (not the waist), folding your torso forward.
4. Let your head hang heavy and your arms relax toward the floor.
5. Keep a slight bend in the knees, especially if your hamstrings are tight.
6. Breathe deeply, holding the pose for 30–60 seconds.

Modifications:

• If your hands don’t reach the floor, rest them on a block, chair, or your shins.

• Use a slight bend in the knees to ease lower back pressure.

2. Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Holding this pose decompresses the spine, strengthens the back and arms, and stretches the hamstrings and calves, relieving lower back pressure.

1. Begin on all fours, hands shoulder-width apart, knees hip-width apart.
2. Tuck your toes and lift your hips toward the ceiling.
3. Straighten your legs as much as possible without locking the knees.
4. Aim to form an inverted “V” shape — head between arms, back flat.
5. Keep heels reaching toward the mat, but they don’t necessarily need to touch.
6. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing steadily.

Modifications:

• Bend knees slightly to maintain a neutral spine.

• For added support, place your hands on blocks or a chair if they don’t reach the mat.

3. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana–Bitilasana)

This dynamic movement gently mobilizes the spine, relieves stiffness, and warms up the back muscles.

1. Start in a tabletop position (hands under shoulders, knees under hips).
2. Inhale into Cow: Drop the belly, lift the chest and tailbone, gaze up.
3. Exhale into Cat: Round the spine, tuck the tailbone, draw chin to chest.
4. Flow with your breath for 8–10 slow, steady rounds.
5. Focus on smooth transitions and full spinal movement.

Modifications:

• If coming down on a mat is uncomfortable, do the movement seated on a chair: place hands on knees and alternate arching and rounding your back.

• Place a folded blanket under your knees for comfort.

4. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Child’s Pose gently stretches the lower back and hips, calms the nervous system, and promotes relaxation.

1. Kneel on your mat with your big toes touching and the knees spread wide.
2. Sit back on your heels and slowly walk your hands forward, lowering your torso toward the mat.
3. Rest your forehead on the floor or a block for extra comfort.
4. Stretch the arms forward or let them rest beside your body, palms facing up.
5. Stay in the pose for 1–3 minutes, breathing deeply into the back body.

Modifications:

• Place a bolster or pillow under the chest for support.

• If knees are sensitive and hurt on the mat, tuck a blanket behind them.

Strengthening & Stabilizing Poses

These poses target the core, glutes, and spinal muscles—the key muscle groups responsible for supporting your lower back. Strengthening these muscles helps reduce the load on your spine to prevent recurring pain.

5. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

This pose targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. It also opens up the chest, counteracting slouched posture.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Place your arms alongside your body, palms facing down.
3. Press into your feet and shoulders as you lift your hips off the mat.
4. Keep the thighs parallel and avoid flaring out the knees.
5. Hold for 20–30 seconds, breathing steadily.
6. Lower down slowly, one vertebra at a time.

Modifications:

• For a supported version, place a yoga block under your sacrum.

• Squeeze a block or pillow between the knees to ensure hip alignment.

6. Locust Pose (Salabhasana)

Locust Pose helps build strength in the lower back, glutes, and upper body. Holding it also helps correct slouching and improve posture.

1. Lie on your belly, arms along your sides, palms facing down.
2. Inhale and lift your head, chest, arms, and legs off the floor.
3. Keep your neck neutral, gaze down, and keep your legs straight.
4. Engage your glutes and lower back, and avoid over-arching.
5. Hold for 15–20 seconds, then release gently.

Modifications:

• If you experience pain or discomfort, lift just the upper or lower body (not both).

• Fold a blanket under the hips or ribs for padding.

7. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

This pose gently strengthens the lower back, stretches the front of the body, and improves spinal mobility.

1. Lie on your belly, hands under the shoulders, and elbows tucked in.
2. Press the tops of the feet and pubic bone into the mat.
3. Inhale and gently lift the chest using back strength and not the arms.
4. Keep your elbows slightly bent and shoulders away from your ears.
5. Hold for 15–30 seconds, breathing steadily, then gently come down.

Modifications:

• For gentler support, place the forearms on the mat.

8. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

This is a great pose to strengthen the legs, stretch the hips and side body, and improve spinal stability.

1. Stand with your feet 3–4 feet apart.
2. Turn your right foot out 90° and place the left foot slightly in.
3. Extend your arms parallel to the floor, palms facing down.
4. Reach forward with rthe ight arm, then hinge at the hip and lower the hand to the shin, ankle, or a block.
5. Extend your left arm toward the ceiling, gazing up or forward.
6. Keep both legs straight and chest open.

Modifications:

• Rest your bottom hand on a block or chair for balance and support.

• Slightly bend the front knee to reduce hamstring tension.

Stretching & Opening Poses

These poses release tightness in the hips, hamstrings, and glutes, the most common sources of lower back tension.

9. Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

This hip-opening pose also targets the glutes and piriformis muscle, relieving tension that radiates to the lower back.

1. From Downward Dog, bring your right knee forward toward your right wrist.
2. Slide your right ankle toward the left wrist, shin diagonally across the mat.
3. Extend the left leg straight back, with the top of the foot resting on the floor.
4. Square the hips forward and fold over the front leg.
5. Rest your forearms or head on the floor, a block, or a bolster.
6. Hold for 1–2 minutes on each side.

Modifications:

• Place a block or blanket under the right hip for support.

10. Figure-4 Stretch (Supta Kapotasana)

This pose stretches the hips and outer thighs, easing pressure on the lower back and sciatic nerve.

1. Lie on your back and bend both knees.
2. Cross the right ankle over the left thigh, forming a “4” shape.
3. Thread your hands behind the left thigh and gently pull the legs toward your chest.
4. Keep your shoulders relaxed and back flat on the floor.
5. Hold for 30-60 seconds, then switch sides.

Modifications:

• Use a strap behind the thigh if your hands can’t reach.

• If lying down isn’t comfortable, do the pose seated on a chair.

11. Knees-to-Chest Pose (Apanasana)

This relaxing pose helps release tension in the lower back, massages the spine, and supports digestion.

1. Lie flat on your back.
2. Bring both knees toward your chest, hugging them with your arms.
3. Rock gently from side to side or stay still.
4. Breathe deeply, allowing the lower back to soften.
5. Hold for 1–2 minutes.

Modifications:

• Hug one knee at a time if it feels too intense to hold both.

• Place a folded blanket under your head or hips for support.

12. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

This pose gently mobilizes the spine, releases tension in the lower back and obliques.

1. Lie on your back with arms in a “T.”
2. Hug the knees to the chest, then drop them to one side.
3. Keep your shoulders grounded and gaze opposite your knees.
4. Stay for 1–2 minutes, then switch sides.

Modifications:

• Place a bolster or pillow between or under the knees for support.

• Keep the knees higher toward the chest for a gentler twist.

To maximize the benefits of your practice and say goodbye to lower back pain for good, it’s best to do these poses under the guidance of a yoga coach. Book a free 1-on-1 session today!

Yoga focuses on stretching and strengthening the key muscles that can contribute to lower back pain. Some beginner-friendly poses include:

Specialized Approaches for Lower Back Pain Relief

While yoga poses for lower back pain are generally safe and effective, they aren’t one-size-fits-all. Depending on your condition, proper modifications may be necessary. These specialized yoga approaches offer safe, tailored ways to experience the full benefits of yoga.

Chair Yoga for Lower Back Pain

Chair yoga offers all the benefits of traditional yoga without the need to get on the floor. It’s ideal for seniors, office workers, or anyone experiencing acute pain or limited mobility.

Poses to include:

• Seated Cat-Cow: Mobilizes the spine while seated.

• Seated Spinal Twist: Gently increases rotation and flexibility.

• Seated Forward Fold: Relieves tension in lower back and hamstrings.

• Seated Figure-4: Stretches outer hips and glutes.

Learn more about Chair Yoga here!

Yin Yoga for Lower Back Pain

Yin yoga consists of long holds to target deep connective tissue and fascia. By holding poses for 3–5 minutes, you allow your muscles to truly relax and release, crucial for chronic lower back tension.

Poses to include:

• Supported Child’s Pose: Deep hip and back release.

• Reclined Butterfly Pose: Opens hips and lengthens spine.

• Legs-Up-the-Wall (Viparita Karani): Calms the nervous system and reduces swelling.

• Supported Spinal Twist: Gentle rotation with props.

Props to Use:

• Bolsters, blankets, and straps

• Blocks for support under knees, thighs, or chest

Learn more about Yin Yoga here!

Expert-Recommended Safety Guidelines 

When practicing yoga, it’s crucial to keep some safety tips in mind. Here’s what our experts at MyYogaTeacher recommend:

Stop & Seek Medical Advice if:

• You feel a sharp, shooting pain (sign of sciatica), tingling, or numbness in your legs.

• The symptoms of lower back pain worsen with yoga practice.

• Consult a doctor before starting if you have chronic pain, injuries, disc issues, arthritis, osteoporosis, or are pregnant.

Ways to Prepare:

Use a non-slip mat.

Keep props like blocks or a bolster nearby.

Choose a quiet, spacious spot and wear comfortable clothing.

Begin each session with a gentle warm-up and 3–5 deep breaths to center yourself.

Tips to Practice:

• Start slow, especially if you’re a beginner or recovering from an injury.

• Use props for extra support, comfort, and longer holds.

• Never force a pose. Understand the difference between a stretch and discomfort.

• Focus on alignment and breathe steadily throughout.

• Consistency beats intensity. Short, regular practice delivers the best results.

Seek guidance from a coach to make the most of your practice. Book a free 1-on-1 session today!

Creating Your Lower Back Relief Routine

To get lasting relief from lower back pain, you don’t need an intense workout but a smart, consistent, and adaptable routine. Here's how to structure your practice based on your current requirements:

Phase	Goal	Frequency & Duration	Focus Areas	Best Yoga Poses & Tips	Avoid
Acute Pain Relief (Weeks 1–2)	Ease pain gently without overexertion	2–3 short sessions/day 10–15 mins	Gentle movement Breathwork Relaxation	Child’s Pose, Knees-to-Chest, Cat-Cow, Supine Twist	Deep backbends Intense core work Forceful twists
Recovery & Rebuilding (Weeks 3–8)	Restore strength and flexibility	Daily practice 20–30 mins	Building strength Deeper stretches	Bridge, Cobra, Figure-4, Downward Dog, Triangle Pose Gradually increase hold time Focus on core + breath	Overexertion Skipping warm-ups
Maintenance & Prevention (Ongoing)	Prevent recurrence & build resilience	4–5 sessions/week 30–45 mins	Balanced strength + flexibility Flow sequences	Add Yin Yoga, Chair Yoga, and Flow variations Change routines to keep it interesting	Inconsistency Neglecting recovery days

Takeaway

You don’t have to live with lower back pain! With just a few minutes of gentle, consistent yoga each day, you can relieve tension, restore mobility, and prevent pain from coming back—all from the comfort of your home.

That said, some situations call for personalized support. Consider working with a certified yoga coach if:

• Your pain persists beyond 12 weeks or worsens with movement

• You feel numbness, tingling, or weakness in your legs

• You’ve had spinal surgery, multiple injuries, or chronic conditions

• You’re pregnant or managing arthritis, osteoporosis, or scoliosis

A yoga coach can introduce modifications and correct your form and alignment, helping you reap the full benefits of your practice in a safe manner. Book a live 1-on-1 session for lower back pain yoga with a MyYogaTeacher coach and get personalized guidance tailored to your body, lifestyle, and goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is yoga good for lower back pain relief?

Yes, yoga is highly effective for lower back pain and is recommended by many healthcare professionals. It strengthens the core, improves flexibility, enhances posture, and reduces stress—all of which support a healthier spine and prevent back pain from recurring. The key is to practice consistently and safely by modifying the poses as needed and avoiding those that can aggravate the symptoms.

What are the best yoga poses for lower back pain?

The most effective yoga poses for lower back pain focus on gentle strengthening, flexibility, and spinal mobility. This includes:

• For relief: Child’s Pose, Knees-to-Chest, Cat-Cow

• For strength: Bridge Pose, Locust Pose, Triangle Pose

• For flexibility: Figure-4 Stretch, Supine Twist, Standing Forward Fold

Can yoga make lower back pain worse?

When practiced incorrectly, yoga can worsen the symptoms of lower back pain. Common mistakes include forcing poses beyond your range, practicing intense poses during acute pain, ignoring pain signals, and skipping warm-ups. Always start gently, use support, and modify as needed, and stop immediately if you feel sharp shooting pain, increased numbness or tingling, and muscle spasms. 

How often should I do yoga for lower back pain?

For lower back pain relief, consistency is more important than duration. 

• During pain flare-ups: 2–3 short, gentle sessions a week.

• For recovery: daily practice of 20–30 minutes.

• Long-term management and prevention: 4-5 sessions weekly of 30-45 minutes.

What's the difference between yoga and physical therapy for lower back pain?

Both yoga and physical therapy can effectively treat lower back pain, but they have different approaches.

• Physical therapy typically focuses on specific muscle strengthening, manual therapy, and corrective exercises with one-on-one professional guidance.

• Yoga offers a holistic approach combining physical poses, breathing techniques, and mindfulness.

Many people benefit from combining both approaches or starting with one and adding the other.

Yoga or Pilates for lower back pain relief: which is better?

When it comes to yoga vs. Pilates for lower back pain, both can be highly effective, but they work in different ways. Yoga takes a holistic approach, improving flexibility, posture, and stress levels, all of which play a key role in back pain relief. Pilates, on the other hand, focuses more on core strength and precise movement, which can help stabilize and support the spine. If your pain is linked to tension or poor posture, yoga may be a better fit. But if it stems from weak core muscles, Pilates might be beneficial. In many cases, a combination of both offers the best results.

Can beginners do yoga for lower back pain?

Absolutely! Yoga for lower back pain can be completely beginner-friendly when started appropriately. Start with gentle movements like Child’s Pose or Cat-Cow, using props and modifications wherever needed and avoiding advanced poses. Start with short sessions (10-15 minutes) and build gradually.