We've seen you -- pushing up on your arms and into the floor so that you can mimic the exaggerated arch of this pose's namesake serpent. While the graceful position is pretty easy on the eyes, it's not difficult to see how hard it can be on your spine.
All the force you are exerting to arch your back concentrates at a narrow point in the lumbar spine, causing a compression injury and most likely, a very sore back.
Though this may fly in the face of what you've always known a cobra to be, don't put any substantial pressure on your hands when you are moving into this pose, says Rowe. Allow your body to bend from your mid-back, instead of lower down. Make sure you feel your body lengthening from the front, pulling through your shoulder blades as you move into your arch. "This posture should be easy and comfortable, and it's more important to do it in a way that protects your body than to match the picture in your mind of how it is supposed to look," she says.
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Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)
When your body is not prepared for an arch in your back that is accentuated with force from the lunge of the warrior pose, you could experience hyperextension of the lower back, says Rothenberg. You'll likely just feel a pinch in your back, which is a good reminder that your core is not engaged, but this could also contribute to back muscle contractions that deliver nagging back aches or even a narrowing of the space between the joints in your spine, which could inflame the nerves.
Pull in and up through your abs to soften the arch in your lower back. You may feel less stretch, but you'll guarantee more stability, she says. If you want more stretch, stabilize first, and then deepen the lunge.
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Camel (Ustrasana)
Just like the cobra, this pose must be initiated from the mid-back instead of the lower back to prevent the potentially dangerous "crunch" that can happen if you don't keep a supportive form.
Rowe recommends the following: Kneel with your hips stacked over your knees; initiate the arch through your shoulder blades; keep your chest up and maintain length in your lower back; remember your head should naturally come back to a comfortable position -- throwing it back forcefully to get a faster, more significant arch will only add stress to your back.
When you're confident that your position is a safe one, keep your hips pressed forward and reach your hands back toward your heels (or rest them on a set of yoga blocks on either side of your feet). Don't worry about adding this final step if you feel doing so will compromise your form though.
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Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
To achieve a bend deep enough to reach your ankle with your hand, you may spread your legs as wide as you can, pull your hips back, flex deeply from the hip socket and twist your body upward. This, says Rothenberg, can torque your sacrum -- an area located at the bottom of the spine, just above the tailbone, that tends to already be compromised because many of us spend extended periods of time sitting.
When the sacrum, specifically the sacral iliac (SI) joint, is out of alignment, you may experience nagging, aching, or even sharp pain on one side of your lower back that is irritated when sitting for long periods of time or when doing anything asymmetrical.
To protect the SI when doing triangle pose, start by positioning your legs no more than 3 feet apart with your right foot out and your left foot slightly angled inward. Tilt into a side bend from your hip joint, keeping a c-shape. You should feel the stretch on the side of your torso instead of in the hips and inner thighs. Raise your left arm up to the same-side ear while letting your right hand slowly slide down your right leg, which should have a soft bend in your knee.
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Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
Your mom was right when she told you to sit up straight. This seated twist pose is commonly done with a rounded back, pulling hard on the leg to deepen the turn of the body. When the move is not initiated and continued from the inside, the spine can become stressed and tiny tears in the joint and surrounding muscles may occur, says Rowe.
Instead of pushing yourself beyond your max to mimic what Rowe affectionately calls a "Gumby girl," sit back into your sits bones (the ones you can feel in the center of your butt cheeks when you pull away the flesh) and maintain length in your spine by lifting your chest, allowing your back to keep its neutral curve. When you have crossed one leg over the other and are ready to twist, make sure your movement is initiated from your core instead of relying on your supportive hand or the elbow resting on your knee. You may not be able to get as dramatic a twist at first, but that will come with time and practice.
That girl on the yoga mat next to you may look impressive as she bends and stretches beyond imaginable limits, but there's really nothing worth envying if by pushing to get those extra inches of reach she gives herself a sore back. Big no-nomaste, if you know what we mean.
Though some yoga poses may look like they were created by a contortionist, it's misguided to blame back pain on them, says Linda Rowe, DC, ERYT, a chiropractor and master yoga trainer in Dallas. "Back pain or injury that happens as a result of yoga is not common, but when it occurs, it is most often because of how the pose is being practiced. Yoga is actually a very therapeutic exercise for the back -- you just have to make sure you're mindful of protecting it as you go."
While that means not attempting poses only meant for Elasti-Girl, it also means being more aware of your body's movements and limitations.
At the core of yoga safety is, well, your core -- the deepest muscles in your midsection that prevent your spine from moving in ways that compromise its disks, joints, ligaments, and surrounding muscles. It must be engaged while you perform yoga to keep your back stabilized. Getting into a yoga pose without involving these muscles could potentially throw your back out, which could mean anything from a twinge to a spasm, a sprain, or worse. Remember the time your back screamed at you after lifting that laundry basket awkwardly? Yep, just like that.
"To stabilize your lower back, initiate every movement from your core and in conjunction with your breath -- squeeze your muscles and move upon exhaling, then relax them with each inhale," says Robin Rothenberg, a Fall City, Wash.-based yoga therapist who specializes in chronic pain and is internationally known for her research on yoga and back pain. Not only will this ensure that your back is properly protected as you move, but it also tells your nervous system to ditch the stress it has been holding on to all day and move into a state of calm. "This, of course, is beneficial emotionally, but it also helps ensure that you aren't bringing aggressive energy to your yoga practice that could encourage you to push your body further than it wants to go," says Rothenberg.
Because that's when problems in yoga happen. Especially when you're doing certain poses. Read on to learn the simple yoga exercises most likely to cause back pain -- and the best ways to stay safe.
