Yoga as Therapeutic Exercise: A Practical Guide for Manual Therapists

6

Chapter

The basic exercises

1. Basic exercises for the lumbar spine 1. Basic exercises for the lumbar spine


2. Basic exercises for the lumbar spine 1. Basic exercises for the lumbar spine


3. Bring your buttocks close to your heels and
   bend forwards; stay calm for a few breaths
   (Figure 6.16); if necessary use a pillow or rolled
   blanket between your buttocks and heels.

Refined work: arched back and

hollowing with side-bending

1. Kneel on a folded blanket to have a soft support
   for your knees and enough height so that the
   back is horizontal; the knees and feet are hip
   width apart and the thighs are perpendicular;
   the hands are on the floor with the wrists
   underneath your shoulder joints.


2. Adjust the neutral lumbopelvic position.


3. With an exhalation round your back like a cat; you
   may like to stay there for 1–2 breaths (Figure 6.15).


4. With an inhalation hollow your back and side-
   bend to the left, looking towards your left hip;
   shift your right hip backwards (Figure 6.17).


5. Bring your head and pelvis back to the center
   and again round your back as you exhale.


6. With another inhalation hollow your back and
   side-bend to the right, looking towards your right
   hip; shift your left hip backwards.
   7. Bring your head and pelvis back to the center.
   8. Perform points 3–7 3–5 times.
   9. To finish come back to the neutral lumbopelvic
   position.
   10. Bring your buttocks close to the heels and bend
   forwards; stay calm for a few breaths (Figure
   6.16); if necessary use a pillow or rolled blanket
   between your buttocks and heels.

Hint for points 3 and 4

If you find that one or more segments bend too much

when you round your back, which may be uncom-

fortable, ease off by slightly lengthening the corre-

sponding front aspect of your trunk. If you have a

weak, hypermobile segment in your spine, ease off

from hollowing slightly in this area.

To begin with these finetuning corrections need

to be carefully supervised.

General hint for this exercise

To develop awareness for the correct side-bending

action and the coordination to get it right, a partner

can guide the movement with one hand on the

sacrum and the other hand between the shoulder

blades.

Exercise 1.10: Side-bending

strength

Aims: mobilizing the lumbar spine into side-bending,

strengthening the lumbar spine, balance.

1. Lie on your right side with your trunk in line
   with your outstretched legs. Use a folded
   blanket as a soft support for your hip and thigh.

Figure 6.17

Figure 6.16

Figure 6.15