I love restorative yoga backbends because they reverse chronic hunching forward and provide slow release of tension in my neck, shoulders and chest.
But the more common version of the restorative backbend can be intense and depending on your body can cause tension and pain in your lower back, especially if you are prone to muscle spasms or cramps in your lower back.
After my recent workshop series at Urban Yoga, I realised it would be helpful to explain several different gentle options for restorative backbends – particularly for people who also experience muscle pain and tightness in the lower and mid back.
The brief video below will walk you through how to set them up and which ones might work for your body.
For other variations see this article from Yoga for Healthy Aging on supported backbends.
