These gentle exercises increase awareness of your posture and are the first step toward correcting muscle imbalances that may be the cause of a flat lower back. Consistent practice also addresses a stooped posture and will make standing for long periods more comfortable.
Practice Guidelines
Before starting your yoga asana practice, please read the Practice Guidelines for helpful tips.
Check with your doctor
If you have degenerative disc disease, disc fracture, osteoporosis, or another condition that may cause a loss of space between the vertebrae, these exercises may not correct your flat lower back. Please ask your doctor whether these exercises are safe for you.
Practice often
For best results, as you follow each step, practice the individual techniques as often as possible without causing strain, ideally at least once per day. When you have more time, add the longer session, or do the individual techniques and the session on alternate days.
Be patient
Postural improvements can take 6 to 24 months to become permanent.
Find your sitting bones
Sit on a firm chair and place the pads of your fingers under your buttocks to feel the round sitting bones. Try to sit with your weight evenly spread over both sitting bones, without tucking your pelvis or leaning back on your buttocks. Sitting evenly on the center of each sitting bone will tilt your pelvis slightly forward, bringing a natural arch into the lower back.
Yoga Props
You'll need these yoga props for all the steps in this prescription.
- Wai Lana Mini Yoga Ball
- Yoga block
When the pelvis chronically tilts backward, the chest and shoulders slump forward. So one aspect of correcting a flat lower back is to bring a tucked-under pelvis into a more neutral position. This frees your chest and spine so you can lift and realign them over your hips.
Once you start the process of stretching and releasing the muscle tension that has held your body in a certain position for a long time, it’s important to strengthen this improved posture. This will prevent you from slipping back into old habits. This step focuses on strengthening the muscles needed for ideal pelvic alignment, while continuing to work on pelvic mobility. You’ll lift and lengthen your spine, strengthen your core, and improve your breathing.
Keep going
As you work on changing your habitual posture, you are also remodeling the various tissues in the body, which takes time. For best results, after you have completed the courses in this step, don't stop. Continue to practice the techniques, sessions and multi-day courses recommended throughout this prescription.
