A gentle sequence for the spine
Small-range movement in every direction the spine goes, with nothing loaded and nothing forced.
Read this part first. Back pain has many causes, several of them serious, and no web page can tell you which one is yours — if your pain is severe, radiating down a leg, following an injury, or accompanied by numbness, weakness or any change in bladder or bowel function, stop reading and see a doctor. What follows is a general movement sequence: gentle, small-range, unloaded, and the kind of thing a physiotherapist would recognise as ordinary. It is not treatment and it is not tailored to you.
The sequence
Every pose name links to its full page — steps, muscles worked, common mistakes and who should skip it.
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1
Corpse Pose Śavāsana
2 minutes
Lie on the back with the knees bent and the feet flat. Breathe into the belly.
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2
Knees-to-Chest Pose Pavanamuktāsana
1 minute each side
Draw one knee at a time towards the chest, keeping the other foot down.
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3
Supine Abdominal Stretch Supta Udarākarṣaṇāsana
10 rounds each side
Knees bent, let them tip a few inches to one side and back. Small range.
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4
Cat Pose Mārjaryāsana
10 rounds
Hands and knees: round and arch within a comfortable range only.
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5
Child's Pose Bālāsana
1–2 minutes
Hips back to the heels, knees wide if that is kinder to the low back.
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6
Sphinx Pose Sālamba Bhujaṅgāsana
45 seconds, twice
Sphinx: forearms down, chest lifted only as far as it is comfortable.
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7
Downward-Facing Dog Pose Adho Mukha Śvānāsana
30 seconds
Optional. Knees bent, hips back — a hang for the spine.
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8
Bridge Pose Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana
8 slow rounds
Lift the hips a few inches and lower slowly, one vertebra at a time.
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9
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Supta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
1 minute each side
One leg up with a strap, the other foot flat on the floor.
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10
Supine Spinal Twist Supta Matsyendrāsana
2 minutes each side
Knees to one side with the shoulders staying down.
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11
Corpse Pose Śavāsana
5 minutes
Flat or with a cushion under the knees, whichever the back prefers.
Before you start this sequence
- Read the cautions on the individual pose pages. Between them, the poses here rule themselves out for pregnancy, high blood pressure, glaucoma, and neck, knee, shoulder and wrist injuries — the details differ pose by pose.
- A sequence is an order, not a prescription. Leave out anything that hurts and the rest still works.
- If you are pregnant, recently post-surgical, or managing a health condition, get your doctor's view before starting, and learn from a qualified teacher in person.
General information only — not medical advice. Some asanas are unsuitable during pregnancy, injury or specific conditions. Learn from a qualified teacher and stop if anything hurts.
Notes on practising it
If any pose increases pain, particularly pain travelling down a leg, come out of it and leave it out. Movement that hurts is information, not something to push through.
The energy figure above uses the standard ACSM relationship — MET × 3.5 × body mass in kilograms ÷ 200 kcal per minute — with the MET value taken from the nearest published code in the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. The full working is on the method page, and the wider activity dataset is at BurnLab.
Questions
How long does the Spine and back care sequence take?
About 25 minutes for 11 poses at the stay times listed. Suggested volume: once through. At 2.5 MET — the nearest published code in the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities — that is roughly 77 kcal for a 70 kg adult.
Do I have to do the poses in this order?
The order is the point. Sequences are arranged so that each pose prepares the next one and answers the one before it — a backbend followed by a forward bend, a long hold followed by something that unloads it. Reordering them is fine once you know why they sit where they do.
Is the Spine and back care sequence suitable for beginners?
Yes. Every pose in it is a beginner-level shape with an accessible version, though you should still read each pose's own cautions — a beginner pose can still be wrong for a specific pregnancy, knee or neck.
What do I need for it?
A mat, and for several poses a block and a strap — a folded blanket and a belt do the same job. Nothing here needs a studio.
Other sequences
Asana names are traditional. Every step, benefit and caution on this page is written for YogaPath rather than reproduced from any book, studio or other library — see how this site is written. Energy figures derive from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. General information only — not medical advice. Some asanas are unsuitable during pregnancy, injury or specific conditions. Learn from a qualified teacher and stop if anything hurts.