How to do Cobra pose without low back pain

Cobra pose is sometimes taught as a way to relieve low back pain. Yet for many people, the pose can increase pain sensations in the low back. This tutorial will teach you two simple ways to reduce low back pain in cobra and improve your core strength, and thoracic spine mobility at the same time.

What may cause the feeling of pain or compression for your lower back when practicing this pose is thrusting the ribs forward and up. On the surface, it looks like you are opening your chest, creating a back bend, but what it really happening is when we thrust our ribs, the vertebrae of the low back can become compressed.

In this version of the pose, we focus less on the open chest and rolling the shoulders back. Instead we invite the ribs up and in towards your body. Immediately, our core muscles engage and we can focus more on a sense of lengthening of your thoracic spine and upper back, rather than a “backbending” position.

You won’t go as “deep” into the pose but you’ll be giving your low back a chance to strengthen without compression. Try it out and feel the difference. For more detailed instruction on what a rib thrust is and how that can affect your spine, check out this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6eV0QZUQxk

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