Do you have sciatica? A radiating nerve pain down your butt, maybe the back of your thigh,
it might even go all the way down your lower leg? For 90 percent or more of people sciatica
actually originates up here in your lower back - a disc bulge or herniation, a compression,
or some type of inflammation around your lower back that impinges or pushes on your sciatic
nerve. If you have sciatica, you've probably noticed that sitting, like when you drive,
makes it worse. Or sitting behind a computer for hours is when it's the worst. If you can relate,
if you have this radiating pain, if you're struggling and trying to figure out a solution,
I'd like to invite you to join me for a simple strengthening and lengthening flow. We'll do this
on the mat. Our goal is to increase circulation, reduce inflammation, and hopefully ease up some
of those pain symptoms. Most people who have sciatica have a forward flexion intolerance,
meaning when they bend forward it makes the pain worse. With that in mind, all of the poses we'll
do with a slight spinal extension, a slight back bend. However, if your discomfort in the poses
goes beyond four out of ten in terms of intensity, please back off or modify and always err on the
side of caution. Let's get started. Start on the floor on all fours, like a child crawling.
Keep your back slightly arched, gaze in front of you on the floor. Inhale, step your right leg back
and gently look up. Exhale, return your right leg to a crawl position. Inhale, step your left leg
back and gently look up. Exhale, return your leg to a crawling position. Keep that slight arch.
Inhale, step your right leg back, gently look up. Exhale, return your leg to a crawl position.
Inhale, left leg back, gently look up. Exhale, return back to a crawl position.
Inhale, right leg step back, gently look up. Exhale, return your leg to a crawl position.
Inhale, left leg back, gently look up. Exhale, return to a crawl position.
Inhale, step your right leg back, gently look up. Exhale, return your leg to a crawl position.
Inhale, step your left leg back, gently look up. Exhale with control back to a crawl position. One
more time on each side. Inhale, step your right leg back, gently look up. Exhale, return your
leg to a crawl position. Final round. Left side, inhale, step your left leg back, gently look up.
Exhale, return to a crawling position. Lower down, down, all the way down to your belly.
We'll work on a sphinx pose here, like an Egyptian sphinx, lying on your belly.
Prop up on your elbows, your forearms, with your elbows directly under your shoulders and
your forearms and fingers flat on the floor. If you feel any pain or discomfort in your lower
back or that sciatic nerve, please scoot your elbows forward, forward until the pain is gone.
The movements here are very subtle. Together with me, inhale, gently look up,
use your forearms to pull your chest forward - it's a tiny movement. Exhale, back to neutral.
Inhale, gently look up, pull your chest forward. Exhale, back to neutral. Inhale,
pull your chest forward, look up. Exhale, return to neutral. Two more times. Inhale, look up.
Exhale, back to neutral. One more time. Inhale, gently look up, chest forward, sphinx pose.
Exhale, back to neutral, and lower down, down, forehead on your forearms, and take a break.
Roll over onto your back. We'll do some core work here in a very gentle controlled manner
on your back. Place a rolled up pillow or towel under your lumbar spine. You
don't need much, just a slight lift to keep your lumbar spine in extension.
Extend your arms straight towards your knees, spread your fingers wide, lift your head off the
ground, look towards your feet, slow controlled movements here. Inhale, your legs stay straight.
Exhale, bend your right knee to touch your right hand. Inhale, legs straight.
Exhale, bend your left knee to touch your left hand. If this is pain-free, you can try bending
your elbows and bending your knee a little bit further. But please don't push into pain,
err on the side of caution. Inhale, your legs are straight, you're looking towards your hands.
Exhale, bend your right knee towards your right hand. Inhale, legs straight. Exhale,
bend your left knee towards your left hand. Lie down on your back, take a break.
I'd like you to go no further than three or four out of ten in terms of discomfort.
If you're pushing further than three or four out of ten, back off, modify, less movement.
Let's try again. Lift your head, look towards your knees, extend your arms, spread your fingers,
inhale here, your legs are straight. And exhale, right knee bends to your right hand.
Inhale, legs straight and exhale, bend your left knee to your hand. Inhale, legs straight. Exhale,
right knee comes to your right hand. Inhale, legs straight. Exhale, left knee to your left hand.
Inhale, legs straight and then exhale, bend your right knee to your right hand. Inhale,
legs straight. Exhale, bend your left knee to your left hand. Slowly lower down and relax here.
Pull your cushion out from under your lumbar spine, carefully roll over onto your belly.
Lie on your belly, extend your arms forward like Superman,
your feet are as wide as your hips back behind you, and your nose is on the floor.
Bend your right knee up at your side, place your right fingertips on the floor at your side,
with your elbow bent up towards the sky. Turn and gently look up towards the ceiling.
Hold here and breathe through your nose. Inhale, one, two, three, four. Exhale through your nose,
four, three, two, one. Slow deep breaths. Inhale, one, two, three, four. Exhale, four, three, two,
one. One more round. Inhale, one, two, three, four. Exhale, four, three, two,
one. Release flat down onto the floor, your forehead on your forearms, and take a break.
Extend your arms like Superman again, your feet as wide as your hips, your nose is on the floor. Bend
your left knee up at your side, place your left fingertips on the floor, turn your head and gently
look up. Inhale, one, two, three, four. Exhale, four, three, two, one. Inhale, lengthen, one,
two, three, four. Exhale, twist, four, three, two, one. Final round. Inhale, one, two, three, four.
Exhale, four, three, two, one. Slowly lower down, your forehead on your forearms, and take a break.
Side plank pose. Roll onto your right side, stack your knees, stack your ankles, keep your knees
bent to about 90 degrees, so your legs are bent. Keep your knees down throughout and your lumbar
spine remains in a slight arch throughout. Place your right hand down with your fingers
pointing away from you. Gently lift up and place your left fingertips on the floor for balance.
Optional, if you feel comfortable and stable place your left hand on your side and hold here for one,
two, three, four. Out for four, three, two, one. In, one, two, we're breathing in, three,
four. Exhale, four, three, two, one. One more time. Inhale, one, two, three, four.
Exhale, four, three, two, one. Slowly lower down carefully, move with caution. Switch sides,
lie on your left side, bend your knees to about 90 degrees, your knees are stacked, your ankles are
stacked. Keep your knees down throughout with a slight arch in your lower back throughout.
Place your left hand on the mat with your fingers pointing away from you, lift your hips
off the ground, keep your spine gently arched, right fingertips on the ground for balance.
If you feel comfortable and stable, optional, place your right hand on your side. Let's
breathe together here. Inhale through your nose, one, two, three, four. Exhale, four, three, two,
one. Inhale, one, two, three, four. Exhale, four, three, two, one. Final round. In, one,
two, three, four. Exhale, four, three, two, one. Slowly lower all the way down,
lower down onto your back. Roll up that cushion or towel again, place it underneath your lower back,
give yourself two to three minutes here to rest. Remember, when you're healing from sciatica,
movement is medicine. As we move around that helps to clear out inflammation and as we do these
gentle stretching and strengthening practices they help to stabilize the area around that injury.
Be gentle, err on the side of caution, and remember that usually, even if you
have lots of pain, within six to eight weeks your condition will resolve. Stay positive,
commit to corrective exercises, and keep going.
Remember, with sciatica and other lower back issues, movement is medicine, you need to move
to heal. It helps with circulation, reduced inflammation, and so that you heal long and
strong. But you find the pace that works for you. I dropped a PDF of the poses that we covered in
the description down below. If you'd like to train with me, I have a program called YOGABODY Daily,
we work on strength and flexibility, as well as metabolic health, and you can find all
that information at yogabody.com. Thanks for watching, we'll see you in the next video.