I suffer greatly from sciatic nerve pain in my left side, from mid-back all the way down to my heel. Can you recommend any yoga for me?
I suffer greatly from sciatic nerve pain in my left side, from mid-back all the way down to my heel. Can you recommend any yoga for me?
Absolutely @the-stoned-ape! Butterfly shown here is a great pose for sciatica.
You can also try:
Knees to Chest pose (apanasana)--Lay on the back and draw the knees into the chest. Breathe and hold here, or you can rock back and forth or side to side. Variations: With one leg extended along the floor, draw the other knee into the chest. Breathe and hold as long as you like, then switch sides.
Reclining twist (supta matsyendrasana): From laying on the back with the knees pulled up to the chest, drop the knees over to the right. Extend the left arm along the floor at shoulder height and look out towards hand. Breathe and hold, then drop knees to other side. Variations: As in #1, extend one leg along floor and draw other knee to chest. Drop the knee to the right, looking out over extended left arm. Breathe and hold as long as you like, then switch sides.
Seated twist (ardha matsyendrasana): From seated, draw right foot towards left sit bone. Cross left foot over right knee, with sole of foot on the ground. Twist the body to the left, crossing the right elbow to the outside of the left knee. Use the elbow against knee for leverage to deepen the twist. Sit up tall, maintaining extension in the upper body. Breathe and hold as long as you like before switching sides.
This is a gentle starting point, and there are deeper poses too (twisted lunges, lizard, and pigeon pose are great). Repetition is key to relieving chronic conditions. It can heal! Come into these stretches as many times a day as like. May you feel better and better every time!