5) Upright king pigeon pose.
This is a more basic variation of the king pigeon pose which can be performed anywhere, using a table or another hip-height surface. Place your right leg up on the table and lean forward. Now try to shuffle back with your foot on the ground – this will make the stretch more intense. You can experiment the stretch of the hip by leaning forward over your bent leg, and standing up straight.
6) Simple seated twist.
Sit on the floor. Fold one leg over the other, and then draw the other leg back so that the heel of your foot meets your buttocks. Once you’re comfortable in this pose, you can begin the stretch by rotating your body to look in the direction of your top leg. (i.e. If your left leg is on top, as in the picture, you’ll turn your torso to the left.) Hold your top leg to keep the stretch taut, and try to maintain a straight back. breathe deeply, and use your inhalation to lift and lengthen, then use your exhalation to twist.
7) Staff pose.
Although basic, this is a very effective pose when performed properly. Sit on the floor with your legs outstretched and your palms flat on the ground beside you. Flex your toes back towards your body while keeping your heels planted and your legs straight. Imagine you are being pulled upwards by a string connected to your head – this will elongate your spine. Try to hold the pose for some time – you’ll be surprised at how it stretches your hamstrings.
8) Standing hamstring stretches.
This is another good pose for stretching the hamstring. Try to have your raised leg at hip height or below, and keep your hips facing forward (if you have tight hamstrings the tendency will be to turn outwards). Keep your toes pointing upwards. For a harder stretch, bend forwards over your knee, keeping your back and leg perfectly straight. It is important that your hip opening stays down, so if you need to, you can loop a belt around your raised thigh and your other foot.
9) Child’s pose.
We’ll finish off with an easy one: position yourself on your knees, drape yourself forward and gently stretch your arms out ahead of you. This is a fantastic pose to do at the end of every day as it stretches out your back and arms. Just try not to fall asleep…
Sciatica can be painful, especially when you suffer from it over long periods of time. Try some of these simple yoga poses every day for relief. It is best to hold all of these poses for ten breaths, or thirty seconds, and to repeat the exercises on the opposite side of your body. Even if you repeat each set twice you’ll still only need about sixteen minutes to complete all of them. If you feel any pain (other than the normal tightness of a stretch), you should seek professional help. Otherwise, proceed gently and you’ll find that yoga has a whole host of benefits for your wellbeing.
