Last Updated on January 19, 2021 by melissanreynolds
Let’s talk about my favourite yoga poses for fibromyalgia. As a yoga practitioner and a teacher I have a few poses I come back to again and again in mine and my student’s toolkit.
These are great standalone poses that have a prominent place in my toolkit and my students are loving these too.
As you can likely tell, there are a multitude of tools on offer from the yoga toolkit and I use many. It is hard to narrow it down so in this post, I share just six.
My favourite version of this pose is supported child’s pose, but even usual child’s pose is a great restful pose. It gently stretches the lower back and shoulders (if you take it extended). Placing your forehead on the ground will calm you down. This pose comes from restorative yoga, a lovely, gentle yoga style that is great for calming the nervous system.
This is such a great introductory restorative pose. One prop required. It is very calming and can be replicated with pillows/cushions/an ottoman, anything to raise those legs a little. Relieving pressure in our legs can be a nice bonus here. Place your neck on a flat pillows/cushion/folded towel if you find it uncomfortable.
While they are stand alone poses, I like them together, they are the perfect counter pose to each other and a great way to mobilize the back and neck. I use this regularly throughout the day. Not only does the physical movement help my body but matching the movement to my breath and moving mindfully helps my mind. It’s calming and relaxing.
Wondering how to start your practice?
If you want to get going on your practice, join us in the Yoga for the Chronic Life virtual yoga studio. It is yoga for fibromyalgia bodies, designed by a teacher with a fibro body. You get new classes every month, monthly plan offerings, the entire library of classes and special courses/toolkits such as the Bed Yoga Toolkit, the Seated Yoga Series and much more.
Forward bend is so great for a gentle neck and back stretch (as well as the hamstrings). I was using it for gentle neck tractions between physiotherapy appointments before I knew what I was doing (using yoga as tools).
Other posts of interest
Yoga for Fibromyalgia Practice Guide: How to Start
Restorative Yoga, the Central Nervous System and Fibromyalgia
Yoga for Sleep: My Insomnia Sequence
Eagle is really great for helping out the upper back (a key problem area for fibromyalgia, desk workers and almost everyone). In Foundations of Yoga for Chronic Pain and Fatigue we work through this pose as a journey because there is so much space in this pose for us to grow.
This is great if you’re not getting onto the floor and want to stretch your lower back. You could use this as a standalone pose, as part of a sequence before bed, in bed and first thing in the morning.
Do you want to try some poses yourself? Join my free challenge – Yoga for Fibromyalgia: Five Minutes a Day for Five Days!
So these are my favourite poses for fibromyalgia. What are yours?
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