For so long we were lead to believe “no pain, no gain”. Well nothing in yoga should be painful. One comment I received recently was that it “hurts to lay on stomach”. If you are the person for who it hurts to lay belly down, you aren’t alone. No more suffering in silence! Disclaimer: links in this post may be affiliate links
When we lay on the floor on our stomach for poses like cobra, or face down savasana, it can be uncomfortable. For some, it can be absolute hellish pain. Not to fear, I have a couple of tips to help diminish or even eliminate that pain!
You can view the video on YouTube. Maybe add it to a playlist? Above all, remember to to subscribe to my channel. New videos are uploaded every Tuesday and Friday. However, for exclusive longer format videos sign up for my Patreon community. Patrons also get early access to all my videos, along with other benefits.
Hurts to lay on stomach?
For some reason we get stuck in “yoga rules”, imagining that there is one rule for all. When the opposite is true. Let’s look at two quick fixes that may immediately change things and help relieve the discomfort.
Tip #1 – leg position
If you’re one of the people for who it hurts to lay on stomach the first thing I suggest is to widen the distance between the legs. Quite often in yoga we think we have to have the legs ‘superglued’ together. In fact, for back health I recommend the feet be hip distance apart.
This simple act alone can help to alleviate back pain for many when laying face down. Remember, throw the ‘one size fits all’ rule book out the window! You MAY need to take the feet wider.
Tip #2 – lift feet
My second piece of advice is for those for who it hurts to lay on stomach for long periods of time. For example, in face down savasana. Sure, widening the feet can be great but, sometimes it’s the duration that is the factor. If this is the case lift the feet.
Now, don’t just leave them in the air. Support them! Using a yoga bolster is my personal preference. But, you could use blocks, cushions, a foam roller etc. This simple modification can help to relax the muscles of the back body and allow us to surrender into the pose.
If you have back pain when laying prone (face down) then try these two tips to see if it helps. Sometimes a little space and support is all we need. Not just in yoga but in life.
Questions
- Do you suffer with back pain?
- Have you tried face down savasana?
- Are there yoga poses that you suffer in silence?
Yoga for wrists and forearms
Cheeia
I started incorporating these into my daily excerise and notice a difference in my strengths. Thank you for empowering us
Di Hickman
Yay good for you! I just started running again after a LONG break. Already feeling different!
Melanie williams
I am lucky that I do not have back pain, but my friend has been having issues so I am going to send this her way xx
Di Hickman
Definitely lucky indeed! I’ve suffered intermittently with back pain, and yoga helps such a LOT!
Charlotte Petit Noble
I don’t have any lower back pain but I love your explanation as usual. Your pictures are explicit and you got the lovely funny face that I love to see. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it makes my yoga practice fun and more enjoyable when I encounter challenges.
Di Hickman
You’re welcome! Thanks for the kind words. Have you had any yoga/body challenges recently?
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
I’m fortunate enough not to have experienced stomach pain although I don’t tend to lay on my stomach often. I hope those that do experience pain find this helps them. Great tips.
Di Hickman
Thanks!
Nkem
Great tips! Thanks for making these basic yoga poses so accessible. Often times, if we can’t find these poses accessible, we won’t feel encouraged to develop our respective practices!
Di Hickman
absolutely! Frankly most people need to be doing LESS in yoga poses!
Aaliziyah
I have scoliosis and frankly speaking, my backpain is the worst. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Di Hickman
Ouch, yes scoliosis can cause some horrible back pain. Hope you find some relief
Kat
I have back pain laying on my stomach quite often. I’ll definitely remember to try these tips the next time I feel it.
Di Hickman
Many people experience this you aren’t alone. Yes try lifting the feet!
Kristine Nicole Alessandra
I only have back pain occasionally, but that is because I just overwork myself. I have not tried the face down savasana yet. I will try that today. If I do experience any back pain, I will raise my feet, as per your advice.
Di Hickman
Awesome! Hopefully you don’t have any pain. But, if you do. Now you know the fix!
Lori Bosworth
I don’t have back pain but I like the tips provided for these poses. I also like the idea of using a yoga bolster.
Di Hickman
The bolsters are amazing tools!