The lower back, or the lumbar region, can be an area that often gets sensitive for most of us at some point in our lives. Whether we have to sit a lot during the day, or whether we move a lot, the lumbar region can get affected. In any case, pain in the lower back can seriously affect your mood and your day.

Yoga can offer a great relief for the pain, as well as provide great preventative care for the future. If you want to work towards a healthy lower spine, make sure you sign-up to our free 30-day Yoga Challenge by clicking here. By engaging with regular movement and a consistent practice, the challenge will help you loosen up a stiff and uncomfortable lower back area.

1. Cat/Cow

Starting in tabletop position on your hands and knees, alternate between arching your back and rounding it as you push down on the floor with your hands and tops of your feet. These postures help to massage the spine, while also stretching the back and the torso. These postures are a great way to keep the back limber—and happy.

2. Supine Twist

A twist to the spine offers a great tension reliever for the entire back, as well as the neck. You get to lay down, relax and let the gravity help you.

Lay on your back, bring your arms to a T-shape on the floor, and bring your knees towards your chest. Slowly lower both knees to the left, keeping the neck neutral or turning the gaze away from the knees.

Try to keep both shoulders on the floor, and if the top knee lifts too much, you can place a block or a bolster between the knees. Stay anywhere between 1-4 minutes, and repeat on the other side.

3. Thread the Needle Pose

If the hips are tight, the movement we need tends to come from the back, which results in back pain. When the hips and hamstrings are open, this can help alleviate the lower back pain as well, since the body has a better and fuller range of motion. This pose stretches the hips, outer thighs, lower back and spine. It's also a milder, modified version of the Pigeon pose.

To start, lay on the floor, and bring the soles of the feet on the ground, feet hip-distance apart. Place your right ankle on the left thigh, and keep the foot flexed throughout the pose. Take your right arm in between the space of the legs, and the left arm outside the left thigh.

Interlace the fingers either behind your knee, or on top of the shin, depending on the space available to you. Keep the back and shoulders relaxed. Stay anywhere between 1-3 minutes and change sides.

4. Downward Facing Dog

Downward Facing Dog is a great pose for lengthening and decompressing the entire spine. It stretches the hamstrings as well, which will also help with lower back issues.

From your hands and knees, tuck your toes under and rise to Downward Facing Dog. Start with your knees bent, back straight and long, tailbone towards the ceiling. Slowly straighten and stretch one leg at a time back bringing the heel closer towards the ground.

Draw the shoulder blades towards the spine and actively try to lower them, rotating your upper arms outwards. Stay for 5 breaths.

Your lower back supports the whole torso, so taking care of it is kind of important. Sitting less, moving more, stretching and strengthening the back goes a long way. However, if you are having persistent pain in your lower back, it's always good to check it with the doctor to make sure nothing more serious is going on.

5. Plow Pose

From Shoulder Stand, bend at your hips to bring your toes or top of your feet to the floor. Your hands can remain against your back for support, or you can clasp them together, keeping your forearms on the floor. Hold this as long as is comfortable to get a powerful stretch in your shoulders and spine. If this is too much, you can place a chair behind and you rest your feet on the chair.

6. Bow Pose

Lying face down, reach your hands toward your ankles and grab hold one at a time. Slowly lift your chest and thighs away from the floor by drawing your chest forward and the back of your thighs toward the sky. This posture is a wonderful way to strengthen the back muscles, but if you have a back injury, take this easy as it can be intense.