Back pain is one of the most common reasons people come to yoga — a tight lower back from sitting, an old ache that flares, or a spine that feels stiff and guarded. Gentle, well-paced yoga can help you move more freely and feel more at ease in your body.
How yoga may support a happier back
Slow yoga gently mobilises the spine, releases the deep hip and lower-back tension that pulls everything out of balance, and calms the nervous system that tightens protective muscles when you’re stressed or in pain. Long, supported holds let guarded areas soften, while breath and awareness help you notice — and unlearn — the patterns that keep you clenched. This isn’t a medical treatment, but many people find a regular, gentle practice leaves their back looser and calmer. If your pain is acute, severe, or new, please check with your GP or physiotherapist first.
What we focus on
- Yin yoga — long, passive holds that release the fascia and connective tissue around the hips, lower back and spine.
- Hatha yoga — slow, aligned movement that builds gentle strength and mobility to support the spine day to day.
- Careful, beginner-friendly sequencing — never forced, always working with your body rather than against it. More on the ritual experience →
A practice you can take home
You’ll leave with a few simple movements and breaths to ease your back between classes — small tools for the moments your body asks you to slow down.
Our classes are small and unhurried, in a calm studio in Golders Green, NW11. Much back tension is held from long hours at a desk, so you may also find our yoga for desk workers helpful.