Sciatica is one of those pains that if you have ever experienced it you immediately take a sharp breath when someone mentions it. That nagging sharp pain that runs from your low back through your hips, buttocks and down the leg. That pain is actually radiating down through your sciatic nerve which becomes inflamed and pretty angry. If this is something you are currently experiencing then always be mindful when entering any type of stretch, even restorative. The following stretch can be great at encouraging the sciatica nerve to calm down and ease some of your discomfort.
Reclined Restorative Pigeon or Figure Four Against the Wall:
Remember that internal/external hip rotation I’ve been mentioning in earlier posts? Well here we are again. It really does work wonders for the lower body, you just have to find the variation that works best for YOU.
This particular variation using the wall allows for a more stable and controlled stretch of the piriformis muscle which is located in the buttocks near the top of your hip. If your piriformis is overly tight or aggravated it can in turn cause irritation of your sciatic nerve and we all know what that means…ouch! The focus of this pose is the stretch on the stacked leg. By applying pressure into the thigh just below the knee you can control how deeply you stretch the muscle. As this is a restorative pose and the main goal is to release the muscle through a passive stretch, the wall counteracts your pressure and encourages the piriformis to begin to ease. It won’t fix sciatica pain but it sure an help to manage it.
How to get into Reclined Restorative Pigeon pose:
You will need a small pillow, wall and optionally a blanket. Come to the wall and place the blanket underneath you to add a little more cushion under your back . Elevate your head with a small pillow. Place one foot on the wall with a bent knee, stack the other leg on top as shown in the picture. Use the same side arm as the stacked leg as your kick stand to support the leg. Begin to apply a little pressure directly into the thigh or try rolling the thigh slightly away from you. You can use a flat palm or if that is uncomfortable for your wrist try using a fist.
Stay in this pose for 2-10 mins depending on your comfort level. Breath deeply and relax. Feel free to listen to some gentle music or guided meditations (available to members of our Living Lotus Online community).