Lower Back Awareness and Compassion

Therapeutic Practice - information to support the video above:

Bringing awareness and compassion to the lower back can be deeply insightful, especially when working closer to the ground. Without the effort of holding ourselves upright, we have the space to notice where tension accumulates and how past experiences settle into the tissues. The lower back often carries the imprints of movement patterns, posture, and even emotional stress. By creating time to soften into this area, we begin to unravel habitual holding, offering a sense of ease and release.

There is an intrinsic relationship between the lower back and the digestive system, one influencing the other in subtle yet profound ways. As someone who specialises in both areas, I often see how discomfort in one mirrors imbalances in the other. This connection is natural and fluid, woven into our structure as two-footed, upright beings, with the pelvis playing a key role in overall spinal alignment. Women, in particular, may experience shifts in lower back support due to the elasticity needed for childbirth. Recognising these factors helps us to cultivate a more compassionate approach to our lower back’s needs; this place that offers and represents the keystone of self-support.

A well-rounded practice acknowledges these layers, beginning with constructive rest to release the deep channels of the psoas muscle, nestled inside the hip bones - where we extend up from the legs to the torso to stand up. From here, we gradually transition towards standing, freeing the areas that tighten from prolonged sitting. Rather than forcing change, we offer neutrality - space for the body to recalibrate and find its natural, supported state. This practice is not about fixing, but about listening, softening, and allowing the body to return to a place of ease.

For a short online course for yoga teachers who want to expand their awareness and skills, for themselves and their students – also an introduction for any wanting to attend Charlotte’s longer courses, click here for details on the Somatics & Embodied Awareness Programme. 

You can also experience Somatic & Mindful Yoga classes with both Charlotte and fellow teacher, Leonie Taylor, at the online membership Whole Health - you can experience a month free with the code WH100 (add to the coupon box at checkout; you can cancel anytime).