7 Yoga Asanas to Practice with Arthritis

A general guideline for people who suffer from arthritis & practice yoga is to not force or push your way into positions. Move around gently to compress and release the areas involved in the movements and move slow enough so you notice how you feel and know when to move further and when to back away.

- By Tara Stiles

Yoga Movements For Arthritis That can be Beneficial

The fixed position isn’t the goal. It’s important to move easy in and out of each position and roll around a bit to encourage a healthy range of motion.

All Fours

Gently crawl down to the ground. Use a chair or a wall or crawl your hands down your thighs to help. Come onto all fours by moving from your center. Relax your arms and legs as you move. Allow yourself to move freely on all fours how it feels nice for you. Linger in any are that has a bit of tension. Stay with this for 5 long, deep breaths.

Sphinx

Gently lay down on your belly. Roll to one side and bring yourself up onto your forearm in front of you. Roll to your other side to support yourself now with both forearms. Soften your whole self here and move around a bit side to side as you draw your elbows back toward your body. Hang here for 5 long deep breaths and relax down on your belly to recover.