If you are, or have ever been, on the receiving end of back tension, you’ll know it can be a vibe kill. It’s the kind of discomfort that makes you want to avoid movement, stay off your feet, and lie horizontal for hours, only to find the moment your head hits the pillow, the tension somehow feels even worse. It’s frustrating and far more common than you may think.
I’ve been there too, so I reached out to Jillian Pransky, a certified yoga therapist, to better understand why so many of us hold tension in our backs, and what genuinely helps when it strikes. She came back with two restorative exercises specifically suited to easing back tension, along with a wealth of useful insight into this all-too-familiar issue.
Why do our backs hold so much tension?
You might think your tense back comes from getting older or from slumping over a desk all day, which can certainly play a role. But Pransky points to stress as a major factor.
"The psoas (pronounced 'so-as') is the long — and only — muscle that connects the legs to the spine," she says. "It plays a vital role in stabilizing our posture and allowing movement. It is also deeply tied to our stress response. When we feel overwhelmed, activated, or anxious, it contracts in about 1/20th of a second to help us fight or flee."
Because many of us carry stress throughout the day, the psoas often stays constantly activated. Pransky also notes it shortens from sitting for long periods, wearing high heels, or even walking consistently on hard surfaces (for some supportive footwear options, check out our guide to the best hiking shoes).
There are two psoas muscles, one on each side of the body, that start at the inner thigh bone, run behind the abdominal organs, and attach at the spine where the diaphragm meets. This location means the psoas can pull on the spine and constrict the midsection.
"This is a common root of back pain," Pransky explains. "It is also known to contribute to hip pain, digestive issues, and a general feeling of dis-ease or low-grade anxiety." So going off this information, it's clear that keeping this muscle relaxed is key to minimizing tension in your back.
Jillian is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), mindfulness teacher, and integrative wellness expert.
Two exercises for relieving back tension
The two exercises Pransky shared come from restorative yoga, a slower style of yoga designed to physically and mentally relax the body. These poses focus heavily on the psoas, the back muscle we explored above, and the moves below are particularly effective for releasing tension in that area.
1. Sphinx pose &-legged crocodile pose
- Begin on your belly in Sphinx Pose, with forearms on the ground and chest lifted.
- Allow the hips to be heavy as you inhale and gently lift in the upper body.
- Open one side at a time in Crocodile Pose, bending one knee out to the side like a resting tree pose. Bring your cheek to the ground, let your body weight be on the ground fully and allow your breath to ripple through your pelvis and spine.
- Repeat for 2-3 rounds of breath, then slowly slide the leg back to Sphinx, allowing your breath to guide the movement. Then, switch sides.
Why it works:
These two restorative poses hit reset because they calm the muscle that often sits at the heart of back tightness: the psoas. Instead of aggressively stretching it, the moves are slow, supported, and designed to help the body switch from guarding to releasing, which is where the real tension relief starts.
You begin with Sphinx Pose, a gentle extension that lengthens the space through the front body while the deep core quietly supports the spine. Then you drop into Crocodile Pose, a grounded, breath-first posture that encourages the body to let go completely.
As Pransky puts it, this is the moment the body can “Fully surrender, reinforcing the relaxation response and relieving lingering tension in the psoas and lower back.” Together, the sequence helps the midsection soften and makes room for easier, slower breathing to take over.
2. Child’s Pose
- Start in a kneeling position with your big toes touching and knees apart.
- Extend your arms forward and lower your torso between your thighs.
- Rest your forehead on the mat and allow your breath to slow and deepen.
- Hold for 1-3 minutes, focusing on softening any areas of residual tension.
How it works:
Child’s Pose is a simple way to ease tension through the lower back, hips and the muscles that surround them. While it doesn’t stretch the psoas directly, letting those areas relax helps the psoas unstick indirectly. The forward fold encourages your body to shift into a calmer, rest-first state, which is exactly what you want after deeper psoas-focused work.
As Pransky explains, this is where your body can “Integrate the effects of previous movements while offering grounding and a sense of security.” In other words, it balances out stronger release work you’ve done beforehand.
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