Yoga for Scoliosis: Supporting the Curved Spine with Therapeutic Practices to Improve Posture, Mobility, and Pain

Discover how a therapeutic yoga approach can help adults with scoliosis create more spinal awareness, stability, and mobility—without forcing symmetry or pushing through pain.

What Is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a condition marked by a lateral curvature of the spine, often accompanied by subtle or significant rotational shifts. While some individuals are diagnosed in adolescence, many adults live with undiagnosed or progressive scoliosis that develops over time—through aging, compensation, injury, or joint degeneration.

From a yoga therapeutics perspective, scoliosis isn’t just about the bones. It’s about how the entire body adapts to the curve, especially the soft tissues that surround, support, and respond to spinal changes. Muscles, fascia, breath mechanics, and balance all play a role in how scoliosis is experienced and how it’s best supported.

A Note About the Structural Tensegrity System

Rather than viewing the spine as a rigid column, therapeutic yoga considers the whole body as a tensegrity system—a web of continuous tension and compression that maintains structural balance. When a curve is present, this balance is disrupted. Some areas tighten and shorten, while others stretch and weaken.

In scoliosis, the convex side of the curve (the side that bulges outward) often has more visible muscle bulk or prominence, but it’s typically overstretched and weak. The concave side of the curve (which caves inward) is usually tighter and more compressed. My work in yoga therapeutics is not to correct the curve but to restore functionality within the system—helping each side return toward its optimal role.

Scoliosis is a condition marked by a lateral curvature of the spine, often accompanied by subtle or significant rotational shifts which also affect the rib cage and scapula

Identifying the Curve

In yoga therapeutics, we start with observation—because every scoliosis pattern is different. Some things to look for include:

• A visible shift in shoulder or pelvic height

• Ribs or scapulae that wing or protrude on one side (often the convex side)

• More space between the arm and torso on the concave side in Tadasana (mountain pose)

• Breath restrictions or asymmetry in side body expansion

• Habitual leaning or weight distribution toward one side

Even subtle cues—like how a client reaches overhead or stands in balance—can tell me a lot about where asymmetries are living in the system. Before exploring yoga for scoliosis, it’s essential to understand your own unique spinal pattern. This means more than just knowing you “have scoliosis”—you need to know the direction of your curve and whether it involves spinal rotation.

“In other words, students need to picture which way their curve goes from behind and understand the rotation as well. If they don’t know their curve, they won’t understand how to approach the poses in a way that supports—not worsens—their pattern.”

If you haven’t already, speak with your healthcare provider or specialist about your scoliosis. Reviewing any recent imaging or scans (like X-rays) can help clarify where your curve begins and ends, which side is convex or concave, and how your spine rotates. This information can empower your movement choices and help a yoga therapeutics professional guide you safely and effectively.

Evaluating the Curve: Understanding the Body in Motion

While X-rays and scans offer a skeletal map, what matters most to is how the body moves and feels. Movement evaluations include:

• Identifying which side is convex vs. concave

• Tracking how breath fills (or avoids) one side of the rib cage

• Noting scapular winging—especially on the convex side

• Evaluating rotational and lateral pelvic shifts

• Assessing how posture and breath respond to basic movement patterns

Additional attention is given to areas like the psoas, glute medius, and SI joint—each of which may show different levels of engagement or imbalance depending on the curve’s location.

We don’t look at the body through a corrective lens—we look at it through a listening lens. Where is the effort? Where is the collapse? Where is the breath? This shapes how we apply therapeutic tools.

Yoga for Scoliosis Therapeutic Application: Stretching & Strengthening the Right Way

Scoliosis requires a thoughtful balance of release and stability—addressing both sides of the curve without forcing symmetry.

1. Stretch the Concave Side

The concave side is generally tighter, denser, and less accessible to breath. Releasing this side gently can help create space and improve mobility. Helpful strategies include:

• Side body elongation with mindful overhead reaches

• Gentle side bends using a block or bolster (e.g., Gate Pose or supported lateral bends)

• Therapy ball release in the intercostals and lower ribs

• Breath-focused postures to encourage expansion into the collapsed side

Tip: Side-bending with the overhead arm may look different than in traditional poses. The goal is upright reaching with feedback—not collapse into the side of least resistance.

2. Strengthen the Convex Side

Even though the convex side looks more developed, it’s often the side that needs more active engagement to restore upright support. Key tools include:

• Vasisthasana (Side Plank) variations to build lateral core stability

• Glute medius activation on the weaker side

• Active postural positioning with isometric holds

• Core engagement that emphasizes spinal alignment in gravity

We build postural strength to hold upright, not just in class—but throughout the day.

Additional Areas of Support

Scoliosis doesn’t stop at the spine. A therapeutic yoga for scoliosis approach considers related areas that influence or respond to curvature:

Pelvic shifts: lateral or rotational displacement that affects balance and posture

Psoas & adductors: often involved in asymmetrical tone or tightness

Multifidus and spinal stabilizers: key for core strength and spinal alignment in scoliosis

Breathwork: gentle scoliosis breathing exercises to re-pattern shallow or uneven breath

Somatic sequencing: movement therapy that improves proprioception and upright control

Gentle yoga for scoliosis support might include poses like Cat-Cow with segmentation, Legs-Up-the-Wall, or focused breath in constructive rest. These scoliosis stretches can help re-regulate the system, restore awareness, and ease tension.

The Therapeutic Mindset: Patience, Diligence, and Little Wins

Working with scoliosis takes time. A yoga for spinal alignment approach asks for patience, careful observation, and a willingness to listen rather than “fix.” Progress is marked not by perfect symmetry, but by greater ease, improved posture, less pain, and more confidence in movement.

Key principles I encourage in every client:

• Notice what stands out in your body today

• Mark small wins—like a deeper breath or easier alignment cue

• Return to simple practices daily—consistency builds resilience

• Be kind to your curve—you don’t need to erase it to feel strong

👉 Ready to explore yoga therapeutics for scoliosis? I offer customized movement sequences and support for adults with scoliosis, spinal asymmetry, and movement limitations. Whether you’re new to yoga or adapting your practice, therapeutic yoga can provide gentle, consistent support.