Published: Sep 15, 2018 by Lucy Tennyson
A quick straw poll in this week’s classes showed that around two thirds of you suffer from back pain at some time.
Me too. I’ve been seeing the same chiropractor since 2001, and today she put me right yet again – it’s my tight ligaments that are often to blame.
The NHS website says in most cases back pain isn’t caused by anything serious and will usually get better over time, and gives useful advice.
“The following tips may help reduce your backache and speed up your recovery: stay as active as possible and try to continue your daily activities – this is one of the most important things you can do, as resting for long periods is likely to make the pain worse.” Yoga, along with pilates and swimming may help, it states.
This week’s sequence included many movements that I find helpful during a bad back episode. But I also stressed that you are the best judge of what feels right for you and hence learning to notice what is going on in your body and adjust accordingly.
Keeping positive and using relaxation techniques can be as equally important as physical activities. Coming to the floor and gently into the constructive rest position (lying with the knees bent and feet flat) and just following the breath, even for a few minutes during the day, can work wonders. Invite your muscles to let go and release any tension, taking your attention down the body from head to toe.
From there try some of the warm up movements below. Find out what helps and avoid any yoga posture that causes discomfort.
