I was lucky enough to attend a workshop on how to look after your back in yoga last weekend with Dr. Ruth Gilmore. Ruth is a doctor who specialised in anatomy and is also an experienced yoga teacher.
The day started with a description of the structure of the spine and the impact of a herniated disc. It was explained that keeping the spine long and gentle movements are beneficial. Forward bends and twists should not be practised for around 4-6 months after the condition is diagnosed.
A number of benefits of yoga to sufferers of osteoarthritis of the spine were explained. Regular movement improves lubrication and reduces the speed of further wear on the joints. Ruth spoke at some length of using the breath in postures whether they are from physiotherapy or yoga. I find using the breath useful to extend and relax into postures; in addition the focus on the breath supports concentration and a feeling of calm.
We talked about the use of cat/cow pose to work gently with the spine whilst being supported on hands and knees. The importance for all of us to retain a full range of movement otherwise we will lose it was stressed! Our muscles need to be kept strong to protect our joints.
Apparently, one in two to three women will develop osteoporosis and that again here yoga can help maintain strength as my mother will testify. I was particularly interested in the fact that we cannot develop strength in our wrists as there is very little muscle here. When working in all fours in yoga, it can be helpful to reduce the bend on our wrists ,by keeping the arms slightly forward of the shoulders. Ruth also explained the benefit of stretching the lumbar spine by sinking back into the pose of the child; I will demonstrate these ways of working in these postures in our next class.
We learnt that a large number of us shouldn’t be putting our head back in postures especially if any pain in the neck or feeling of light headedness or dizziness. This dizziness may be due to the constriction of the arteries in the back of the neck restricting blood flow. There is no need to take the head back in poses if it is more comfortable to keep it in a neutral position.
There were no surprises on the main cause of neck pain; due to tension and the way the shoulders and neck muscles are held for long periods. Ruth ran through a number of useful neck movements such as those described in the school bulletin desk yoga series this week.
Finally, we discussed the importance of not having unrealistic expectations of our hips; not believing it is a good idea to force the twisting of them into warrior I or parsvottanasana. The importance of working at the edge of our comfort zone but not over this edge was the mantra remembering that yoga should not cause pain.
The day also included a number of gentle asana practices which I will be able to share with you in class and in worksheets for your use at home. It really was a great way to spend a Saturday and I would encourage you to attend a day of yoga as a way to deepen your own practice. If you were to join the British Wheel of yoga this would give you access to publications full of workshops and courses in the North West. Please let me know if you would be interested.
aggsyoga 
Posted on October 30, 2011
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