Yoga to the
Rescue for Back Pain
“Back
pain affects eight out of ten
people at some point during their lives
and it is one of the most common
medical problems. With almost twenty
years of teaching experience under
her belt, internationally renowned and
respected yoga guru Desirée Rumbaugh
has put together some simple and
effective ways to relieve and prevent
back pain...”
DESIRÉE'S TECHNIQUES IMPROVE STRENGTH AND SUPPLENESS and go a long way
towards healing back problems — in some cases, completely relieving
the pain. One of the industry's most respected instructors, she shows
you how to improve your posture, causing less pressure and giving relief from
tightness. As you would expect, she advises that if you suffer with back problems
you should consult a doctor or a specialist before commencing the workout. And,
obviously, If you experience pain or discomfort while trying any form of exercise
at all, you should seek medical advice.
Having lived with a painful back for some years, I was keen to put this DVD
to the test. Some of the ways Desirée suggests for relieving pain really did
work quite quickly and some of the exercises were not too difficult for me to
do, although not everybody has the same diagnosis so, naturally, we would urge
caution.
Desirée's instructions are clear and sensible. She has the skills and the natural
ability to pass on her extensive knowledge and has tailored her exercises accordingly
for complete beginners and for more advanced yoga practitioners — she starts
with simple exercises
and moves through to more advanced techniques.
"The wise sages used to say that you are as young as your spine is flexible,"
says Desirée, pointing out the many advantages of using the techniques demonstrated
in Yoga to the Rescue for Back Pain.
Explanations are good and particularly helpful are Desirée's demonstrations
of the wrong way to do something. She is very flexible, so there will be positions
you cannot do until you are more experienced. Each pose is demonstrated and
there is an explanation of how it relates to helping your back — abdominal
work, for instance, is good for the back as it strengthens the muscles that
support it.
Positions like The Cat and The Cow, The Downward Facing Dog and The Sphinx and
Cobra poses will all fall into place with practice. The Cobra is particularly
good for backs but you need to make sure you achieve this without discomfort.
There are good tips on how to get comfortable, and how you should protect your
knees and back.
Everything should be gentle and slow, says Desirée, with no rush or strain.
She emphasises the balanced action and the alignment with nature and the importance
of only doing what you can do comfortably.
Outer Hip Stretches, hamstring stretches and a position called Windshield Wipers
are covered. The latter is a great way to unwind and relax around your hips,
back and the front of the waist. One very effective way to combat back pain
is Preserving The Lumbar Curve: laying over a rolled blanket can be very relaxing
if you follow Desirée's instructions, but you may need to experiment with the
size of blanket.
You could have more power to heal your back than you realise — Desirée
says that one way to help is to make sure you are walking and standing correctly.
Use a mirror or rope
in a friend to help you to make an assessment.
Finally, we come to Shavasana — a deep resting pose. You can stretch and
align yourself with nature and find the exact balance for the lift of the heart.
Relax and close your eyes, breathe gently and normally. Let your whole body
soften...
By
following the advice given in Yoga to the Rescue for Back Pain, you could
reclaim your flexibility and find a new freedom from pain.
• Desirée's
DVD, Yoga to the Rescue for Back Pain, will be released on 19 May (2008),
courtesy of Acacia at an RRP of £14.99. The music is from www.shamansdream
music.com.
