Yoga Poses for Back Pain

/

Photos by

Brynna Bryant

.

Does your back hurt?

Most of us suffer from back pain at one time or another, and this discomfort can range from a dull ache to severe, debilitating pain.

If you're experiencing back pain, yoga can help. A simple daily routine helps keep your spine healthy and flexible. 'Happy spine, happy life!' as the saying goes. Yoga also relieves tightness in the hamstrings, legs, and back muscles.

Here are some simple yoga poses to help relieve back pain. Please move through them slowly and mindfully, letting your breath guide you.

I also highly recommend reading

Healing Back Pain

by John Sarno. This book completely changed the way I think about back pain, and helped me deepen my understanding of the mind-body connection. May you find healing and relief! Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments below :)

Cat / Cow

Start on hands and knees, with the wrists under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. Spread your fingers wide on the mat, and press firmly down through the palms. As you exhale, round the spine and look in at your belly, drawing the navel in toward the spine.

On the inhale, let your belly soften, draw the shoulder blades down the back, and peek your gaze up.

Continue moving between cat and cow for 5-10 rounds.

This is a great exercise to do first thing in the morning, during the middle of the day if you feel tired or stiff, or just before bed, to release tension so that you sleep comfortably.

Child's Pose

Take your knees wide on the mat, big toes together to touch. Let your upper body come down to the mat, resting your torso between your thighs and letting your forehead touch the mat. Tune in to your breath here. Notice how the rib cage expands as you breathe.

If your chest and upper body don't come all the way down to the floor, you can place a blanket, pillow or bolster under you. You can also place a folded or rolled blanket between your thighs and calves for added support.

Child's pose is meant to be a resting pose, so find a version that feels comfortable! You can have your arms long in front, the palms flat on the ground, or bring your arms along your sides, placing the backs of the hands on the mat near your feet.

Holding Child's pose for 3-4 minutes twice a day can make a huge impact on how you feel. This pose stretches the hips, thighs and ankles and also passively lengthens the muscles of the back torso. New oxygenated blood reaches the brain, reducing stress and fatigue, and helping give you a calm, centered feeling. With the knees a little closer together and the belly resting on the thighs, Child's pose also flexes the body's internal organs and keeps them supple, improving digestion.

Forward Fold

Stand with your feet at hips width. On an inhale, sweep the arms overhead, bringing the palms together to touch. On an exhale, swan dive forward over the legs, bringing the hands down to the mat. 

Bend the knees as much as you need in order to let the chest rest down on the thighs. Feel both big toes heavy on the mat. Relax the head and neck completely, no tension in the neck. Take 10 deep breaths here, letting the weight pour down through your feet. You can even picture any worries or concerns pouring out the top of the head, releasing them. This pose is great for any time you need to de-stress or feel more grounded.

Supported Bridge Pose

Place a block under your sacrum, on whichever setting feels comfortable. Gently draw the knees toward each other, and allow your body to relax. Breathe into the upper back and chest. Stay here for at least 10 breaths.

Bridge Pose

For a more active backbend, place a block between your inner thighs and plant the feet at hips with distance, feet parallel to the sides of your yoga mat. Begin to press down through the feet, inhaling to lift your hips up off the mat. Squeeze the block with your legs. 

You may find that you can work your hands together under the body, interlacing the fingers and pressing down through the hands and forearms, gently moving side to side to come farther onto the shoulders. Take it slow, feeling the chest come up toward the chin, even relaxing the glutes and keeping the muscular work in the inner thighs. Gaze down the tip of the nose or close the eyes. Keep the breath active in the back of the throat.

Reclined Pigeon  

Lay on your back. Hug the knees into the chest and rock a little side to side, massaging out the low spine. If you like, you can draw the knees in slow circles, going one direction 3 or 4 times, and then the other way. Rolling around the sacrum will help release tension and gently move synovial fluid to the joints in the vertebrae in the lumbar spine. 

Next, bend your right knee and draw the right ankle to the outside of the left thigh. Reach down through the legs and grab the back of the left thigh, gently drawing the legs down toward the body. You can even tuck the chin slightly here to flatten out the spine. Breathe into the hip joint for 10 breaths, then switch sides.

If your hips and hamstrings are tight, I recommend sticking with this version of the pose, where you're reclined and you have the support of the ground beneath you to avoid any twisting of the spine.

Half Pigeon

If you're feeling a little more open and stable in the low back and hips, you can do half-pigeon. Start in down dog. Extend the left leg long with an inhale, and then draw the left knee up toward the left wrist. Bring the shin parallel to the front of the mat, or angle the ankle in toward the hip if you're less flexible.

Scoot the right leg (extended long behind you) in toward the mid-line of the body. If your left hip doesn't come all the way down to the mat, you can place a block or blanket under it for support. Take a deep breath and bring the chest up, extending the spine to begin.

As you exhale, slowly come forward, walking the hands in front of you. You can rest on the elbows or slowing come all the way down, bringing the forehead to the mat.

Keep breathing deeply, and let the body rest. The idea is to relax all the major muscles here and move into the deeper connective tissue, the fascia. Do your best not to fidget, breathing into sensation. If any thoughts or emotions come up, simply acknowledge them and move your focus back to the breath.

Supine Twist

Hug the knees into the chest and rock side to side. Let the knees fall over to the right and send your gaze over your left shoulder. If your legs don't reach the floor, place a blanket or block under them so you can relax. No muscular effort here. Let the shoulders and hips be heavy.

If you want a deeper stretch, you can also take one leg up and over, taking eagle legs as you do the twist.

Legs Up the Wall

Lay on your back with your legs extended up the wall. Relax the shoulders down to the mat. Close your eyes and breathe. This is a deeply restorative pose. Highly recommend it for a little break in the middle of your day, or for 5-10 minutes before bed!

Wide-Legged Straddle on the Wall

Extend the legs wide, finding a hip-opening stretch. Breathe into any area that feels tight, letting gravity draw the legs down. If this is too intense on the knees, skip it.

Butterfly (Baddha Konasana) on the Wall

Bring the soles of the feet together to touch, letting the knees go wide. Gently press on the knees, or let the arms rest by your sides and simply breathe. For any of these wall stretches, I recommend 1-3 minutes.

Savasana (Final Rest)

Lay comfortably on your back with your legs long down the mat, your arms by your sides, and the palms facing up. Let the shoulders and hips relax. Feel the whole body, heavy and sinking down. Allow your natural breath. Stay for at least 8-10 minutes, maybe even setting an alarm so you don't have to think about the time. 

Savasana is the moment of integration, when all the effort of the poses sinks in. Your body, mind and spirit are rejuvenated. This is the most important pose of the practice, and sometimes the most challenging. Surrender.

Namaste

, my loves!

PS More reading for back pain and self-care...

Find

relief for sciatica pain

.

Modifying your practice

when you're in pain.

Two amazing books

for helping you take care of yourself and stay pain-free. 

Learn more about

protecting the sacro-iliac joints

 during yoga.

Contentment

/

Photo by Brynna Bryant of

Respiro Photography

.

Consider for a moment that everything is already perfect the way it is.

All the resistance you have toward your own life... let that fall away, even if only for a second.

Everything you need, it's right here.

You can

worry later

 about what's for dinner, or what frustrating comment your partner said earlier today, or whether your jeans fit the way you want them to.

For now, notice what have you have. What you're grateful for. What effortless, beautiful, lovely place you're in.

This life.

Santosha

 is contentment with what is. This is not an easy thing to practice. This contentment is at the core of yoga.

Transformation

/
Photos by Brynna Bryant of Respiro Photography.

It's hard to remember what life was like before yoga.

 Things were fundamentally different before I began my practice. I had more fear and anxiety. I felt ashamed of my body. I talked down to myself and doubted myself regularly. A lot of the time, I felt tense. I knew I was capable of being at peace, but didn't know how to let the little things go.


I practice new habits now. I regularly give thanks for the blessings in my life. I am used to the sound of my breath in the back of my throat, that careful wave of ujjayi a constant reminder to be present. I do not mind waiting in line at the post office or the grocery store for it provides me a few minutes to meditate.

 I'm able to stand on my mat and let everything else that's going on in my life fade into the background of my awareness. A new focus, a way of letting go. Inviting balance, flexibility, strength. Allowing peace.

 Sometimes I awake from savasana feeling like a wholly new person. I walk out of class, refreshed, light, wondering where the old me is, fine with the fact that I am new.

Coloring Flower Mandalas (Book Review)

/

Do you ever feel like your creativity needs a boost?

 I think all of us can relate to that 'stuck in a rut' feeling, whether it's in regard to our own art projects, work, relationships, or even our yoga practice.

 It's so important to try new things, and to adopt a playful attitude!

 Recently I was lucky to share the amazing book Coloring Flower Mandalas by Wendy Piersall with my lovely sponsored yogini Elizabeth. It's the perfect book for bringing out your inner goddess and inner child, all at once!

Here's what Elizabeth said about the book:

 I absolutely love Coloring Flower Mandalas. It was the most colorful meditation I've ever experienced. 

 Such beautiful hand-drawn designs! It was a great way for me to be present in the moment and find a few moments of calmness. I was able to bring out my inner artist and have some fun. I even turned on some good reggae and got in the zone. Thank you so much for creating an amazing adult coloring book!

 A big thanks to Wendy Piersall for creating such a lovely book, and to the team at Ulysses Press for sharing this unique book with Alive in the Fire!

You may recall I have some mandalas tattooed in my sleeve :) What I love is that these designs have existed for thousands of years as tools for meditation and healing... the powerful sacred geometry, the spiritual symbolism, the lovely colors... all of it works together to create a beautiful, meditative design :)

 Cheers to all mandalas, whether they're in books or tattoos or your meditation space!

 Namaste, friends.

Trust Yourself

/
Photos by Brynna Bryant of Respiro Photography.

There are times when we face fears and doubts and frustrations. When the world feels overwhelming. Perhaps now is one of those times.

It is at these times that it's most important to trust yourself.


If you think back, you'll remember many times in life when you faced challenges and you were able to overcome them.

Your strength has been building for years, and you can draw on it right now, right here.

Surround yourself with positivity. Take great care of your body, and nourish your spirit.


Reflect on your inner wisdom.

If there is something that's bothering you, give yourself time to process and understand it. Or, take a different approach -- do something different with your focus, adopt a playful attitude, and release the worry.


Now is the perfect time to move forward.

Freedom

/
Photo by Justin Kral of Kral Studios.

Either the goal of yoga is to be free, or the goal of yoga is to get it right. 

 You can't really have it both ways. 

 Because if you choose freedom, you have to divest yourself of that crazy idea that you have to get it right. 
- Leslie Kaminoff, world-renowned yoga teacher

I've been reflecting lately on what it means to practice yoga lately, and this quote seemed particularly beautiful. Asana is a gateway to something deeper. The poses are a helpful step toward self-realization, but they are not the whole point. Reaching a place of compassion, of love, that is far more important.

Namaste, beautiful ones.

2 Amazing Books for Self-Care (You Can Be Stress-Free and Pain-Free!)

/





Taking care of your body is so important. You don't have to be a regular at the yoga studio to know this. Whether we're on or off the mat, we must constantly work to remain in balance, releasing stress so we can think clearly and moving mindfully so that we avoid injury.

Today I want to share two incredible books that help me stay stress-free and pain-free. They're full of incredible information about anatomy and the body, so they're a great resource for me to use as a yoga teacher when I'm planning classes or helping a student who needs a modification. 

But I'd honestly recommend these books to anyone, regardless of your age, activity level, or body type... they contain a wealth of knowledge about releasing stress and muscular tension, and the poses and exercises are shared in a way that's easy to read. 

It doesn't matter if you've done yoga... if your body hurts or you feel stressed, go read these books! :)

The Roll Model by Jill Miller
This book is a guide to using various roller balls and props for releasing muscular tension. I am so grateful for my yoga tune-up therapy balls that came with the book. I use them several times a week, especially if I'm sore after a class. They're compact and easy to carry in a purse or backpack, and you can use them in so many different spots throughout the body!

A while back, I was suffering from intense pain in my low back and glutes, with sensation that felt like sciatica. Often the best relief throughout my day would be from using the therapy balls and the hip exercises from The Roll Model. Combined with exercises such as mula bandha to strengthen my pelvic floor muscles, this book seriously changed my outlook and helped me release so much pain and stress. I highly recommend it as a resource to anyone who is suffering from pain anywhere in the body, and especially to all yoga teachers, coaches, trainers, and massage therapists.
Photos via Yapana Yoga.

Restorative Yoga Therapy: 
The Yapana Way to Self-Care and Well-Being by Leeann Carey
The author of this book, Leann Carey, has designed an incredible system of yoga for unique needs. By using props and careful alignment, she makes any pose accessible to any body. I love the way the book is organized and the comprehensive illustrations with specific sequences. She even has sections for enhancing the immune system, recovery for athletes, and relief from PMS.

In an interview about the book, Leann said that if she could recommend only 3 poses a day to a yoga student, they would be fish pose, legs up the wall pose, and revolved knee squeeze pose (pictured below). These three poses incorporate back bending, supported twisting, and relief to the lower back and feet. Each of them are incredibly powerful postures to incorporate into your daily practice!


Jill and Leeann each have over 20 years of experience studying and teaching yoga, and it's easy to tell when you read their books. I am so grateful to have these amazing titles on my shelf of yoga books, and I can't wait to share copies with my friends and fellow teachers this year at Christmas ;)

Namaste!

Home Practice

/
Yoga mat by Aurorae.

Roll out your favorite yoga mat in the backyard, or on the cool tiles of the kitchen floor. 

Find a song that you love and play it loud. You have the option of dancing on your mat for a moment.

You're at home, you can do as you please!

Then, when you're ready, find stillness. Sit quietly. Notice the breath.

Begin to move-- first, a few cat/cow transitions, waking up the spine. Sliding forward onto your belly. Inhaling into cobra, exhaling as you release the pose. Inhaling up again, then softening down onto the mat. Let a fluid motion move through your body. Let the movement feel sweet.

Slowly, begin to link on more poses, moving through Sun A and Sun B. Feeling the powerful leg muscles, your solid foundation, your feet connected to the mat. The earth supports you.

Begin to build heat in the body, letting sweat break through. Find the peak pose in your practice, honoring your body as you move in and out of it, cherishing each step of the way.

Cool down, slowing the breath, finding restorative poses. Soften. Draw inward.

Close the practice in a life-changing Savasana. Let go.

Tomorrow, do all of this again.

Namaste.

Taking Care of Yourself as a Yoga Teacher

/

Photo by

Lucid Reflections

.

I'm starting to teach more yoga classes.

While I used to only do one class per week, now I'm averaging more like 5 or 6. Sometimes I even teach twice or, occasionally, three times in a day.

During periods when I am teaching a lot, it's especially important to remember to take care of myself.

Today I'd like to offer a few tips to yoga teachers who are teaching a lot -- and, really, these tips can apply to anyone who has a busy schedule and who spends time holding sacred space or care-taking.  I'm looking at you, parents! :)

Self-care is important for all of us. Stay grounded and remember how important you are; only by taking care of yourself can you offer love and support to others.

Tips for Taking Care of Yourself

  • Set an intention for your day. For me, I often think of one word for a quality I want to focus on. Trust or patience or love. Place this intention at your heart center and if throughout your day you become tired or overwhelmed, remind yourself.

  • Get grounded. Literally. When I arrive at the studio or space where I'm teaching, I'll take a squat or forward fold and place my hands on the ground. I'll envision energy coming up through my hands and feet into my body, floating all the way up through the crown of my head. I also picture sending energy down through my hands and feet, connecting myself to the space I'm in.

  • Speaking of feet... give your feet some love! Wear supportive shoes when you can. If I'm barefoot a lot in a day, my feet start to ache and sometimes my back feels a little uncomfortable. Find a supportive pair of shoes that you can wear before and after class. Go for a pedicure. Get a reflexology massage. Take care of your beautiful feet! :)

  • Eat nourishing foods and hydrate often. I like green smoothies before an early morning class, snack bars between classes, and bananas. Also, dates with a little bit of sunflower seed butter or almond butter. Just something light with sustaining energy, so I don't feel depleted or hear my stomach grumbling during the silence in class! And of course, drink a lot of water especially if you're in a heated room. Coconut water is great, too.

  • If no one shows up for class, don't take it personally. I'm currently teaching at a few studios where the summer attendance of classes is a bit slow. Instead of turning to anger, frustration or doubt, I'm making it a priority to keep gratitude at the front of my mind. Teaching to a smaller class is more challenging-- it requires us to be more intimate, and to fully engage our students. Teaching small classes has definitely helped me grow as a teacher! On the days when no one shows up, I also try to commit to doing a practice on my own at the studio for at least 20-30 minutes. Perhaps you were meant to do your own flow instead of teach. Both are important :)

  • Sleep. Take naps. Do a yoga nidra if you didn't sleep well the night before.

  • Get massages, Reiki treatments, and use a foam roller at home. Seriously, your body will thank you! If you're feeling exhausted, send your feet up the wall, too!

  • Meditate. Find time for stillness. This can be in the form of seated meditation, journaling, or even a walk in the park for a moving meditation. Reflect on why you teach, and why it's important to take care of yourself.

  • Remind yourself of your strengths. Sometimes if I'm over-exerting myself or feeling doubt or fear, I have more negative self-talk that happens throughout my day. Make an effort to stop the negative thinking and shift toward the positive. You've got this!

Yoga teachers, what practices do you use to stay grounded, balanced and at peace when you are teaching a lot of classes?

Summer Reading

/
Photo by Elizabeth.

What are you reading this summer, yogis?

Summer is such a creative, imaginative time... I love reading in the park or by the pool, or even in coffee shops when it's too hot outside.

Elizabeth, one of my lovely Sponsored Yogis, is currently enjoying two amazing titles from Ulysses Press. She'll be sharing a review soon, so you can learn more about these books: Coloring Flower Mandalas by Wendy Piersall and Homemade Bath Bombs, Salts and Scrubs by Kate Bello.

I'd love to hear your recommendations for books you love!

Yoga and Reiki

/

Have you ever tried Reiki? It is a powerful healing practice that cleanses the body, purifies the mind, nourishes the spirit, and allows us to tune in to our higher self.

I could not be more excited and grateful to offer a combination of Reiki and yoga when I teach.


I've been giving treatments and I'm stunned by how powerful the work can be -- it has such a big impact! Whether you're new to energy work or familiar with it, whether you're generally happy and healthy or you're suffering from a physical ailment or an emotional struggle, Reiki is amazing!

It always lifts my spirits and helps me get through rough times. Even lately, with the little ups and downs of shifting to a new schedule and the feelings of doubt and fear that sometimes show up, Reiki makes a huge difference in helping me get through long days.


I've also been sending Reiki to all of my yoga students at the end of class. Generally I'll sit at the front of the room during Shavasana, just meditating. Sometimes I will direct the flow of Reiki to a student if he or she seems sad or down or depleted, and I'll notice relaxation come over their body.

I also meditate on Reiki being present in my hands before class, so that any hands-on adjustments I do will be even more helpful to the yogis in the room.


Sending distance Reiki is so powerful, too! I have a lot of friends around the country, and I'll often send energy healing to them throughout my day-- if I'm waiting in line somewhere, or shooting a text message to them, or even waiting at a red light in my car.

Reiki has unlimited potential to help others heal! I love it so much. :)


If you're looking for more information about what Reiki is and what it does, please check out my new website, www.aliveinthefirereiki.com. I'm offering treatments locally in Sacramento and Roseville, and I'm so happy to share it with others. You can always email me at aliveinthefire at gmail dot com for more details, too.

Namaste, loves!

Hugs

/
Photo via The Boho Garden on Tumblr.
Perhaps the most important hug today is just for you. You could picture your arms wrapped around the backs of your shoulders, the way a child loves herself. You could hear the sound of your own voice saying I love you. I do.

 Despite your doubts, your shame, or your insecurities, you choose compassion.

 Even if only for a brief time, you love yourself unconditionally. 

Peacefulness, On and Off the Yoga Mat

/

You know yoga is working its magic on you when you can become so immersed in your practice that you don't notice distractions in the room. 

 The girl on her mat a few rows over who cracks open a can of energy drink in the middle of class. Or the one with a cup of hot coffee that she's sipping before the teacher walks into the room.

 The frustrated sounds of a kid next to you sighing and saying I can't do this. The way you notice out of the corner of your eye that he reaches up in High Lunge and then promptly leans to the side and lands on his mat with a loud thump. But, you notice, he keeps going.

The person in the back row who's crying quietly. Or the one near you whose body odor feels overwhelming when experienced in the heat and humidity. Or even, a fart in the middle of class!

 The sound of the teacher's bracelets as they clink together every time she walks around the room. The crackling of the speakers playing the music.

 These are all real scenarios I've witnessed, by the way ;) When we show up for yoga, we are surrounded by distractions. There's drama. Noise, odd behavior, anxiety and frustration -- all of it shows up in the room at some point or another.

 Can we allow ourselves to stay detached from the crazy that's surrounding us, and just stay with our own practice, breath by breath?

Sometimes we ourselves are the ones doing the distracting; we show up late for class and ruffle around in the silence, or we knock over a water bottle during Savasana, or laugh unexpectedly.

 What's beautiful is when all these things are happening around us, and we're still able to keep our attention drawn inward. To re-focus again and again on the breath. To let go of our need to control every little thing.

 This carries off the mat, too, of course. If I am able to put a breath, a short pause, between the crazy shit that's happening during my day and my reaction to it... that's when I know my yoga is working.


PS There's really no 'magic' in yoga... the benefits are a result of the effort you put toward your practice, and the balance you find by detaching from the outcome and surrendering to the moment ;)

Go All In

/
 Photos by Respiro Photography.

What do you have to lose? Everything you've experienced, all your suffering and joy, it has led to this moment. You might as well go all in. 

 Today I taught yoga and felt shitty about it afterward. 'The sequencing was off, I couldn't find my groove, the music wasn't right...' all these thoughts started coming into my mind. 

 I went about my day. I didn't dwell on it too much but my ego definitely was starting to chatter. 

Then later on I had this moment where a child smiled at me with pure joy... he looked into my eyes and just smiled. It was a wonderful moment of connection without any judgment. 

 No 'this is good' or 'this is bad ' or 'I am this' and 'you are that.' It was just a smile. It reminded me that all of these experiences I'm having are what they need to be. 

 It is possible to have an imperfect experience and be grateful for it. We need all of this, the highs and lows and the in-betweens. All the yoga classes. It's possible to take away the judgment and just have the experience.

Clean Slate

/
Photo via Pinterest.

Note: this post is a re-blog from Pretty Good Stories by Markus Almond (previously called Brooklyn to Mars).

 Quit everything in your mind and piece your life back together one thing at a time.  

 Close your eyes and pretend that you quit everything.  Pretend you wiped all the responsibilities in your life away. You have a completely blank slate.  

 Keep your eyes closed.  What would you add back into your life if you could start from scratch?  What would you stop doing forever?  

 Think of each thing in your old life.  What would you put back?  What would you let go?  You don’t need to know why.  Just follow your gut.  

 When you open your eyes, write down the decisions you made.

Advanced Asana

/
Photos by Jobi Otso.

Advanced asana is another rung on a horizontal bridge (not a vertical ladder, really) toward self-realization. 

Sometimes we need the tough practice to remind us that there is a physical limit, and if we continually push against it at the cost of everything else then we often have also lost sight of the energetic expansion and psychic development. 

It's nice that there are so many different styles for different points in our lives. Besides, what's the rush? We have plenty of (life)time(s) to advance the poses.

Today's post comes from wise words of a friend who is a Dharma yoga teacher. Namaste.

A Tip for Vinyasa Yogis

/
Photo by Lucid Reflections.

Calling all Vinyasa yogis! How many downward facing dogs, planks, low planks, and updogs do you think you've done?

Chances are, if you've been in a lot of Vinyasa classes, your shoulders will start to feel it. It's important that you use proper alignment to avoid stressing the shoulder joint.

Next time you're doing your yoga practice, try this: place your hands a little wider on your mat. Take up a little more space than you have before. We're talking maybe an inch difference... separate the hands a little bit, and really spread the fingers wide.

Photos by Jobi Otso. 

Notice the freedom that is created in the shoulder joint as you move through a vinyasa sequence with your palms placed a little wider.

Also concentrate on activating the upper back; firm the shoulder blades and draw them down toward the tailbone.

Before starting class you can even do a few shoulder rolls to notice sensation in the upper back. Lift the shoulders up toward the ears, and then roll them back and down. Hold them there, trying not to let them creep up towards the ears at all. Think, lower ribs in. Shoulders away from the ears.

Photo by Lucid Reflections.

As always, check in with your teacher and ask questions if anything feels uncomfortable. Trust your body and be willing to try mixing it up a little bit every now and then... even seasoned yogis can fall into some bad habits! Namaste.