Tag: backpain
-
Practice: Ustrasana & Finding Courage To Listen To The Heart
The heart is often spoken of as the seat of ‘love’ and ‘compassion’, which of course it is, but it’s also a place of truth and courage, and if we dare to venture there it can reveal hidden truths about ourselves. Physically, we know that the heart is an essential muscle that pumps blood, oxygen…
-
Practice: Sucirandhrasana (Eye Of The Needle Pose)
If you’ve ever experienced lower back pain – and most people do at some point in life, you’ll know how limiting it can be to every-day activities. An aching lower back or ‘lumbago’ is common and usually disappears in a few weeks or months, although other causes such as a ruptured vertebral disk or sciatica…
-
Practice: Preparation For Backbending
Although backbends may appear to be all about flexibility, they actually require a lot of strength in order to practice them in a way that is healthy and sustainable. The strength we need to cultivate before moving into backbends arises not only from the muscles of the back, but also a connection to the deep…
-
Practice: Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch)
‘Parsva’ = Side / Flank ‘Ut’ = Intense ‘Tan’ = To stretch or extend Opening the sides of the body offers us a doorway into a deeper expansion of – and connection to – the breath. From our physical asana practice, and the practice of pranayama, we know that whatever situation we find ourselves in…
-
Practice: Swimming Salabhasana (Inspired By Brahmani Yoga)
The lower back is a place a lot of us experience discomfort, in fact lower back pain is the number one cause of disability world-wide. (In this sense, disability means no longer being able to go about your day in the way you’re used to, so you may still be able to move around, but…
-
Practice: Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
Often categorised as one of the ‘baby back bends’ (along side salabhasana, bhujangasana and urdhva mukha Svanasana), Dhanurasana or ‘bow pose’ opens the front of the body while simultaneously strengthening the back. A great shoulder-opener and a powerful way to open the chest, this asana can be taken as strong or as gentle as you…
