Do you sometimes experience low back pain even though you practice yoga? Here are some expert tips to help from Anji Gopal, back care expert and triyoga teacher.
Anji spent seven years running a yoga-based programme in a London NHS hospital for patients with chronic low back pain and runs Yoga for BackCare training for teachers worldwide.
Spinal pain is reported to affect between 20-40% of adults, so it’s likely most of us will experience an episode in our lives. The good news is that it’s generally short-lived and can get better.
Evidence suggests that certain types of yoga can help relieve back pain. But if you’re a regular yogi, you might notice that some styles or classes can also aggravate back pain. These are the some of the main reasons for spinal pain from yoga:
- Moving without awareness. Too much, too fast, not paying attention, or taking a class that is too long or too strong for where you are right now.
- Lots of repetitive movements. Too much flexion and extension in your low back without keeping control.
Focus on building a flexible spine, at the expense of a strong one. Remember, we need both Sthira Sukha Asanam: “the posture is strong and comfortable”.
Anji suggested there are a few ways to avoid low back pain from yoga, outlined here:
- Listen to your body. If you’re tired or sick, take a restful class. Yoga is about kindness, not just another demand on a depleted system.
- Slow down. If the class is too fast, don’t be embarrassed to slow down and work at your own pace. Injuries happen when we aren’t paying attention.
- Avoid overarching your lower back and don’t over-accentuate extension (arching). Spend time on understanding the principles behind the postures.
- Understand your body. Ask yourself – am I naturally bendy or stiff? Those who are more flexible need more strengthening. Those with a tendency to stiffness, more stretching.
- Remember, it’s your yoga practice. The practice of Yoga Asana is not a race. The teacher might be able to do more complicated asana – that’s fine. In any yoga practice, work with your body – enjoy moving it, have fun, breathe. And stop whenever you need to and take rest.
- Consider trying a Yoga for BackCare class.
Anji teaches Yoga for BackCare classes at triyoga centres and online. View her classes and our full timetable of offerings here.
