The power of Yoga... and learning to deal with physical limitations

I’ve been practicing #yoga for years but it wasn’t until I did my #teacher #training that I finally embraced yoga. And not just as a way of #strengthening my #body through the #physical #training and all the asanas (physical poses) but also as my #lifestyle.

For years I have been suffering with #migraines and #lower #back #pain. Two years ago, my lower back pain disabled me for the whole month – I got diagnosed with a #degenerative #spinal #canal #stenosis (lumbar). This happened just before I was due to start my #200 YTT course. Over the years, my regular daily asana practice has improved my flexibility. And, although I still find forward bends easier to do (common with people suffering from lower back pain), I am now able to launch into back bends like #Chakrasana/Wheel pose, something that I couldn’t do before my training.

Yoga is now generally #prescribed amongst the medical practitioners as a treatment for lower back pain sufferers - although still considered as an alternative therapy. It is not a cure, but can immensely #help with general #flexibility and can #strengthen the #muscles which are usually #underperforming when suffering with #lumbar #stenosis. Learning to respect your body and its limitations is also a very powerful experience for me. Dynamic #Cat/#Cow and other sequences involving spinal flexion and extension are part of my daily routine.

I have also found that yoga helped me deal with #postnatal depression and #anxiety. Through soft #pranayama (breathing techniques) and #meditation (I suffer from #epilepsy therefore tend to use softer pranayama approach) I managed to find a more #peaceful and a #calmer #life, improve my #sleep and generally my #lifestyle. I also use pranayama and meditation with my children – school children can go through immense pressures these days, with homework and the increasingly busy schedules; breath is something they can access at all times – and is within them. Knowing how to use their breath helps them deal with their anxieties and angers they are faced with in dealing with everyday school life.

 

I thoroughly believe that the #study and #practice of #yogic #science has helped me find my inner strengths and deal with my demons – my lower back pain, depression and anxiety. I continue to apply this personal knowledge and experience with my family and with my students and help them deal with their demons - with the understanding that I am not providing a cure, but opening the path for their learning and appreciation of this great science.