Managing Back Pain

Pain is a red light from the body, an early warning signal to say “proceed with caution.” A lot of us read this as, stop, numb out, rest and quit. Resting won’t resolve the pain.
We need to move to release the blockages and stuck muscles, create the support that the hardened muscles are trying to create (working in tandem with the body’s wisdom). Once we get these parts moving and spacious we can move energy through these places and move out what is stagnant.

Here are 6 steps to walking free of pain from Ana Forrest’s Fierce Medicine:

Identify the location of the pain,
Breathe into that location deeply (Are you breathing now?),
Create space in that place, decompress the area,
Strengthen your core,
Use your legs to support your back,
Learn to live spaciously (even at work!).

Here are some exercises to do in order

Shoulder Shrugs:

Side Bend and Neck Release:

Elbow To Knee:

Abs With A Roll:

Stay present during all of these poses and pay attention to your personal edge. Don’t ignore your body kinking up because you are trying to match a perceived perfection or look.

Some non-Yoga maintenance can be doing Castor Oil Packs, Bodywork and Epsom Salt Baths. Epsom salt baths are a weekly staple for me. When my muscles are sore or I am feeling locked up in my back I take a long bath with Epsom salts. I use about 2 cups of salts per bath, Now that is salty! Relax in the bath for about 20 minutes. This is great to do after a Yoga class or when you back just feels solid. You can get Epsom Salts and Castor Oil at Heart Space Whole Foods in the city centre.