Why our back health matters and why should we care?
"Yoga for Backs" is a regular theme in my classes. Back care is key in our practice so we can feel strong, balanced and move with ease in our daily lives. It also improves our posture, our breathing, the function of our organs (as we avoid unnecessary compression) and uplifts our mood giving us more energy for life! When we feel strong in our body, we gain confidence and feel stronger mentally.
They say "You are only as young as your spine is flexible"
Have you ever suffered back problems ? I certainly have. Why do 80% of people suffer from back pain at some point in their lives and this number is increasing ? One of the most common causes of work absence is back pain. Most back pain occurs due to a lack of use, overuse, sedentary lifestyle or bad posture, creating weakness, stiffness and more than often pain in this area.
Chronic pain affects your quality of life. So what to do ? Should you stop or carry on moving ? First always seek advice and care from a trusted medical healthcare specialist. A good osteopaths or chiropractor is a must for back care. If you are ok to move gently, then start doing so as soon as possible and do so mindfully. Find a good teacher. Movement is medicine. You know what they say, “you are only as young as your spine is flexible.”
What is the spine and What is its role exactly ?
The spine offers our body structure, support and balance.
The spine is divided in sections: cervicals, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum and coccyx. All have different functions yet work together. If one goes out of alignment, the whole spine will feel it, so balance and good posture is essential for your spine health. This is where yoga can help with good alignment, flexibility and strength.. Between each vertebra, we have discs, acting as shock absorbers, to allow ease and freedom of movement.
The spine brings us movement: The spine allows us to move freely (walk, run, sit, stand, twist, bend…). thanks to its muscles attachments, just like puppet. Moving is great for flexibility and health of your spine. It is important to move regularly. Sedentary lifestyle and working with computers at a desk is a killer for our backs. Laptops are not much better. Not sitting properly, not moving for hours, hunched shoulders, a swooping lower back and being pulled of alignment with typically the head forward creating strain on our neck and spine.
Our spine likes to move in 5 different directions (axial extension, forward bend, lateral flexion, backbend, twist) to release and reset our spine to keep it supple and healthy. A good yoga class will incorporate all of those movements to free up stuck areas and use balancing practices for better alignment and posture. Did you know the health of your intervertebral disc have no direct blood supply and depend on movement as discs get nutrients and expel waste through movement ?
Our spine is a chief conductor for communication
A centre of communication. The spine is also designed to protect your spinal cord. The spinal cord is a column of nerves that connects our brain with the rest of your body, allowing us to control our movements. Our spinal cord/central nervous system is constantly communicating with all our organs via a periphery of nerves. Yoga & Somatics work closely with the nervous system improving and maintaining its good function.
What is the connection between breath and spine ?
We all breathe but learn to breathe well to change your energy, destress and mobilise your spine.
Did you know your breath is intimately connected to your spine ? Your diaphragm is attached to the middle of your spine around T12. The way you breathe will affect your spine. Deep breathing through yoga will help release tension and create space in your back. You can use the side of your bed or a soft Pilates ball behind your back to help you open your chest and your upper back.
So how you breathe affects not only how your body feels, your energy, your stress level, but also your spine. The breath creates space for better ease and freedom of movement.
Let’s talk about the importance of breathing properly using the whole of our ribcage. Did you know that the size of your lungs unravelled would be the size of a tennis court ? We also have more lung tissue in the sides and back than the front of our torso. Yet a lot of us tend to breathe more to the front. When you expand the ribcage on an inhale, you are gently mobilising the spine giving it a gentle stretch. As you exhale, you soften and relax the spine. It is like a gentle massage for your back.
I love that because for years, we have practiced in my classes the 3D breath and the results are amazing. Not only do you melt tensions away but you really feel more spacious, longer, flatter and calmer. Here is a breath exercise you can try at home. Allow 10 to 15 min and I would suggest inhaling through the nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth for best results.
The best way to practice is lying down on a mat or on your bed, legs bend with feet hip width apart, hands on the body. Close your eyes, connect within and tune in to your senses. Feel !
First, place your hands on the side of your ribs, quite high up. Breathe into your hands and as you inhale, imagine your ribcage expanding sideways like an accordion. Feel the breath in the sides and in your back. Repeat for 5 min. Then move your hands to the middle of your torso. Breathe here for 5 min feeling your ribcage moving in synchronisation with your breath. Finally, finish with the belly breath, hands on your abdomen for 5 min. Stretch your whole body at the end, relax on your back and notice the difference.
A healthy back requires strength, flexibility, balance.
A healthy back requires the 3 pillars of strength, flexibility and balance. Balance come with good alignment from head to toe, promoting better posture, easier, freer movement and a happier back.
Flexibility: When it comes to flexibility of the spine, you have to think of the whole body. For example, too much sitting creates tight hamstrings, which lead to a tight lower back. A tight chest pulls shoulders forward creating tension in your upper back and neck. A tight front body will prevent you from comfortably going into backbends. On the other hand, a tight back body will make it challenging to go into forward bends. Everything in the body is interconnected. This is why it is important to incorporate the whole body to release the spine. Yoga is a fantastic way to regain suppleness.
Strength: Strength is key for back health. It provides support for your spine. Did you know most people lose muscle mass as they age ? . Sitting too much for too long also weakens our muscles and spine, which are then unable to offer us any support and starts to collapse.
Strength includes back strength, glutes and core strength. I like to use a combination of yoga and Pilates for this. They work well together.
One of my favourite core strength yoga exercises which we practice regularly in class is Revolved abdomen pose or Jathara Parivartanasana. Why ? It offers numerous benefits such as strengthening and spine mobilisation. It is good for building strength bringing core support, lubricating the discs, releases tension, fatigue and improves digestion. It feels so good !!
I like to warm up with some gorgeous Somatics movement to warm up the spine, shoulders and open the chest. Everyone enjoys this feeling their spine and shoulders have awakened. One student said she felt all warm and fuzzy and had a big grin on her face.
Body structure, support, balance, good alignment, flexibility and strength can all be gained though the practice of yoga, Somatics and Pilates, which is why I created my Wellbeing classes offering a blend of all those together with breathwork to make you feel good in body and mind.
It is a more holistic approach which my students really seem to appreciate as they can see and feel the benefits. My oldest student is 85 and loves the classes. Benefits include tension release, improved breathing, better posture, flexibility gains, strengthening, and deep relaxation.
People say they feel much better all around, more relaxed, spongier, taller, tension from back, shoulders and hips melted away and their breathing has improved.
Simply put, Yoga, Somatics & Pilates keep you young. Strength and flexibility, coordination (both muscularly and mentally), improve posture, balance and core strength, bone density, and joint health. By improving your wellbeing, you will enjoy life even more. The key is a regular practice, ideally every day or at least weekly, in a group or on a 1 to 1 basis. It is never too late to start !
“Isabelle is a fabulous teacher. Her classes are always interesting with new exercises and postures added regularly. She keeps challenging us and I love to notice my progress. I always feel energised after a session but also relaxed, calm and happy. The stresses of the day vanish! Thank you for your care and commitment Isabelle” “Just completed a wellbeing yoga course and really enjoyed it! I love how Isabelle concentrates on breathing techniques and takes us through the exercises step by step”.
I run weekly classes in Tunbridge Wells, Fordcombe and online. A blend of breathwork, yoga, Somatics, Pilates to feel good. I also offer workshops and 1:1. All welcome ! Just get in touch...
For more info, benefits and testimonials on Yoga and Somatics, www.yogawithbelle.co.uk
Comments