back problems/beginners

02-10-2006, 12:24 AM

> Sat Nam,
> have you talked to your teacher about whether she can guide your
> friend and advise about appropriate teacher? My teacher teaches
> kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan and is also a chiropractor.
> When she is teaching a beginners class she is very clear about
which
> postures are contraindicated if a student has back problems and
almost
> always offers alternative versions of the posture. However I've
also
> been in many other classes where the teacher does not know or offer
> alternatives so you'd have to check in with your teacher to see if
> they are equipped to deal with your friend's needs. Anyone who has
> injuries or physical restrictions should inform the teacher before
> beginning. (Most yoga centres inquire about this to limit
liability,
> and most teachers will ask about this as a matter of proper
guidance
> of the student according to their needs.)
>
> I am not a kundalini yoga teacher or a doctor, however I can share
> what I learned from working as a body/mind facillitator and
therapist
> at a pain clinic in the hopes that it helps. In regards to your
> friend, it will depend on the nature of the back problem as to how
to
> proceed. Perhaps your friend could check with their chiropractor
as to
> what would be advisable? If it is only a matter of tight muscles
> rather than an injury to the spinal column (this would require
xrays
> or an MRI to diagnose) then any form of yoga, kundalini included,
> would be very helpful. As always, no matter what level of fitness
one
> happens to be at, your friend should listen to their body and not
push
> too hard. Improvement happens at our limits, not beyond them where
we
> are more likely to injure ourselves. Just because everyone else
in
> the class is holding a posture for 5 minutes doesn't mean that it's
> appropriate to do so if you're injuring yourself by doing so! Yoga
is
> not a competition

Naturally your friend is responsible for her
own
> body and choices, and for asking for more information from the
teacher
> if she requires. As long as she understands this then kundalini
yoga
> could be very useful for her

> blessings
> ovasoul