My-Yoga-Center…

Calling all yoga instructors…..I have a question?

I have herniated discs L3-L5. What poses are contraindicated? I know seated forward bends are. I had heard that backward bends are the best, but which are contraindicated? I recently heard that camel pose and spinal twists are bad and I do them often. What about inverted poses? What are the best poses? We have limited yoga instructors in this area and the one I went to wanted to heal my mind more than my specific physical problems.

First of all, your yoga program should be tailored to your individual needs by an experienced teacher; some postures that are wonderful for one person may bad for another. That said, most of the postures you practice should probably be modified with props—your teacher can show you how to use blankets, blocks, bolsters, straps, and other props to put gentle traction on your spine.

Here is some general advice for protecting your back after disk injury:

While your back pain persists, do not bend forward past 90 degrees with straight knees.

Avoid all seated forward bends.

Avoid rounding your back.

If a pose causes any pain, tingling, or numbness, stop immediately.

Bear these cautions in mind as you practice the list of poses below that many people with disk problems find helpful. They may be practiced in the order presented, but it is not essential. You can start out with just one or two postures, then gradually add more over several days or weeks.

For a more photos ot poses with detail descriptions, you can check out B.K.S. Iyengar’s book– Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health.

Savasana (Corpse Pose)—legs elevated, knees bent, calves supported on chair seat

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Marichyasana III (Marichi’s Pose)—stand sideways at wall with foot nearest wall supported on stool or chair seat; twist gently toward wall

Bharadvajasana (Bharadvaja’s Twist)—seated in a chair

Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose)—stand with back against ledge or counter top, press hands down on ledge for support

Utthita Parsvakonasana (Side Angle Pose)—take bottom hand to block for support

Utthita Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)—stand with back against ledge or counter top, slide bottom hand along ledge to support and lengthen spine, use top hand on ledge behind top hip to improve alignment

Ardha Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Half Upward-Facing Dog Pose)—with hands on back of chair, not on floor or seat of chair

Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose)—with belt around foot, with bent knees at first

Balasana (Child’s Pose)—with trunk supported on a bolster or three long folded blankets

Savasana (Corpse Pose)—legs elevated, knees bent, calves supported on chair seat

Yoga Twist Sequence for Beginners : Prasarita Padottanasana Pose for Yoga Twist Sequence

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