Yoga for back pain

Yoga can help with back pain. It should be understood that yoga is not just a set of exercises. It is a peculiar system of worldview, borrowed from Eastern practices. Yoga is represented by 8 steps. It is impossible to practice yoga separately, performing only individual exercises that will help to quickly eliminate painful sensations. Yoga is a complete integrated system that functions as a whole in the unity of its 8 steps. For a full understanding of this system and its effective use for various purposes, including the treatment of back pain, it is worth briefly reviewing all the steps.

The first step of yoga is Yama. It is a set of rules that a person should follow in order to live a long happy life without pain and illness. Here are prescribed the basic instructions, prescriptions, all that in life to do "Must". This system is aimed at forming a certain way of life. For example, here it is also prescribed what one should do in order to keep one's spine, back healthy, in order to avoid pain, inflammations, other unpleasant consequences. It also says that diseases do not come from "nowhere". All these are consequences of our wrong actions, wrong, unhealthy way of life.

The second stage of yoga is Niyama. It is a set of prohibitions, a list of what "must not" be done. In this section we talk about the fact that all diseases are the result of doing things that we should not do. For example, we sit incorrectly, lead a sedentary lifestyle, bend incorrectly, move around. Hence, spinal problems, back problems arise. The system of Shatkarm - a kind of practices to cleanse the body and bring it to a harmonious state - is also described here.

The third step is Asana. This is a system of special postures and exercises aimed directly at working out our physical body. If we are talking about yoga for back pain, there is a whole complex of exercises that can be effective in such a situation. These are special poses, static and dynamic exercises, complexes of exercises. Practitioners of yoga for back pain can be recommended the following asanas that have the maximum effect on the back:

• Tadasana - mountain pose
• Santulanasana pose of balance.
• Ardha-Chakrasana - half wheel pose
• Padahasthasana - tilt to the feet, or stork pose
• Trikonasana is triangle pose.
• Vatayanasana
• Bhujangasana - snake pose (and intermediate asana - "The snake raises its head")
• Ardha-Skhalabhasana - locust pose (intermediate)
• Schalabhasana - locust pose (full)
• Dhanurasana is the bow pose.
• Pascimotanasana - stretchy back pose
• Ardha-matsyendrasana - twisted pose
• Viparita karani mudra (shoulder blade stand)
• Matsyasana - fish pose
• Halasana is the plow pose.
• Sethubandhasana - bridge pose
• Sarvangasana (birch).

Also yoga from back pain can be represented by complexes of exercises that are recommended to perform in the morning and evening. The most effective:

• Crocodile exercise complex
• Joint exercises (standing, sitting, lying down)
• Isometric exercises
• Complex of exercises for the spine "Diamond rod"
• Complex of psychophysical exercises "Elements"
• The Eye of Renaissance Dynamic Complex.
• Dynamic complex "Surya-Namaskar", or Greetings to the Sun". It is performed only in the morning, preferably at dawn
• Sphinx Dynamic Complex.

The fourth step is Pranayama, or conscious controlled breathing. Prana means "life force, energy" in Indian. It speaks of cleansing the etheric body. This is a figurative name, in fact it is about the air we all breathe. It is air that is the main source of our energy, without air life is impossible. As a number of studies show, almost all people breathe incorrectly. Our breathing is not controlled by consciousness, we do not use deep breathing, which will saturate the body with oxygen, fully eliminate carbon dioxide. Having mastered breathing, we learn to control many processes in the body, our mind becomes more calm, balanced, pulse rate decreases, breathing slows down, blood circulation and pressure normalizes.

There is a whole complex of breathing exercises. The basic block is represented by static and dynamic pranayamas (breathing exercises). First of all, it is necessary to master the full yogic breathing, which is represented by abdominal, thoracic (diaphragmatic), and clavicular breathing.

After mastering full yogic breathing, you can move on to mastering static and dynamic pranayamas.

A more advanced level is the advanced pranayam block, which includes the following breathing practices:

• Ujdaayi-breathing
• Ujjayi pranayama
• Shortness of breath
• Viloma pranayama
• Liuloma pranayama
• Pratiloma-pranayama
• Kapalabhati is pranayama.
• Akapalabhati pranayama.
• Bhastrika
• Shitali pranayama
• Shitakari-pranayama
• Bhramari-pranayama
• Murtha and Plavini steamyama.
• Surya Bheda Pranayama
• Rhythmic breathing
• Chandra Bheda Pranayama
• Agni Sara (fire breath).
• Residual exhalation technique
• Square-pranayama
• Visamavrithi (uneven square)
• Cleansing breath
• Mental Ha-breathing.

The fifth stage is Pratyahara. It is a practice of concentration, concentration of attention, in which a person strives to look inside himself, to know his essence, inner nature. It implies the ability to take energy from the outside and process it inside, redirecting it in the right direction. It is a kind of concentration of attention on one's inner state, which is based on the ability to track one's state. To self-control, self-regulation. For example, if you have back pain, by attentively examining your body, concentrating on painful sensations, you can identify a clear localization, the cause of pain, adjust your state. For example, complete relaxation of the painful area can lead to pain relief and significant relief.

The sixth step is Dharma. It represents a certain level of self-awareness, self-regulation. As a rule, at this stage a person's consciousness changes somewhat. He can identify areas of pain, tension and by an effort of will, conscious control, relax the state: relieve spasm, relax tense areas, tone atonic areas. This significantly eliminates painful sensations.

The seventh stage is a state in which a person has worked so well on his physical, etheric body, other bodies (if any) that he no longer has physical and mental illnesses. As a rule, a person is in a harmonious state. He does not experience mood swings, jumps in physical condition. If minor pains occur. A person can easily regulate them by an effort of will. As a rule, a person is happy, balanced, light seems to pour out of him from within.

The eighth stage is Samatha. It is also called enlightenment, but this is not quite correct. Rather, it is a translation error. In fact, Samathi is a state of awareness in which a person does not live in illusion, he adequately assesses his state, adequately perceives the surrounding world, calmly reacts to what is happening. The physical body is in a state of optimal functioning. The psyche is also in a harmonious state. The state in which a person is in harmony with himself, he has no physical illnesses, mental problems, and is health in the full sense of the word. This state can be achieved only by following all 8 stages of classical hatha yoga.