Lower back pain – after stepping up to daily classes

Hey bethrsmith & ipadjunen so first time poster hence apologies if I mess up etiquette!

I am currently in my second 30 day challenge, today being day 17. Anyway over the last month or so of practice I too have developed a stiff lower back, on a pain scale only around 2/10 (with 10 being the worst). Ipadajunen your comment “It’s not a shooting pain, or really even a pain, just a stiffness and soreness.” exactly describes what I’m going through (or was going through).

At first I thought that I was over extending my back in Locust/ full locust / the back postures so I sat out on that posture + cobra for a few days, no change… So then I talked to one of my teachers and she suggested the problem was not engaging my core whilst in pose. In such a hot and stuffy room the last thing I really want to do is to engage my core while in a posture, breathing is hard enough!! If you think about your practice when your teacher tells you to engage your core / suck your belly up are you? In my case I wasn’t so I’ve gone back to basics and am focusing on engaging my core whilst still breathing in each posture. Between postures I let me core go, let my belly go and breathe as I previous had.

Magically my back is getting better. So I could be completely wrong and it could be nothing to do with your core not being engaged and your lower back taking the strain, but for me it was! I hope this helps, what also helps is a hot water bottle applied regularly to your lower back!

Namaste,

Dom.

Hello!
I have had some great progress with this issue in the past week! Dominichjones, I think you are correct about it being an issue with core engagement. I was confused by that theory at first because I focus so much on the core, but I’ve found something that has seemed to work.

Basically, I believe I’ve been going too deep in my backbends, and in the wrong way. In standing bow, full bow, and camel, I am not keeping an engaged core/very slight lengthening of the low back. Therefore, my back is bending but my front side is not lengthened sufficiently. The outcome is a bit of a crunch in my low back that I believe was what was making it start to feel achey. Essentially this is a core issue, because it seems that if you are all the way engaged, your back will not be able to bend in that way. I hope this makes sense…

Emshilie, this would explain your concern with the backbends! The alignment of half-moon is very difficult. In that pose especially, think about lengthening and stretching out of the side you’re bending into, not just the side that’s stretching. It’s amazing how much you have to lift out of your hips. Hope that helps!

Hello everyone,

I really liked the things you came up with and it is great to see so many curious and courageous yogis on the forum! I attended Gabrielle’s teacher training last year, where we adressed a lot of these things you are discussing above!

Your observation is correct, in this case, it all comes done to engaging (or not engaging) your core muscles! I was thrilled to read about the discovery you made regarding core engagement! This knowledge comes in handy inside as well as outside of the yoga studio! Good core strength is essential to a healthy body and correct posture! (Gabrielle is very passionate about these, for a reason 😉 )

If you haven’t already checked this video out, it might be time for all of you to do that now!
See this free video on Core Strengthening AND Flattening your Tummy! I found these techniques incredibly useful and so did my fellow trainees in Costa Rica!

You mentioned back bends a lot in the posts above, I hope you don’t mind if I share my insights on that with you! As Ida said, it is extremely important to focus on lifting out of the waist! One of the many valuable things I learned at teacher training is that it’s always worth thinking about a backbend as a stretch for the front side of the body! This helped me a lot to avoid collapsing into my lower back, as I did before… Focusing on ‘the lift’ and gaining strong core muscles will transform your back bends! Backward bending is very beneficial if done correctly, especially if you are challenging your body for 30-60 days, it is very important to be aware of all these things!

Keep sharing your thoughts fellow yogis/yoginis! I hope to hear good news about strong core muscles and lovely front side stretches! 🙂

Namaste,

Andrea

Hi Gabrielle

I noticed no one replied to your last post but I am curious what else you have to say as I am experiencing the same thing (day 14 of my 30 day challenge)..
My answer would be yes to all three of your questions:
“May I please ask you to tell me (each of you please) if in your classes you are encouraged to do Standing Separate Leg Intense Stretch with straight legs? Is your studio a script studio? Is your sit-up where you sit up on an inhale round over your legs and then do 2 short exhales?”

Hello yogabunny246

Any revelations from reading that post we directed you to? Your problems are very common and go part and parcel with the way Bikram yoga is taught – via script which introduces many problems that is evident by the number of backaches and tight hamstrings (and many other issues) that people contact me about.

The problem is that the practice makes you feel great even when one does things incorrectly and causes damage. Hence, why so many people come and report that they are doing yoga many times per week and still feeling back (or whatever) pain and that it is not letting up.

The problems you are experiencing are most likely related to some fundamental mistakes that you are probably unwittingly making every single time you practice.

The answer is NOT to work through stuff when the ‘stuff’ you are doing is causing pain and damage. The answer is to use the principles of alignment and proper functioning of the body to make the poses work for you and to open up the body … and to create the conditions of pain-free function and living in a joyful body as well as your peaceful mind!

Please let me know. I am sure I can help you!

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Sharon

There is actually a LOT more to engaging core muscles than tightening stomach muscles. In fact, and this is very surprising to most people, doing the wrong kind of exercise and only tightening certain stomach muscles (the ones people focus on when sucking in the tummy) can actually WEAKEN the core muscles and be a danger to one’s back.

If you receive my email newsletters there is a series of messages about just this. Also there is quite a bit about it on this forum.

If one knows how to engage the core then often the act of sucking in the stomach can involve the core. However in a huge number of cases this is not happening. This is why many students who have beautiful abs, six packs and the like, can still have the worst back aches and end up in bed in debilitating pain. They look great, know how to suck in the stomach, but they are missing the vital core activation necessary to holistic health. What’s worse, the trouble happens with the most innocuous of movements.

How do you think you go with core strength and your tummy muscles? The key is finding out if you have the ability to ‘turn on’ those core muscles at will, and when you’re doing ‘work’.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Sharon

Thanks for the info. It is helpful.

Now … have I got the exercise for you? Yeah

Go and Look At This Video about strengthening your core!

This one will make a big difference for you, and quickly! (and easily!)

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Thank you so much Sharon! :cheese: Did you find the size 3 ball? They should be very easy to come by.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂