Yoga for a Healthy Back: Key Elements & Practice for Back Pain Relief

Did you know that yoga has proven to reduce back pain for many practitioners?

According to a 2017 study conducted by the Annals of Internal Medicine, about half the back pain sufferers in the study who practiced yoga achieved reduced pain and disability and about half reduced their use of pain medication.

I’m not the least bit surprised! As someone who met with back pain at an early age and found my healing path through yoga, I discovered firsthand the benefits of yoga and how to apply the poses for anatomical balance and pain relief. Now a long-time yoga instructor, back pain specialist, and author of Healing Our Backs with Yoga, I’ve observed the healing effects of alignment-based yoga, especially when it’s geared to students’ individual needs.

I so appreciate that Yoga U agreed this was an important course to offer. As a Certified Yoga Therapist by the International Association of Yoga Therapy (C-IAYT), I am eager to help students and teachers learn to recognize the causes of their back ailments, and empower them—through yoga, breath work, and mindfulness—to take charge of their own healing to reduce and prevent back pain.

As you follow the video modules, you’ll:

Learn about the forces that contribute to back pain
Understand why alignment is so important to building and maintaining a healthy back
Learn how to gradually and efficiently build core strength
Discover how to reduce back pain by using the extension of the limbs to create length and space in the spine
Explore pain as a subjective experience and how to use the breath to address it

3 – Part Course

In this 3-part online course, we’ll explore the causes and the “cures” for back pain using accessible yoga poses and breathing techniques. In the 1-hour lecture portion, I’ll explain—in a practical way— the principles of anatomy and physiology as they relate to the back, and how we can understand and improve our back health to prevent further injury.

The four 30-minute practice modules, follow the sequences of poses I teach in my successful yoga for back care classes. By progressing through the modules, students with differing back disturbances are guided toward balance to reduce and remain free from the discomfort of situational or chronic back pain.

Each module, designed specifically for this course, is unique and complete, and follows a particular aspect of yoga for back care. Once you have taken time to learn and practice each module in order and discover its benefits, you can repeat them in any order as often as necessary.

Module 1: Focuses on balancing our posture, how best to use our breath to reduce back pain, and the importance of alignment to create length and space in the spine.

Module 2: How to improve the range of motion of the hip joints in order to relieve stress and strain in the lower back as well as promote clear understanding of our needs.

Module 3: Features guidance about how to apply traction and use safe twisting poses without strain, to avoid or release the muscle spasms often involved in acute back pain.

Module 4: Offers poses to strengthen and stabilize the muscles along the spine with insight for their best application.

“Lillah is the most incredible yoga teacher I have had the pleasure to study with. Her course has helped me understand what it Feels like to do it right!” ~ Catherine, Artist

Preview the Powerpoint

Muscles of the Backside of a Human - Why movement and breath are important

Muscles of the Backside of a Human - Restore Your Fluid Spine

Front muscles of the face, neck, and shoulders

Yoga Warrior post to restore fluid spine

Conclusion on value of movement for fluid spine

My Goal for this Course

My goal for this course was to share all of the alignment and practice details that contribute to the relief of back pain with yoga. Drawing on over 30 years of addressing the needs and concerns of my students, I am sharing these insights with you so you might gain a clear sense of how to progress to a healthy, pain-free back with yoga. I’d like to add that this course is an excellent companion to my book, Healing Our Backs with Yoga.

Because this course is excellent for the novice yoga student and I know how useful this time tested information is… You are receiving a $30 savings over the regular $127 price for this course at Yoga U Online. To your healthy back – Enjoy!

This Premium Course Includes These Bonuses:

Yoga practice videos: Four yoga practices designed specifically for this course.
Recordings of All Webinar Sessions: It’s generally acknowledged that many people only retain 10-20 percent of what they learn in a workshop. You will get access to the recordings of all webinar sessions – both MP3 (downloadable) and MP4 (streaming online), enabling you to go back and listen to the workshop as many times as you like.
Transcripts of All Sessions: Ever wanted to refer to a certain part of a course? Even the best note takers miss a point every so often. With the transcripts of the webinar sessions, you can go back and refer to particularly important passages or clarify sections you were in doubt about.
This course qualifies for 3 CEU’s with Yoga Alliance

Still curious for more info?

To learn about the approaches I used to manage and resolve my back pain using yoga, please read the following blog: https://yogawithlillah.com/four-steps-to-address-back-pain/

Curious to know how I got started on my yoga healing journey? You can also watch my FREE YogaU preview video. This video covers my close encounter with BKS Iyengar, the controversy around alignment in yoga, and insights into working with back pain in practice.