A Journey along the Curvatures of the Spine:

Sun Saluations for the Scoli-Yogi!

2009-07-06T01:44:00.000-07:00

These are a variation of the Satyananda sun salutations that I devised. Because scoliosis (and upper back scoliosis in particular) can have a knock on effect on shoulder rotation and back mobility the chaturanga/upward dog or astangasana/cobra versions of sun salutations were always virtually impossible for me to practice properly so I originally devised these for my home practice. After some time teaching yoga therapy I found a lot of people came to me with shoulder issues due to too many chaturangas, so now I teach these as a matter of course.

Enjoy!

Putting it all together 2

2009-06-29T04:03:00.000-07:00

It has been a dreadfully long time since I updated this. I have been working on all sorts of things - including the incorporation of Pilates into both my practice and teaching and considering training as a Pilates teacher as well as a yoga teacher. But for now I thought it was time I put some of the postures I have been writing about together in another sequence.

Once again we'll begin lying down; knees bent, feet on the floor with the heels in line with the sit bones. Place one hand on the chest and one hand on the lower belly and observe the breath and the movement of the breath under the hands for a few moments until the breath has become steady soft and even. You can then hug the knees to the chest and rock on the back in any way that feels good for you. Finish up the centreing part of the practice with any sort of supine twist that is approriate for you. Then come onto the right hand side and come to sitting back on the heels towards the back of the mat.

Time for the surya namaska variation from my post dated 20 January 2009. Take 3-5 rounds, moving slowly with the rhythm of the breath. Finish sitting back on the heels and take a couple of conscious breaths before coming to standing.

Virabhdrasana 1 - use the practice from my post dated 13 January 2009 and repeat 3-5 times on each side.

Parsvokonasana modification - from my post dated 1 April 2009. Repeat 5 times to each side slowly with the rhythm of the breath and then hold for five breaths. Remember that this is the peak of the practice -- the central pose we have been working towards so take it slowly with inner awareness.

Padottanasana variation - from my post dated 6 May 2009.

Step back to standing towards the back of the mat in tadasana, taking a few conscious breaths before coming down to kneeling.

One more round of modified surya namaska - holding the downward dog for five breaths.

Come into savasana for a few moments

Finish the practice with some gentle pranayama. I advise 6 rounds of alternate nostril breathing with a 1:1 ratio.

I will write more on pranayama very very soon :-)

Padottanasana

2009-05-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Like standing forward bends, here is a pose that people with scoliosis can find difficult. In fact, this is a pose that anyone with tight hamstrings find difficult.

Like all yoga asana the trick is in getting the posture correct from the feet up right from the start.

Beginning with the feet wide, the pelvis square and the hands on the hips, draw the attention to the soles of the feet. Be aware of the four corners of the foot (big toe joint, little toe joint, outside heel, inside heel) and draw down with those four corners whilst lifting the arches of the feet. With the legs wide it is very easy to roll into the arches so make sure you are lifting them from the get go!

Lift the toes and place them back down gently on to the mat. This ensure the toes are soft and not gripping onto the floor.

Now to me Paddotanasana is a posture to stretch out the back of the body after poses such as Trikonasana and Parsvakonasana. It is a hamstring stretch as well but for people with scoliosis and/or tight hamstrings, there is no need to push the posture.

So from your grounded standing position with the hands on the hips, exhale and begin to hinge forwards from the hips until the body is parallel with the floor - ie, coming to a flat back position rather than drawing the crown of the head towards the floor. Make sure the feet stay grounded and the weight is evenly distributed through the heels and balls of the feet. Feel as though you are tucking your tail bone under and drawing the crown of the head towards the wall in front of you. Your gaze should be towards the floor, chin slightly tucked in and back of the neck long.

Inhale back up to standing.

Repeat five times.

On the final one you can hold the posture, draw the navel in towards the spine and hold for five breaths, coming up on an inhale.

Step the feet together and bring the hands into prayer position in front of the chest.

Namaste Yogis :-)

Modified Parsvakonasana

2009-04-01T03:11:00.000-07:00

Side angle poses such as Parsvakonasana and Trikonasana can be difficult when a yogi has back or joint problems - there is a lot of strain on the sacro-iliac joint and pelvis when coming into the full posture (ie bringing the hand to the floor or foot). Also with a scoliosis there is a danger of curving into the posture on the side of the convex curve, rather than stretching the spine out into a side bend.

However, side stretches are as important for stretching, strengthening and aligning the spine as more vertical postures so I am loathe to leave them out of a practice altogether - a modification is therefore called for!

Standing with the legs wide, the feet parrallel and the hands on the hips take a few moments to check in on your breath and your alignment. Then turn the right foot out and the left foot in slightly, lining up the heel of the right foot with the instep of the left. Square the shoulders back to the front.

On an inhale, bring the arms out to shoulder height, palms facing down.

Exhale - bend the right knee over the ankle and bring the right forearm on to the right thigh. Stretch the left arm, hand and fingers up to the ceiling, feeling the energy in the fingertips and drawing down through both feet equally.

As you inhale return to the starting position. Repeat 5 times holding the last one for 5 breaths.

If you want to you can then come to trikonasana from here by straightening the right leg as you inhale and bring the right hand on to the right shin (no lower). Turn the head to look up at the left hand if that feels OK on the neck and hold for 5 breaths.

To come out bend the right knee again and come into a Warrior 2. Take a breath here and on an inhale straighten the leg, release the hands to the hips and bring the feet to parrallel again.

Repeat to the other side, noticing any differences between one side and the other - especially if you have a scoliosis.

Finish with a gentle forward bend to release the lower back.

Namaste Yogis :)

Living for Today

2009-02-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

"Stop my feet in their daily tracks so that I might not miss today in some vague hope of tomorrow"

I read this line in a book of daily Celtic prayers that I have.

This line, to me, sums up everything that yoga is about.

It is part of the human condition somehow to always be leaping ahead or behind. Living in the future or the past. Filling our lives with "if onlys". "If only I hadn't done this.... then I would be happy". "If only I had this.... then I would be happy."

There is nothing wrong with planning your tomorrows; with having a goal to work towards. There is nothing wrong with learning from the mistakes of the past. But all we really have is this moment, right now. How we feel, how we breathe, how we are right now is what we should be concentrating on. Contentment in every breath.

Yoga is about being in the moment, embracing this moment - regardless of the pain you may be in, or the treatment you may be waiting for. Yoga is right here, right now. And so should you be.

It's not easy, our minds wander onto happier thoughts, places we would rather be, thing we would rather be doing.

Take some time each day to check your thoughts, and when they wander into some vague plan of the future bring your attention back to the rhythm of your breath, that physical manifestation of your here and now, and enjoy that breath, that moment for what it is. Right now.

Namaste!

Putting it all together

2009-01-29T04:44:00.000-08:00

I have looked at various modifications of classical yoga postures for scoliosis and fibromyalgia over the last few months and now I think it's time to put it all together into a sequence.

The following sequence is suitable for whatever time of day you like to practice. It is a slow, gentle sequence focussing on drawing in and retaining energy and working on lift and alignment. It should take about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Begin lying down - knees bent, feet flat on the floor hip width apart. Bring the arms onto the floor beside you, away from the body with the palms up then bend the elbows and allow the palms to rest on the lower ribs being aware of their movement as you breath. Take some time to let go and connect with your breath. Be aware of your alignment and allow the shoulderblades and lower back to sink into the floor.

When you are ready as you inhale bring the arms out to the sides again, straightening the elbows, opening out the chest. As you exhale bend the elbows again and draw the palms back to the low ribs. Continue for as many breaths as feels good for you, visualising yourself drawing energy in on the inhale and sealing that energy in on the exhale.

Stretch the arms out to shoulder height along the floor with the palms facing up for supine twists - 3 dynamically to each side and then holding for 3 breaths to each side. I would recommend to people with scoliosis not to turn the head and just concentrate on the spinal twist and the breath.

Come up to sitting back on the heels and take 3-5 rounds of modified surya namaskar as described in my post of 20th Jan 09.

Come to standing and take the Virabhadrasana 1 sequence as described in my post of 13 Jan 09.

Take 3-5 repetitions of modified Uttanasana (see post of 10 Sept 08) to release the lower back and then return to sitting on the heels.

Take one repetition of modified Surya Namaska - this time holding the down dog for 5-10 breaths, thinking about maintaining length and releasing the back and shoulders.

Finish sitting, either cross legged or kneeling, whichever is more comfortable for you. Place the palms on the lower ribs once again. As you inhale stretch the arms out to the sides visualising yourself drawing in energy, as you exhale return the palms to the low ribs once again and visualise yourself sealing that energy in. Repeat for 5-10 breaths.

Finish by sitting in stillness for a while, listening to the rhythms of the breath and body.

When you are ready bring the hands into namaste infront of the heart centre and bow the head - aknowledging without judgement how you feel right now.

When you are ready, open the eyes and enjoy the rest of your day!

Modified Surya Namaska

2009-01-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

It occurs to me that there is one overriding factor that links both scoliosis and fibromyalgia - chronic tiredness. With fibro it's a given but one forgets with scoliosis how exhausting it can be to just stand or sit upright all day long when the spine has other ideas - muscles go into spasm, vertebrae can become inflamed. The fibre optic cable of the spine doesn't quite transmit its data correctly and the next thing you know you're zonked.

Sometimes then (and nearly all the time for me) full sun salutations are just not a possibility. If you suffer from chronic fatigue a series of Surya Namaska can drain you of the energy it is meant to be creating! So the question is, can we create a flowing sequence that feels like Surya Namaska, energises and opens the heart like Surya Namaska but at the same time conserves the energy? Of course! With yoga anything is possible and I have found that the trick is to do a floor based sequence rather than one that requires constant movement from standing to floor.

Begin sitting back on the heels with the hands on the thighs and check your alignment and breath.

As you inhale come to standing up on the knees raising the arms alongside the ears, stretching the fingertips to the ceiling and opening out the heart.

Exhale down into a long child - buttocks to heels, forehead to the floor, arms stretched out ahead of you (try to keep the arms alongside the ears as you lower down).

Inhale to all fours and cow stretch - lengthening the pelvis, opening the chest and lifting the head.

Exhale, tuck the toes under, push down through the hands and come up into Downward Facing Dog.

Inhale all fours, cow stretch.

Exhale long child.

Inhale standing up on the knees stretching the fingertips to the ceiling (trying to keep the arms alongside the ears as you raise up).

Exhale back to sitting on the heels checking in on the alignment and the breath.

Can be repeated as many times as you feel you need. You could try holding the down dog for a few more breaths each time, building up to holding dog for 8-10 breaths.

Work to the rhythm of your breath and to your own individual needs each day.

And enjoy the flow of breath, movement and energy!

Virabhadrasana 1

2009-01-13T04:01:00.000-08:00

I've been letting this slide recently, but one of my goals of 2009 is to update more regularly. I've got so much info on yoga and scoliosis as well as doing some research into yoga and fibromyalgia (which I was diagnosed with in summer 2008), that I have to share it somewhere and this blog should help me get it into a more coherant order.

So today I'd like to look at Virabhadrasana 1.

This can be quite a hard pose - it puts pressure on the lower back and pelvis both of which are problem areas for people with scoliosis.

The trick here is to use the posture dynamically rather than trying to hold it and create tension in problem areas.

Standing with the big toe joints together turn the left foot out slightly and take a big step forward with the right foot, bringing the hands to the hips to ensure that both hips are pointing to the front of the mat. Then release the arms down by the sides. Stepping forward in this way ensures that your feet are at the appropriate distance for you (as opposed to some assumed distance to create that never to be found "perfection"!)

As you inhale bend the right knee so it is over the right ankle and simultaneously raise the arms alongside the ears, hands should be at least shoulder width apart -- if you feel that the shoulders are raising up the ears or rounding , separate the hands a bit more and slightly bend the elbows or even just raise the arms so they are parrallel with the floor.

Push down with the back heel to really straighten that left leg and lift up out of the hips to release the lower back. As you exhale straighten the leg and release the arms down by the sides.

Repeat 3-5 times before holding the position. When holding, keep remembering that back heel! You might also find it beneficial to hold with the arms out to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing forward, to really open out the chest and release shoulder tension.

Hold for 5 breaths - thinking about:-

Drawing down with the soles of the feet (esp the back heel)
Lifting up through the sides of the waist.
Keeping both hips straight.
Lifting up through the ribs to elongate the spine
Lifting the neck out of the shoulders.
Keep looking forward so as not to bring unnecessary pressure on to the neck and lower back.
Keep releasing the shoulders away from the ears - this may mean having the hands wider than shoulder width apart.

To come out, inhale straightening the leg, exhale releasing the arms and then step back to the back of the mat with the toe joints together again to repeat to the other side.

Maybe not the classical posture, but a lot less strain on the back here!

Mindful Yoga

2008-10-31T03:54:00.000-07:00

I've been giving some thought to a comment made a couple of weeks ago regarding how one makes yoga a part of one's life when one has a physical condition that doesn't seem to be fit for it.

I have been in Turkey teaching on a retreat for people with ME and the answer came to me as I guided people who are seriously ill through their yoga sequence. Yoga is about being not doing. It isn't about what we do, it isn't about how amazing each posture looks on the mat, it isn't about how deeply we move in that posture or comparing ourselves with what is happening on our neighbour's mat. It is about making each movement, however small, with complete mindfulness. Thinking about each movement, synchronising it with the breath, thinking no further ahead than the next breath. How does the breath feel? How do I feel? Stop chasing that elusive "perfect" posture and enjoy where you are right now.

The more we become obsessed with doing the further we alienate ourselves from being - and in being lies our true happiness. Liberation is not about getting one's leg behind one's head. Liberation is being fully aware of each day and alive to each dawn.

This is the body I have been born with. I celebrate that every day both on and off my yoga mat.

Asana of the Week - Uttanasana

2008-10-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Forward bends, both seated and standing, can be problematic when you have back conditions, especially scoliosis. Rather than bringing length into the back they can cause compression on the side to which the scoliosis curves and tight hamstrings can just exacerbate the problem. It is usually recommended that standing forward bends be done against the wall for most people with scoliosis, but there is a way of getting a great lower back stretch from a standing forward bend without having to go to the wall.

Stand with the big toe joints together (or a fist width apart if that feels unbalanced) and feel the weight evenly through the soles of both feet.

Inhale, lifting the arms forward and up alongside the ears, lifting the waist out of the hips and the neck out of the shoulders - feel the length is even in both sides of the body/ribcage.

As you exhale, bend the knees a lot (we're concentrating on backs here, not hamstrings - we'll talk about them next week!), stretching forward with the arms, keeping the length in the body as you release abdomen on to the thighs then release the head and neck. Feel the stretch in the lower back. You may feel that the two sides of the back are uneven so stay in position for a breath or too to even out the length.

To come up, inhale and stretch the arms forward again to maintain the length in the sides of the body. Only start to straighten the knees half way through the inhale -- stretching the fingertips up to the ceiling again.

Exhale the arms down by the sides concentrating on maintaining that length.

Repeat 3-5 times to get a really good stretch in the lower back.

And enjoy each breath.

Namaste

A little bit of publishing success

2008-07-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

I have had a short article on Yoga and Scoliosis published in Yoga and Health magazine. Step one I think! I haven't actually seen the article yet but Liz is bringing me a copy on Monday.

On Yoga and M.E.

2008-06-18T03:47:00.000-07:00

I spent this last weekend on a course entitled "Teaching Yoga to People with ME and CFS". I haven't been on such an uplifting, insightful and balanced course in a long time. It helped me to understand who I am outside of having ME, Fibro, even outside of having scoliosis. To step away from the illness and become Rachel once again.

There were 8 of us on the course, 5 of us who had ME, all of us who had suffered from some form of chronic fatigue at some point in our lives. Particularly interested to finally discuss the difference between what ME is and what CFS is. The conclusion being that the black dog that has followed me around for the last 18 years is ME. This is a tiredness that is more than tiredness, that cannot be described, that is coupled with an inability to sleep and a brain working like you've done 5 lines of coke washed down with 10 double espresssos, never knowing if you're hot or cold and never knowing what's going to bring this all on again next time. CFS on the other hand is more of an umbrella term for the chronic tiredness (times 1000000) that comes about as a secondary condition to things like grief, MS, cancer, breakdown, fibromyalgia (yay double whammy for me!!) and depression. Although talking about these definitions made me wonder about the helpfulness of them. Of the 5 of us with ME on the course I was surprised by the wide variety of symptoms we all displayed. I have never really suffered from the "brainfog", the lack of concentration that makes it impossible for ME sufferers to read a book, or follow a simple TV series. I count myself as blessed for that because without books and cake I don't know how I'd have got this far! Nobody else had the pain to the extent I do, the pain so bad that some days you can't get down the stairs. A very fine line between the muscle ache of ME and the pain of Fibro. So no wonder this is so difficult to diagnose, no wonder it took drs so long to even acknowledge it's existence. Plus of course, from a yogic perspective by labelling our suffering we are giving it a past and a future. We are making it something real. The point of using yoga as a healing tool is to be in the present moment. This is where I am today. Accept that. How I was last week, how I will be next week is of now import right now. Accept this is how we feel. Who cares what it's called! For purposes of reference however the black dog will be known as ME for the rest of this post!

ME comes out of nowhere and hits you with a hammer (in my case it all started with a six week long sore throat) and can start with a virus, with a breakdown, with a sudden change in your life, with toxins and pesticides (as I've always suspected mine to have been), or with just not listening to your body when you need to rest.

We live in a material culture; one in which having the incredible job, the incredible house and the plethora of material possessions that go with it make us who we are. But to maintain these we need money, so we need to keep working harder and harder. It is frowned upon to have time off when we're sick so we plough on and on and on and never rest properly. When we do get a break, we cover the exhaustion with the TV, or a bottle of wine or too much shit food. Then we crash and burn. I should know, I've been there enough times.

Which is why I gave up work, which is why I eat only organic, which is why I try and nap in the afternoons. Because slowly slowly I want to be able to come to an acceptance of my illness. To come out of denial (which I suspect I've been in for nearly 20 years), to grieve the youth I perhaps didn't quite get to have and accept myself, as I am right here and right now, using yoga, breath and meditation. I'm beginning to learn the importance of pacing myself; a person with ME should do only 50% of what they think they are capable or they will have no energy reserves for the rest of the week. I'm paying the price for years and years of running on empty but feel I have a second chance to start to bring myself into a place of healing.

I affirm to look after myself and bring myself into a state of acceptance.

Whilst exhausting (the irony! A course on ME and none of us can get out of bed afterwards -- plus I had mums and babies this morning) it was very rewarding, I met some fantastic people and have some great opportunities from it both for my own practice and for furthering my career.

You see that competitive Type A personality never dies - it just gets ME!

Soft belly, soft face

2008-03-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

We're a nation of chest breathers. Like it or not, know what I'm talking about or not, it's probably true!

Take a look and see; sit comfortably and connect with the breath, try to make the inhale and the exhale as even and steady and smooth as possible, take as long as you need. Now, place one hand on the lower belly and one on the chest and begin to feel a connection between these two points of the body, connecting them with the rhythm of the breath. Finally, bring the awareness to the movement of the two hands. Is the lower hand moving more than the upper; or is the hand on the chest moving more than the hand on the belly? If the latter, you like so many, are a chest breather.

I used to commit this terrible crime to my breath, breathing in short shallow bursts no deeper than the tops of my lungs. It's common in sufferers of scoliosis -- our lowered thoracic capacity coupled with the tension in our shoulders and upper backs from the pain brings it on. But it's not just scoliosis that is responsible for breathing into the chest. We all carry so much tension in our upper bodies; necks and shoulders especially and we're all in such a rush to go anywhere that we breath short, sharp breaths -- just enough to give our bodies the oxygen they need to get through the day. But it's never quite enough and the lack of oxygen brings on tiredness, headaches, irritablity and exacerbates that stress in the shoulders and neck. Phew! And all we need to do is take a little time each day to be aware of our breath, be aware of what it is doing, and let that belly be soft!

Flat bellies eh? Overrated. Yes, yes I know, tight abs are meant to look good, and if you've not got them hold them in with miracle pants. But who says that this looks good? While I'm not advocating fat bellies I am advocating loosening the belt, throwing out the miracle pants, giving up on the ab crunches and forgetting the six pack. It's deep transversus abdominal stength that matters, not surface hardness -- surface hardness merely stops us breathing fully into the belly and deep transversus abdominal strength is helped by deep breathing.

To breath fully we need to engage the diaphragm. This membrane that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity moves up and down on the exhale and inhale. As you inhale fully the diaphragm pushes down on the abdominal organs and the soft belly expands, as you exhale the reverse happens and the belly contracts slightly again. When the belly is moving more than the chest, the diaphragm is working, the breath is more full and you'll be surprised how much calmer and more refreshed this can make you feel.

It takes time and a little effort to break down old breathing habits. It needs 10-15 minutes a day set aside to work with the breath. The most effective practice I have ever found is lying on the floor on your back, the knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hands resting lightly on the lower belly feeling the movements. Try to keep the inhale and exhale the same length and slowly slowly with practice start to relax that belly.

And the best way to relax the lower abdomen enough to allow the diaphragm to work to its full potential is to relax tension elsewhere in the body, especially the face. Let go of the tension in the teeth, jaw, tongue, eyes and the point between the eyebrows. Soft face, soft belly.... and enjoy breathing again!

Mantra

2008-03-19T02:34:00.000-07:00

Last night I taught a class that culminated in the "So-Hum" mantra. I'm always a little nervous teaching mantra because I'm never sure how my students will react to it. I really should know better. I have never yet taught a class where nobody has joined in and last night my students chanted loud and clear!

Mantras are sounds that are meant to reflect the energy of the divine within us all. The word "mantra" itself is made up of two sanskrit words; "man" -- to reflect, "tra" -- agent of. An agent of reflection. A practice that helps us to bring our attention inwards, leading us towards self-study.

They can be complicated Sanskrit poems or simple monosyllabic sounds. The "So-Hum" mantra falls into this later category. It simply means "I am that" confirming and affirming our existence in the universe. It is non-religious, non-denominational and feels rather wonderful to chant. Beginning sitting in a comfortable cross legged position with the hands in chin mudra (forefinger and thumb together, backs of the hands resting on the thighs) we listened to our breath. Then, allowing the arms to rise up and lower down with the rhythm of our breath we chanted "So" and then "Hum" on alternate exhalation for about 10 rounds, eventually coming to sitting still again and hearing the mantra internally. The mind will come to stillness as there is nowhere else to go except deeply into the essence of the sound, other thoughts can dissolve into the vibration of the chant.

But what has this to do with scoliosis you ask?! Well simply put mantra helps us to extend the breath. Initially we extend the exhale as we make the sounds longer and longer, which in turn automatically helps us to extend the inhale. By the time we come back to sitting in stillness, the chant an internal vibration, our breath is long, steady and even; so important for those of us with limited thoracic capacity.

Breathe with me...

2008-03-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

Ancient Hindu proverb say that we only have so many breaths in our body, all living creatures only have so many breaths in their body. When the breaths are up so is our number. Little creatures, small dogs, rabbits, guineua pigs, who breath 15 to the dozen live much shorter lives than their more deep breathing counterparts; horses, large dogs, humans.

If true, this makes the deep even full yogic breath even more important for a long and healthy life. When it comes to those of us with scoliosis it is certainly food for thought. Scoliosis, as we have seen, tends to go hand in hand with a lower volume of thoracic capacity and the chronic pain that scoliosis sufferers live with means they have a tendency to breath in short gasps, hoping to relieve that pain.

Short, chest breaths and retention of an inhale when we feel pain is a natural reflex action. But what help is it really? Long exhalation and full relaxed breath, engaging the diaphragm so that the lower belly expands on an inhale and contracts on an exhale is far more useful and trains us to lengthen our breath, thus taking longer to use up our lifetime's worth of breaths.

What more reason to practice a daily pranayama routine? It doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple as sitting or lying with the hands on the lower belly feeling the movement of the diaphragm under the palms of the hands, pushing against the hands on an inhale, releasing away from the hands and ensuring that the inahle and exhale are of even length. This then allows the body to get used to this pattern of breathing; eventually using it automatically even during stressful or painful times.

It's been a while....

2008-03-05T05:45:00.000-08:00

... since I last posted. Blame work and all the yoga teaching for that. I kind of lost momentum somewhere along the way. However, as this blog's sister blog says, I'm on the verge of blessed change. The transitionary period between full on, full time, full stress legal work with long commute plus teaching to part time job and teaching expansion. We'll see...

So let's slip back into this gently with some thoughts on the breath.

"Breath is the key to ultimate emancipation" - so states the Hatha Yogapradipika. The Upanishads likewise relates "prana" in the form of breath with the universal "Oneness".

The idea of getting to the point where us everyday yogis feel ready to allow our pranayama practice to provide a bridge between the individual self and the universal soul may seem like something so far in the future, or even unachievable. So let's start smaller.

When practicing pranayama in your yoga class, even if it is just a gentle inhale and exhale to begin or end a hatha class, or the sound of ujjayi in an Astanga Vinyasa class, listen to your breath as part of the breath of the others in the room. Imagine yourselves all inhaling and exhaling together. As one. Your breath becoming a small part of a bigger whole.

And soon your breath will unite not just with your movements, not just with your mind, but with those around you - and not just those in your yoga class, bringing with it compassion and empathy.

Yoga practice and the yogi

2007-09-28T03:35:00.000-07:00

American Astanga Vinaysa teacher David Swenson once quoted a definition of yoga and the yogi:-

"A yogi is one who leaves a place a little nicer than when they arrived"

Just because we practice yoga does not make us yogis. A lot of people mistakenly imagine the world of yoga to be different from the rest of the world, whereas actually in a lot of cases yoga amplifies us more, defining not just our better qualities but also those not so nice ones as well. Those prone to ego can grow an even bigger one as it were.

Practicing yoga doesn't change a person overnight. All the difficulties of everyday life are still there as soon as you get off your mat and the only thing we can control is our reaction to these difficulties.

We are all human and we all make mistakes. However hard we try we will probably continue to make mistakes. And while it is easy to spot flaws in other people it is maybe not so easy to spot them in ourselves.

There is much competitiveness in the yoga world today and a lot of this comes out in our projections onto ourselves and other people. For example, and strong flexible teacher battling with their equally strong ego may berate and chastise a scoliosis sufferer because they cannot perform the asanas to the incredibly high standard they expect from themselves, they do not understand the condition and their lack of understanding and empathy comes out in aggression and ego. However there are two sides to the same coin. Yoga practice can also amplify that lack of self-esteem and self-acceptance that the scoliosis sufferer may have; the negative thoughts towards their body for not physical postures in the way they thing they should, the lack of acceptance towards their own body just the way it is. The strong flexible teacher reacts negatively to the condition of scoliosis and the scoliosis sufferer reacts negatively towards their practice. While both may be practicing yoga, neither is a yogi. Neither leaves the practice room nicer than when they arrived.

We have to cultivate patience, we cannot control the actions of others, and it is not these actions or statements per se that we must concern ourselves with but rather the way in which we react to them. We can choose to listen, to participate, in competitiveness, ego and negative feelings or we can tread our own path and try to create examples of openmindedness and compassion, transcending not only the competitiveness around us but also our physical bodies themselves, wonky spines and all. It is our choices in life that define us, and thus we should all strive to become yogis rather than yoga practitioners.

Yoga, as a wise and wonderful woman once told me, is not about standing on your head. It is about standing on your own two feet.

Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and yoga practice

2007-09-17T05:29:00.000-07:00

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are the "Holy Trinity" of Hindu mythology.

Brahma is the Creator, who brought the whole universe into being; the impetus for all life.

Vishnu is the Sustainer, the provider of all we need to grow and evolve in the physical universe. Without him life could not exist.

Shiva is the transformer or destroyer, responsible for the changes of everything, breaking down the old to allow it to be reborn. The concept of Shiva is sometimes feared because he is associated with death, but without the transformation, new life could not occur.

These three aspects of life can be brought into yoga practice - and thus into our life off the mat - by remembering that every one of us, and everything around us, is born, will live and will die. When I first come into a yoga pose, I am creating it, finding my alignment and my breath, by breathing into the pose rather than resisting it I can open myself to the pose and the aspect of Brahma.Then I must sustain the pose, quieting the mind and surrendering into it. By experiencing Vishnu sustaining the posture, I can move more deeply into it. Finally, I release the pose. Rather than just stop doing it, I must come out of it mindfully using the breath. By remembering Shiva when exiting the pose I can transform the pose ready for the next one.

These concepts can change the perspective of yoga practice for the scoliosis sufferer. Some postures are difficult, alignment proves hard, modifications, adjustments and props are essential, but by using the archetypes of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva on the mat, I become away of the essence of the posture rather than the posture itself. As mentioned in an earlier entry the move is away from any sort of hierarchy of pose, how "well" the pose can be performed, towards examining the more subtle aspects of the pose and how I feel in the pose, thus deepening its effects without forcing myself into something that could have contraindications for me. I can work on a more subtle energetic level.

Particularly important is the aspect of Shiva. How we come out of a pose is as important as how we go into it and maintain it. Desikachar uses the story of the monkey who climbed the tree but couldn't get down again. Don't go up if you don't know how to get down. Attaining full posture is never as important as maintaining and coming out of the posture with the same strenth, stability and gentleness.

Away from the mat, these three aspects can then be applied to life, by everyone, not just the yogi. By balancing the three aspects within ourselves we can live a more balanced life. It's not easy because each aspect brings with it fear. We must learn not to fear the new territories and experiences that Brahma's creation brings, we must learn to trust in the abundace of Vishnu's sustenance, letting go of worries about safety, security, finances and love and trusting that there is enough of everything to go around, and we must move away from our fear of death, not just of ourselves or our loved ones, but of the various stages in our lives.

The things yoga can do for scoliosis...

2007-09-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

To bring the practice of yoga into the everyday life of a person with scoliosis (or indeed without scoliosis!) it is important to begin by re-aligning the body and breath. This is something that can come off the yoga mat and into day to day life. Whilst washing the dishes, for example, think about standing in Tadasana with the navel drawn in towards the spine and the shoulders, head and pelvis aligned. Whilst out walking, draw awareness to the breath. Ask yourself if you are breathing into the chest or the abdomen, if the breath is even or or uneven, smooth or ragged and begin to allow yourself to breath with more ease. With practice and positivity lifelong habits can be overcome.

Choosing the path of yoga to remediate scoliosis is a lifelong commitment. With guidance from a good teacher and by developing awareness of our own bodies; our movement, our muscles, our structure and our breath, we can use our pain and discomfort to guide us into an awareness adn understanding of the curvature of our spines.

The practice of yoga is a continuous journey where, whatever our experience, we constantly re-treading the same ground as we realise our own bodies, our capabilities, our limitations. Through my practice and my teaching I have come to realise that every person has a body as individual as their fingerprint - postures that work in an asana practice for one person may be painful and unbeneficial for another. A yoga practice helps each of us to learn and read our own breath and bodies from day to day, being to learn what we need and, as Desikachar says, "to attain what was previously unattainable" (The Heart of Yoga p. 5).

Whilst for some this may be attaining full Astanga Vinyasa Primary Series, for others it may be attaining the ability to sit in stillness with a straight spine for 10 minutes, overcoming discomfort. Neither of these attainments are more or less beneficial than the other in themselves, and yoga practitioners should not feel any pressure to attain what another person has attained – we should instead let go of our ego and be comfortable with our own achievements and our own bodies.

In many ways I look upon my scoliosis as a blessing. Rather than it being an obstacle to my yoga practice I have come to understand the curvature of my spine as a lesson in self-observation and self-acceptance. This is the body I have been given and I will work with it to attain what, to me, was previously unattainable. My scoliosis helps me, as I develop my yoga teaching, to understand to a greater degree the limitations and abilities of my students.

Yoga practice is not a “cure-all” for back problems of any kind, or scoliosis specifically, and should always be undertaken with a qualified (and sympathetic) teacher who understands the back problem and in conjunction with advice from a physical therapist. It is also important to find a style of yoga that is right for you. For me this has been predominantly the Viniyoga developed by TKV Desikachar in the 1960s, which is a gentle posture and breath practice, taught in small groups and catered to the individual. This said, yoga practice by its very nature will strengthen and stretch the back muscles and focus the mind on lengthening the spine.

For me, however the most important part of the yoga practice is its ability o lead the practitioner towards acceptance of themselves and their bodies, to be happy with the skin they are in and to love themselves just the way they are.

The things that yoga can do....

2007-09-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

Yoga incorporates the whole person, not just the physical body - it promotes the balance between body, mind, emotions and spirit. The emphasis is on awareness and encouragement to learn about all aspects of your personality through yoga. By awakening individuals' awareness and inherent self-healing power, physical dis-ease and mental stress can be managed and relieved. By steadying the emotions and calming the mind, a sense of perspective can be gained, bringing a feeling of peace and freedom and inner strength.

Practicing yoga detoxifies and rejuvenates all systems of the body, to purify thoughts and emotions and promote deep stress release. Almost all yoga postures are woven around the spine to ensure its flexibility and strength. If the spine is healthy, the central nervous system is strong and steady, and energy can flow freely in the body preventing dis-ease and promoting wellbeing. Asana practice is a means to deepen our self-awareness in order to bring about self-transformation.

This last paragraph ties in with the concepts of nadis and shusumna in relation to scoliosis which I will explore soon.

Pranayama - the breath's journey

2007-09-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

Breath practice (or pranayama) is of great benefit to the scoliosis sufferer. Not only does a limited thoracic capacity lead to short, uneven breath, usually up in the chest rather than down in the belly where the diaphragm is engaged, but the constant pain of socliosis can lead to breath retention. Holding the breath during the asana practice is counterproductive as it can block the movement of pranic energy and lead to exhaustion. Scoliosis sufferers commonly simultaneously suffer from conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. From a physical perspective this is not surprising as their chest capacity and length of breath can be limited. However, from a more metaphysical point of view we can liken the spine to a fibre optic cable, such as that used for an internet network; to work correctly the fibre optic needs a clear line of sight, the energy it carries cannot go round corners. In the same way the path of energy that travels up the scoliatic spine finds limitations in its movement. By working on a feeling of lengthening and elongating we can help the energy within us to flow more freely.

Donna Farhi suggests in The Breathing Book that holding the breath in an attempt to relieve pain will not get the sufferer anywhere. Instead she recommends using the breath itself as pain relief.

The breath provides a natural massage to the entire body. This massage, in and of itself, is a pain reliever, signalling to the nervous system that all is well. When we hold our breath in response to pain or in the hope that htis will eliminate the pain it will actually increase the pain. What causes pain is often not the original sensation but our reaction to it and our imagining of what might happen if the pain continues or gets worse.
-- Donna Farhi - The Breathing Book (Henry Holt & Co Inc - 1996) (p.222)

Farhi goes on to suggest exhaling as soon as painful stiumli is anticipated, as our natural impulse is to inhale and hold the breath. We must try to stop this habit, we must try to stop dwelling on the possible outcomes of pain if it increases, and instead direct our breath into the area that is causing us pain. Once again we are practicing breaking lifetime habits in order to attain ease.

More on Prana and Pranic Body and pranayama practices to follow!!

Core Strength and the Bhandas

2007-09-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

Abdominal strength is vital to an asana practice, but even more so to anyone with back problems as power in the deep abdominal core takes pressure off the lower back. This is not just important when practicing yoga, but also when carrying oout many day to day tasks, such as lifting and even walking! We can achieve this core strength by gently drawing the navel upwards and backwards towards the spine. You will probably notice the pelvic floor muscles contracting slightly as well. Both of these movements work the deep core muscles, which we can feel particularly well when we cough, sneeze or laugh. You will notice that this movement will give you extra strength and freedom in strong postures such as Adho Mukha Svanasana, balances and Viabhadrasana (Warrior) postures.

More on Core and Bhandas to follow!!!

Step by step...

2007-08-31T02:24:00.000-07:00

A step by step approach to asana, breaks down both the hierarchy and the posture itself and is beneficial to all yogis, regardless of limitations or capabilites. It is important never to forget the roots from which the posture grows. Remember, each step of the posture is as important as the posture itself.

A good example of this breaking down technique can be seen in Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog, a posture which crops up in most styles of yoga and is vital for the Surya Namaska sequence.

Some students, including those with scoliosis, may find that they do not have the strength or stamina to hold this pose for very long and in some practices they may be required to hold it for as long as 10 breaths. If practiced incorrectly, without alignment and breath focus, trying to hold Ahdo Mukha Svanasana for this long can lead to areas of tension developing in the shoulders, back, arms and legs. This is not beneficial!!

Instead we can break the posture down, getting to know the feel of Adho Mukha Svanasana before coming into the full posture. Firstly we can practice lying down with our legs up the wall, making sure the buttocks are as close to the corner of the wall and floor as possible. Flex the feet as though standing on the floor and raise the arms over the heads so they are lying on the floor shoulder width apart, keeping the shoulders relaxed away from the ears. This is Adho Mukha Svanasana. Then we can practice the posture standing. Begin by standing in Tadasana as detailed in a previous post. On an inhale raise the arms alongside the ears, making sure you do not hunch the shoulders up. As you exhale bend forward to a ninety degree angle, trying to keep the back straight. This is Adho Mukha Svanasana. When we are happy with the sensation of the posture we are ready to practice the full asana.

There are of course many yoga asana that are beneficial to students with scoliosis. I find that many asymmetrical standing postures such as Trikonasana and modified Parsvakonasana help the student to become aware of teh asymmetry in their spine and body as they notice the difference between one side and the other. Balances such as Vrksasana assist with distributing the weight evenly between the two feet and elongating the spine to maintain balance throughout the postures and standing and seated forward bends help by allowing the spine and the muscles around it to relax. I find holding forward bends for 10-15 breaths very beneficial; exhaling to feel the spine extending and visualising the crown of the head drawing away from the bottom of the back. Backbends, twists and shoulder openers are also helpful.

Various asana sequences helpful for scoliosis will appear in this blog in due course.

Asana and Hierarchy

2007-08-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

By practicing yoga, we are not working towards some mythical day when suddenly the scoliosis is gone and the spine is perfectly straight, but instead towards a feeling of ease with our bodies. A revolution within the body occurs as we focus on remediation rather than cure. We must begin to release the muscles that have become so tight and painful over years of making so much effort to stand up straight, and use the extension of the exhalation to open the body and bring new life to the spine.

When it comes to asana practice there may well be need for modification in some of the postures for a student with scoliosis to get the most out of yoga. However, it is important to remember that a modified posture is no less beneficial than practicing the full posture. Too much emphasis is often placed on achieving the "perfect" asana at all costs, with no thought to the fact that all our bodies are different and what may be good for one person may be nigh on impossible for another. The asana practice itself is merely one of the eight limbs of Patanjali's yoga and a stepping stone to achieving Samadhi, it is not so much the posture itself as the mindset behind the posture, getting into the posture and leaving the posture (all of which aspects including Samadhi will be examined later in this blog). It is therefore important to remember not to regard yoga asana with any sense of hierarchy. Just as a very flexible, strong student should not look down upon those unable to do full posture, a student with postural or skeletal difficulties should not feel inferior in any way in the presence of those to whom asana practice comes easily.

It does not matter what kind of shape your body is in when you start your practice. Just having a body - being alive - is sufficient qualification for doing yoga.
-- Total Yoga - Tara Fraser (Duncan Baird Publishing 2001 - p.28)

Asana practice is one step of yoga; it is just as important to cultivate stillness, compassion and deep yogic breathing (which I will discuss further at a later stage). It is also important to release the temptation of rushing ahead into a posture we are not ready for, but instead to listen to our bodies and work within our own personal limitations and capabilities.

...if we are to be complete human beings we must incorporate allaspects of ourselves, and do so step by step
-- The Heart of Yoga - TKV Desikachar (Inner Traditions International 1999 - p.7)

Scaravelli, Tadasana and the breath

2007-08-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

One of the most influential books I have read about yoga and the spine is Veda Scravelli's Awakening the Spine. Her most powerful metaphor is likening the human back to the trunk of a tree. A tree grows in two opposite directions - the roots are pulled deeply down to the centre of the earth whilst the trunk grows up towards the sky, elongating and spreading into branches. The deeper the roots grow, the stronger and taller the tree.

Likewise the spine moves from the waist up into the air and down into the earth.

If the spine is not straight, however, there is a feeling of not being grounded. Scoliosis sufferers often complain of a feeling of not being balanced. Whilst the spine is growing in two opposite directions from the waist it is not in a direct way. Scoliosis sufferers commonly simultaneously suffer from conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. From a physical perspective this is not suprising as their chest capacity is limited. However from a more metaphysical point of view we can liken the spine to a fibre optic cable, such as that used for an internet network; to work correctly the fibre optic needs a clear line of sight, the energy it carries cannot move around corners. In the same way the path of energy that travels up the scoliatic spine finds limitations in its movement. By working on a feeling of lengthening and elongating we can help the energy within us to flow more freely.

As we grow older our skeleton becomes more rigid and heavy, and so if a skeletal problem is not diagnosed until adulthood (as with my scoliosis), there is very little chance of being able to fix the problem with bracing and surgery. Instead we have to re-educate the spine and release tense muscles. Chiropractors and massage therapists can help with this re-education, but so can the concept of breath and movement that is yoga. it is extremely important therfore for scoliosis sufferers to practice a feeling of lengthening and elongating their spines.

A simple asana for practicing symmetrical alignment is Tadasana or mountain pose. Stand with the feet hip distance apart, rotating the thighs slightly away from each other, lifting the arches of the feet whilst making sure the big toe joint remains firmly on the floor. A good way of grounding the feet in Tadasana is to think about three points on each foot, the big toe joint, the little toe and the heel, drawing down into the floor. Then draw the navel gently in towards the spine, make sure the shoulders are back and down and the shoulderblades are flat. It is important to take some time to come into the posture correctly.

Now notice if you are leaning to one side, if there is more weight on one foot than the other. If there is try to evenly distribute the weight between the two feet. Using a mirror or a partner notice and observe whether the shoulders and hips are at even height. Spend some time now trying to re-align your "plumbline", evening up the shoulders and aligning the head over the pelvis. At first this re-alignment may feel crooked! This is because you are starting to break na habitual stance.

As you learn to realign the "plumbline" of your body you are realigning bones, muscle and tissue. This will help you gradually learn to relax in a standing posture instead of gripping or overworking to remain upright. You may find that you are gripping on to the floor with your toes rathern than allowing your feet to be soft. Lift the toes, place them gently on to the floor without gripping and realign yourself again.

Bring your awareness to your breath with each exhalation feel that the spine is stretching and elongating. Some yoga students with scoliosis find that visualising the breath travelling up and down the spine helps.

...yoga encourages us to focus our minds and be aware of the internal flow of energy."

-- Total Yoga - Tara Fraser - Duncan Baird Publishing 2001 (p.13)

There is no better way to practice this awareness than watching the path of the breath within our bodies.

The Practice Begins

2007-08-23T07:15:00.001-07:00

As I began in earnest to practice yoga asana again I noticed a lot of tightness in my upper back, neck and shoulder girlde that had not been there as a teenager. It was amazing to me how quickly and easily we can allow our bodies to fall into disrepair and neglect. Just a few short years seemed to have set me back a lifetime. I hadn't put on weight, I still swam and walked everywhere but a lack of full body movement exercise combined with sitting at a desk all day had exacerbated the tightness and immobility that the curvature of my spine caused.

I decided to consult a chiropractor, recommended to me by a yoga teacher, and my scoliosis was officially diagnosed for the first time. The subsequent Xray and chiropractic report can be seen in the first post of this blog. On seeing the evidence and, to my mind, severity of the Xray and hearing the report I was initally in shock. But luckily my years of yoga practice had done more than help my scoliosis physically. The philosophical and inward reflecting nature of yoga had helped me to understand that we are all here for a reason, we are all different and we have to love the bodies that we are given.

I will go into the concepts of letting go of our material nature and emotion at a later date, but for now suffice to say that my yoga practice helped me to come to terms with my spine and I soon began an intensive course of physical therapy to compliment my asana practice and to help reverse the muscle develompent which had occurred as a result of my scoliosis causing pain numbness and tightness. As my neck and shoulders started to release, I began to release a lot of emotion. I had been holding that tension in my back neck and shoulders for years. Because that is the part of me that is "made wrong" it's where all the negative emotions had gone and I finally started to let stuff go. I rode the wave of these emotions for weeks and veered from crying to giggling uncontrolably often!

And so I began to explore and heal my body with yoga, a course of action which led to yoga teacher training and beginning to teach yoga to others.

I have come to love my Xray. It still takes my breath away but for quite different reasons. It is something I can't change. It makes me unique. It reminds me of the uniqueness and indivicuality of all the bodies in the universe. It reminds me that our physical bodies are temporary. This is the body I've been given and I must love it for it houses my Spirit. Crooked spine and all. It's also made me more aware in my yoga practice and what my body was created to do. I can translate my own weaknesses into those of my students too and really try and understand their bodies, their areas of tension and weakness. In many ways, my spine is a blessing.

Yoga practice teaches us and gives us the tools to let go.
Developing this ability to let go builds inner strength and helps relieve suffering.

-- Yoga Therapies - Jessie Chapman - Ulysses Press 2003 (p.11)

My scoliosis

2007-08-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

My own scoliosis was not diagnosed unil relatively recently. I was well into my journey along the yoga path by this time so I was able, upon diagnosis, not only to understand the difficulties and limitations I had been finding in my asana practice but also to understand what my yoga practice, relaxation and meditation exercises and philosophical mindset had done to prevent even more severe problems relating to the curvature of my spine. I can't begin to imagine the state I may have been in if, say, I had taken on the life of a couch potato in my teens and stuck to it!

When I was born the only noticable structral malformation of my scoliosis was my breastbone which showed a classic example of funnel chest. This is where the sternum dips in towards the chest cavity, forming a concave surface on the chest (example picture attached, I'm not quite ready to publish a picture of my own chest. Give it time!). My parents showed some concern about this but where told that it was merely a congenital defect of only cosmetic importance. This misdiagnosis has, in many ways, done me a favour in that at least I have never had to endure spinal fusion or bracing, as such things are thought futile on a mature skeleton.

As I grew older I began to realise that my lung capacity and stamina seemed much less than that of my peers. This was, for many years, incorrectly diagnosed as asthma and while an asthma inhaler does assist in times of shortness of breath, none of the other symptoms of my breathing are particularly in line with the symptoms of asthma. As I grew I also became aware of my posture being quite unusual' one shoulderblade protuded mroe than the other and my ribcage seemed very assymmetrical.

I was a relatively active child and teenager, traning hard in ballet and other forms of dance from the age of four and also practicing yoga to some degree with my parents and brother. Interestingly, my mother first sent me to ballet class because she was mildly concerned about my lack of co-ordination. In hindsight, knowing what I do now about my spinal curvature, it is really a wonder I wasn't falling over sideways (I have no compensatory curve - which I will explore in more detail at a later date), never mind slightly unco-ordinated!

Unusually for a teenage girl, I was never particularly concerned with the shape of my body. I was always prone to skinnyness, was short and easily blended into the background when I needed to, so my increasing round-shoulderedness never really bothered me, and at this point it didn't cause me any physical pain. After laving colleage at 18 and going to university, my practice of dance and yoga went out of the window and my posture became worse. It wasn't unitl I started to work in an office in my 20s, however, that I began to notice a severe pain and numbness on the right-hand side of my back and discomfort in my right ribcage. It was at this point in my life that I returned to yoga to find some relief from the discomfort I thought simply to be the result of a deskbound career.....

What is Scoliosis?

2007-08-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

Scoliosis is a “C” or “S” shaped curvature of the spine, its name derived from the Greek “skol” which means twists. Pictures of people with scoliosis appear in Prehistoric cave paintings and the first recorded treatment of the condition with braces was in the fourth century BC by the Greek doctor Hippocrates.

The condition can have a known cause and is common in connective tissue disorders such as Marfan Syndrome, homocystinuria and Ehlers-Danlos for example, it can be a feature of rickets, when the bones become soft due to decalcification, or the result of an accident; the spinal curve developing after the ribcage, pelvis or shoulder girdle has been knocked out of alignment.

Scoliosis with no known cause is referred to as “idiopathic”, although some researchers say that this term is becoming outdated as studies are beginning to show a clear link between congenital scoliosis and low bone densities. My own scoliosis is “idiopathic” and both my mother and maternal grandmother suffer from osteoporosis, but I think that to try to find a singular genetic cause for "idiopathic" scoliosis is simplifying the problem. Bone density, for example is influenced by a wide variety of overlapping factors such as hormone levels, nutrition, exercise and medication. The causes of "idiopathic" scoliosis are still far from clear and is is illogical to presume that they are the result of a single gene factor alone.

The lateral curvature of the spine rotates not only from side to side but back on itself as well, rotating the affected vertebrae towards the concave side, twisting the ribcage and making the sides of the back uneven. The results of this can be seen clearly in the yoga asana Setu Bandhasana; once the back has lifted from the floor to its full extent in that particular person a direct line of sight down the middle of the front torso will clearly show one side of the ribcage (usually the convex side of the spinal curvature) is substantially higher than the other.

Not only does the scoliosis sufferer have spinal deformity and rib displacement, but the shoulders and hips can become twisted and the body’s centre of gravity shifted. While one of the most obvious symptoms is a cosmetic one, severe pain and heart and lung compression, due to compression on the thoracic cavity, are common as well. As the body maintains the upright posture it is comfortable with over the years, muscles will begin to tighten and painful masses of muscle tissue will develop in the ribcage, shoulders and neck.

Spinal curvature can take place anywhere in the spinal column. For unknown reasons 90 per cent of thoracic and double curves curve to the right, 80 per cent of thoraco-lumbar curves also curve to the right whilst 70 per cent of lumbar curves curve to the left. Seven times as many women as men have scoliosis, a statistic that brings us back to the question of bone density.

Conventional treatment of scoliosis has varied over the years. Braces and spinal fusion (an operation in which metal rods are inserted next to the spinal column, similar to the idea of a runny bean growing straight if tied to a beanpole!) were common 20 years ago to prevent the curvature worsening. Browning Miller, in her article Yoga and Scoliosis describes herself as feeling “appalled” (Yoga Journal November 1999) by the idea of such treatment and instead consulted an orthopaedic surgeon who advised “a regimen of exercise and stretching” (ibid). As a young graduate she turned to hatha yoga and noticed that when stretching in yoga asanas “the numbness on the right side of my back went away, and the pain started to dissolve” (ibid).

While the medical profession still tend to accept the premise that exercise does not have a place in scoliosis treatment, it is slowly becoming a more widespread belief that posture training and exercise are important for scoliosis prevention (when a scoliosis curve may occur due to the result of a misalignment after an accident) and treatment, as it had been prior to the popularity of surgery and bracing in the 1940s.

As part of my purpose for writing this blog/journal/book, whatever you would like to call it, I hope to put forward enough evidence of both my own personal journey and that of other people to prove that exercise, especially a subtle exercise like yoga, has every effect on the curvature of the spine, both physically, spritualy and emotionally. That by changing our attitudes towards our spine we can change our lives.

Chiropractic Report and X-ray

2007-08-19T09:20:00.001-07:00

The scoliosis is congenital and appears to be a failure of formation, genetic aberration that prevents full ossification and results in a hemi vertebra type abnormality. This appears to occur in the lower one third of the left T2 vertebra and continues over the T3 and T4 and the upper one third of the T5 vertebra. The curve is convex to the left with the apex of the curve between T3 and T4 thus making a thoracic curve which is not compensatory. It is an adult presentation which is any curve presenting after skeletal maturity. There is a mild left cervico-thoracic rib hump. There is a +1 apical rotation of the pedicles, this is mild. Congenital scoliosis often presents with other boney abnormalities in your case the sternum which is described as pectus excavatum or more commonly known as funnel chest.