Approximately 1 out of 4 adults experience low back pain. It is a growing problem. The cause of the pain can be physical, and aggravated by behavior. If you want to address more than the physical cause of the pain, yoga moves offers a holistic approach.

Types of Yoga Moves

In a typical class of say 60 minutes, you could practice 10 yoga postures. Typically a yoga class will have breathing exercises at the beginning or end of the class, and relaxation at the end of the poses. Postures would have to be adapted and modified to suit your ability and pain sensation.

While there is no set prescription of a combination of yoga poses for low back pain, the movement has been proven to work. In 10 poses you could cover a variety of movement: Lying on the back, lying on the stomach, kneeling, standing forward bend, sitting forward bend, back bend, and lateral bend. All postures appropriately arranged.

Quality of Movement

When a beginner to yoga is able to focus on the sensation present, the awareness allows for self-regulation: Softening the knee this moment, re-engaging the lower abdomen and solar plexus area to lengthen the spine, re-engaging the quadriceps and hamstrings.

Repetition a few times with the breath rather than holding the poses is often easier. For example: Exhaling bend and then inhaling extend; or raising and lowering the arms while lying.

To improve strength, over time poses can be held and made increasingly difficult.

While you may experience relief from pain in your first session, the benefits of yoga accumulate. Give yourself at least 6 weeks with the program. Four months is actually just the beginning.

Results

Yoga is a holistic therapy. You’ll experience more calm as well the physical benefits of reduced intensity of the low back pain, increased flexibility and strength. More mobility and even the complete absence of pain is also possible, depending on the cause of the pain. You might even reduce your use of medication. Posture will improve.

Some yoga classes include meditation, even if it is 1 minute of breath awareness at the end of the class when the mind is already significantly more quiet. Regular practice of yoga and meditation increases our ability to observe ourselves and regulate behaviour that would increase pain.

Heather Greaves helps yoga beginners and enthusiasts learn more even though their only teacher is a book. “To learn even more about something, teach it.” Since 2005 this Yoga Therapist and owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training has been training teachers in a Yoga Alliance certified program.

When I started my morning, I was feeling fine. By the end of my morning yoga practice, I felt enthusiasm touched by gratitude, was overflowing with optimism, and clarity filled my mind. There was a spring in my step, and I felt ready to greet the world. How come such a boost?

Today’s yoga practice started with a warm shower to freshen the body (I hope to get back to cold ones when the temperature rises). A reading on personality types inspired me and freshened up the mind. This was followed by a practice on the mat that began with a centering chant.

The warm-up was core strengthening. I kept awareness of my breath in order to synchronize it with the movement, and this increased mental focus. The rhythmic chant playing in the background was an encouragement for me to keep up… and I needed that towards the end.

I rested after the warm up to allow my heart beat and breathing to slow down a bit. And I remained aware of what was happening in my body and the thoughts in my mind. Some body parts pulled my attention.

This is day 2 of the Kundalini Yoga Sat Kriya workout – a series that helps digestion and elimination, and any sexual ailments. It is very strengthening and builds endurance. I enjoyed the kriya workout and the short rest periods during the series. Day 2 was easier than Day 1. The longer relaxation at the end was soothing for my body and soul. I floated away with the healing chant that also doubled as a 10-minute timer.

I had time to include the special 1000-day meditation chant at the morning practice today. The practice ended with me heartily singing the Kundalini closing prayer:

May the long time sun
Shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light
Within you
Guide your way on

Yes, courage came with a good workout and a song in the heart. Let’s keep the faith.

I’m excited about this special yoga exercise, a daily meditation practice for a courageous spirit. Here’s my first day experience and 7 reasons I’ve got excitement.

1.    The march rhythm of this meditation music gave me an instant boost. It put a smile on my face. I look forward to 999 more unique experiences of the march music.
2.    It’s amazing how the eyes can wonder off the words on the page. As I sat holding the sheet focusing on the words of the chant, I noticed that sometimes my eyes roamed away from the words. I look forward to fewer journeys via imagination.
3.    I instantly recognize the importance of focusing the eyes in order to stay in the present. I see how people with overactive minds would benefit from this daily meditation.
4.    The mental focus of being aware of the movement of the tongue and the sensation of the sound helped me to enunciate the chant better, and to stay in the present.
5.    After the 7 -minute mark, I pressed my hands on the heart hard and chanted the mantra 8 times. I could feel the sound vibrating in my chest, and I felt strong.
6.    For the next minute I whispered powerfully. Strange how I listened quite intensely with the whispering.
7.    Then the last 30 seconds I chanted the mantra twice without music, enjoying my own slightly varied version of the tune.

I invite you to join in on this 1000-day meditation practice at any time. This yoga exercise will march us courageously through these times to the Aquarian Age, November 11, 2011, and perhaps with excitement.  You can download the PDF file with your copy of the meditation instructions and the words of the chant itself.

meditation-1000-day-spiritual

You can also listen to the pronunciation of the chant and download the music free from www.kundaliniresearchinstitute.org

Community, prosperity and a courageous spirit to face the future can be yours if you so desire and intend. The method I suggest is meditation with a chant.

Why to Chant

Sound creates a vibration. Our thoughts are silent sounds that vibrations. We attract according to the frequency of our vibration. When you chant a mantra, you attract whatever you are vibrating.

How long to Meditate

11 minutes of meditation begins to change the nerves and glandular system.

Stage 1 –40 days to change a habit.
Stage 2 –90 days to confirm the habit.
Stage 3 –120 days to own the habit.
Stage 4 –1000 days to master the new habit.

When to Meditate

First thing in the morning is the best time right after your yoga exercise. Your yoga exercise could be a mindful walk, movement, or a breathing exercise. If another time is better for you, of course make it then. Get together with friends and practice in community.

Benefits

Mantras can transform destructive mental habits and limiting personality tendencies. If you like being alone or the other extreme seek attention and popularity these will evolve to community with your courageous spirit. Hoarding possessions or poverty consciousness will change to the realization of prosperity. And your courageous spirit will transform fear of the future or, the other end of the scale, fantasy of the future so you face the future.

The Kundalini Yoga meditation chant is available for free download on this site.