How many patients tell me they want to start a yoga practice? Alot. How many of them actually do? Some of them.....some don't. The point here is that no benefits will arise from yoga...unless you actually do yoga. The nature of yoga is very conducive to a person recovering from a disc treatment or back treatment because it is a practice that unfolds as you go. There is no forcing and no over-efforting allowed!
The idea behind yoga is that a union is formed between your mind and your body (and if you want to get into the philosophy behind it, the sun and the moon, the yin and the yang, etc..). Yoga translates as "Union". It is this union that a practice should try to cultivate, not flexibility or strength. Those benefits come along with fostering the union. So, how do you connect, or form a union, between your mind and your body? It is by controlling your breath. Your breath is the link between your mind and your body. Think about how you breath when you are rushed, stressed, or scared. It's very shallow and often rapid. These mental constructs influence your respiratory rate. When you are relaxed, chances are you are breathing deeply and slowly. There is a connection between your mind (how stressed you and are how anxious you are) and your body (how fast or slow your lungs and heart move). In a yoga practice, both aspects are manipulated to have an effect on each other and bring about both physical and mental health. Here's a pretty good description of how yoga creates change in your body by relaxing and not over-exerting: Ananda online.
So, all that being said, your yoga practice should be a careful series of movements and exercises that are co-ordinated with your breath, not a rushed workout. After staying focused on your body's movements for an hour or so, you will be amazed at the changes that will occur. You don't need to do anything crazy like stand on your head for 20 minutes, you just simply need to get started at your own pace. Please make sure you talk with an experienced teacher first for guidance. Patients at Dr Davis' office, please ask me for some ideas on where to start - or let me know if you want to schedule a private session to get going on bringing movement back into your life and expedite your healing process.
How many patients tell me they want to start a yoga practice? Alot. How many of them actually do? Some of them.....some don't. The point here is that no benefits will arise from yoga...unless you actually do yoga. The nature of yoga is very conducive to a person recovering from a disc treatment or back treatment because it is a practice that unfolds as you go. There is no forcing and no over-efforting allowed!
The idea behind yoga is that a union is formed between your mind and your body (and if you want to get into the philosophy behind it, the sun and the moon, the yin and the yang, etc..). Yoga translates as "Union". It is this union that a practice should try to cultivate, not flexibility or strength. Those benefits come along with fostering the union. So, how do you connect, or form a union, between your mind and your body? It is by controlling your breath. Your breath is the link between your mind and your body. Think about how you breath when you are rushed, stressed, or scared. It's very shallow and often rapid. These mental constructs influence your respiratory rate. When you are relaxed, chances are you are breathing deeply and slowly. There is a connection between your mind (how stressed you and are how anxious you are) and your body (how fast or slow your lungs and heart move). In a yoga practice, both aspects are manipulated to have an effect on each other and bring about both physical and mental health. Here's a pretty good description of how yoga creates change in your body by relaxing and not over-exerting: Ananda online.
So, all that being said, your yoga practice should be a careful series of movements and exercises that are co-ordinated with your breath, not a rushed workout. After staying focused on your body's movements for an hour or so, you will be amazed at the changes that will occur. You don't need to do anything crazy like stand on your head for 20 minutes, you just simply need to get started at your own pace. Please make sure you talk with an experienced teacher first for guidance. Patients at Dr Davis' office, please ask me for some ideas on where to start - or let me know if you want to schedule a private session to get going on bringing movement back into your life and expedite your healing process.