Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs

A 12 WEEK COURSE – requires pre-booking (this course is not available to drop in to individual classes). Invest in a three month course to gain a healthier back for life! I have now taught 10 consecutive YHLB courses. The next course is scheduled for May – July 2020 and will proceed with a minimum of 6 people enrolled. Course investment £260. Of this £60 is payable directly to the social enterprise: www.yogaforbacks.co.uk prior to course start for the resource pack. £100 deposit is payable to me prior to week one; the remainder is payable by week four.

The first YHLB 12 week course in Rugby ran from September – December 2016 at Overslade Community Centre. As the first yoga teacher in Rugby qualified to teach YHLB I have now taught ten consecutive courses. Please see the feedback on my REVIEWS page of this site and also my GOOGLE REVIEWS. I’m pleased to see the consistent, positive effects for the participants, which typically include: reduced pain and better movement, a more resilient outlook, an understanding that good posture and biomechanics play a significant part in preventing future painful back episodes. Some participants have had dramatic postural improvements and all now have the knowledge and experience to maintain a healthier back for life.

venue: Cawston Community Hall, Scholar’s Drive, Cawston CV22 7GU

time: 5.45-7.00pm investment £260 (The breakdown: £200 to the teacher, participants will need to order their resource pack directly from the social enterprise: www.yogaforbacks.co.uk for £60 prior to course start)

Please be aware there are no refunds for missed classes. Past participants have the option of re-taking the course at half price (space permitting).

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YHLB courses will proceed with a minimum of 6 (full priced) participants and a maximum of 12.

Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs (YHLB) is a specialised, evidenced-based, 12 week course designed to give those with chronic or recurring low back pain a toolkit to improve and maintain a healthy back for life. This yoga is based on a successful large scale clinical trial, funded by Arthritis UK in conjunction with The University of York. It is gentle, effective, enjoyable, beginner-friendly, with small group classes and individualised support. It teaches and motivates health and well-being self-management. It was recently endorsed by the NICE guidelines. The positive results showing it to be safe and effective were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (‘Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Trial’ H. Tilbrook, 2011). The Cost Evaluation in the Journal Spine (LH Chuang, 2012) showed it to be cost-effective for the NHS, society and the workplace. A social enterprise has been set up to allow more people to benefit from the same yoga programme used in this randomised controlled trial.

Who is the course for? The course is aimed at people who are experiencing low back pain (that’s 80% of us at some point in our lives!), whether it is chronic or episodic, but not at those currently in acute pain. It is best to wait until after the acute phase of your pain has passed when movement becomes more possible and you can then do the course. If you have a diagnosed spinal pathology the course may still be suitable for you – if you are unsure please speak to me and/or seek advice from your GP. The course is suitable for adults of any age, but is not suitable during pregnancy. You do need to be able to get up and down from the floor to do the course (even if you need the help of a chair to do so). If you are unsure, please show your GP a YHLB leaflet or the YHLB website to ask if it the right time for you to do the course. YHLB teachers hold waiting lists for the next available course, or you can do a postcode search on the YHLB website to find your nearest trained teacher.

In part one of the course (usually weeks 1-5 or 6 depending on class dates) you will learn a menu of pain relieving poses for ‘what to do if you get a sign of a painful back episode’ to help you gain some immediate relief. You will learn how joints need movement to function optimally. You will learn CORE A and CORE B sequences of postures. These will combine to form COMPLETE CORE at the end of the part one of the course and your home practice between the classes will help you gain the strength needed for the more advanced stretches in part two of the course.

In part two (usually weeks 6 or 7-12) you will move on to PROGRESSIVE A and PROGRESSIVE B sequences which will combine to form the COMPLETE PROGRESSIVE sequence of postures. Regular use of the relaxation CD at home will help you to de-condition your mind from ruminating on the pain. This will relieve you of the additional physical tension and resulting increased pain caused by the worry, which we all do when suffering ongoing pain: (“How badly have I hurt my back?, How long will the pain go on? Will I ever be able to resume my usual activities?” etc.). Regular use of the relaxation CD breaks this cycle.

This course includes quality materials in the form of a printed manual with lots of photos and both long and short descriptions of the postures, four downloadable guided relaxation tracks and colour photocopies of yoga sequences to support your home practice more easily. The course shows how to adapt different poses with a variety of props (such as yoga blocks, straps, bolsters and cushions) to increase your comfort. This course is an investment. In return for that investment the next time you get a sign of a painful back episode (which will decrease in frequency if you are practicing your YHLB yoga regularly) you will know what to do straight away: which poses will give you some immediate pain relief, you will understand the phases of pain and that your pain will go again and how to tailor your yoga to suit your needs. You will have a toolkit for a healthier back for life. Following the YHLB course, when your back is in a ‘good phase’ then practising your YHLB yoga for two half hour sessions per week (for the rest of your life!) will help keep your back strong so that you can enjoy life!

Further details about the clinical trial and this particular yoga course can be found on the www.yogaforbacks.co.uk website. Click here to watch a 4 minute video about this yoga. Register your interest early to avoid disappointment. Contact Me now.

This course consists of 12 x 75 minute classes comprising easy foundational yoga poses. Props such as a yoga block, blanket or belt are used to aid effectiveness and ensure absolute comfort. The full course fees include a manual, downloadable relaxation tracks and photocopies of class plans to support your home practice. Exact course dates can be found on the timetable page of my website.

Upcoming course dates: 

May – July 2010 – exact dates shortly TBA

Enrolment forms

If you have access to a printer, please kindly print and complete these forms and bring them to your first class. If you do not have access to a printer you can complete them at class, but please expect to stay a bit after the class to do so. Let’s please have a brief preliminary chat prior to the course start to ensure the course is suitable for you.