SELF HEALTH + HEALING

Our backs are amazing, complex structures.

The spine alone houses the spinal cord and nerves that control our every movement and process the sensations that allow us to connect with the world around us. It’s also part of a system that both absorbs and distributes force, such as lifting and carrying loads through our shoulders and arms, while our legs move us around.

In order to accomplish the many tasks it’s supposed to, the back has to be flexible enough to move in every direction, while remaining rigid enough to transfer heavy loads through our arms and legs, whether we are sitting, standing, or lying down.

"Yoga truly is a unique opportunity for strengthening, stretching, and yes, even healing for the entire body. The back is no exception. Multiple studies have shown a steady practice is a great treatment for back soreness. In fact, several studies have found that yoga can even trump usual care for back pain when it comes to improving back function. For example, people who took yoga or stretching classes are twice as likely to cut back on pain medications for their back aches as people who managed symptoms on their own, one University of Washington study found."