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| At work the other day I was listening to a friend of mine who said his back problems were cured by yoga. Being all ears, I asked him what he did. His story went something like this.
I was in an auto accident years ago. I had been going to a Chiropractor every week for years to try and stop my back pain. I heard about Bikram Yoga and signed up for the beginner package. Go as many times as you can for the next 10 days. I went into the studio every day. When I went into the postures I could feel my back cracking into place. After the 10 days my back was completely cured and I haven't needed to go to the chiropractor since. My pain just went away.
Has any one else heard of similar stories?
Edited by MrD 2005-02-22 8:08 PM
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Weren't most of Bikram's students especially in the early years all problem related. In his book there are so many testimonials about people being cured from all kinds of things..like Doctors saying you'll never walk again and how they found Bikram and stood on the wall and did the postures till they could eventually do them 100%, or what I am amazed is the elderly women that attend his studios...they are absolutely incredible. Then the stories of how the Doctors in L.A. that say "I can't help you, but this little Indian man named Bikram Choudhury can". If you read the Bikram Beginning book its all there and very interesting reading. As for my own cure...I am more relaxed about life..like I have my own business, I homeschool my 12 yr old daughter, I take care of my 40 year old Amazon Parrot, I now have a Rottweiler puppy who eats everything - I mean everything, and I have 2 Manx cats, an Aquarium, I'm a beekeeper (honeymaker), I grow my own organic vegetable and flower garden and I have a 20 year old son in College that pushes every button he thinks will upset my world. For once in my life and a big change from 15 years ago when my children were small.... I don't react to other people's crisis, I'm healthy and do natural Traditional Chinese Medicine, complimented with Auryvedic principals and basically my environment is pure and uncontaminated with BS!! It is so wonderful to be alive and actually feel my presence instead of feeling like I wanted to put a gun to my head because the intensity of previous taught patterns as a child and into adulthood were so difficult to manage and put into a healthy and happy life. I love to hear these kinds of stories because it is proof that Yoga works and in my case especially the Bikram method - heat and all. I love it and if I go for more than 2 or 3 days without it...I can feel it.
Edited by Cyndi 2005-02-22 8:44 PM
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
  
| Have you read Bruce's story? Instant cure of his intractable shoulder injury after the first class, I think!  |
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| Yes. I have heard those stories myself over the years. But it does make sense as the main system (the 84 classic asanas) in which Bikram derived his series from is used as therapy. Bikram comes from Bishnu Ghosh who was considered quite a healer himself. At the Ghosh yoga center, they use different combinations for different aliments (or so I have been told) still to this day.
Bikram was not the first to use the asanas as therapy, but his was the first to really make yoga explode to the west. That was his mission his teacher gave him and I would say that he certainly has done what his teacher told him to do. |
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| I started Bikram mainly as a way to get in shape and get more flexible. However, one happy and unplanned consequence is that I no longer suffer from heartburn/acid reflux. While I had never had to take prescription meds, I had to pretty consistently take over-the counter meds for it. Since Bikram I have been reflux free... |
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| Nice stories. I had to stop doing Bikram 3 x week because it was making my lower back ache more. Plus, my hands were going numb. My back aches less since giving up Bikram (3 years of Bikram, too) and my hands are no longer numb. I think the ranges of motion touted in Bikram class aren't so good. I mean they are too much. I found many of the postures really strained my neck muscles, causing some kind of constriction in the nerves going down my arms. I haven't been to a chiropractor or any other doctor so I'm kind of winging it. I'm not really sure it was the Bikram casuing discomfort but I stopped anyway. It's Iyengar for me and my musculo-skeletal system now. Seems pretty good but I miss the "high" of B.  |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Why don't you try learning Iyengar alignment principals and do your Bikram once a week and then move to twice a week so that you can get your high?? |
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| That's a good idea. I would love to find a modified Bikram class. The studio I used to go to for B-yoga was super strict about do the poses "right". If I modified the poses myself I would get yelled at by the teacher. The bad part is that if I brought up my musculo-skeletal issues with the teacher before or after class I got the pat answer "your body is releasing toxins". I believed it for a while but after a while I thought this particular studio/teacher wasn't really well trained in physiology so I moved on.
Any Bikram-lite classes out there? Thanx |
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| Unfortunately, in my expereinces, all Bikram classes are Bikram-lite. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State |
You are starting to sound like me.
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| We were separated at birth. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | Hi Guest-
I read your previous post regarding Bikram contributing to neck strain and it really resonated with me. I think Bikram yoga (practiced the "right" way, that is) is very neck unfriendly. I have developed neck issues, not as a result of Bikram (I don't think so, anyway) but when I'm in the midst of a painful episode, certain things definitely aggravate my neck.
So I've started to do (and teach- I'm an instructor) a few things differently. On the backbends (one w/halfmoon and camel) I really focus on lengthening the spine before I let my head go back. I do let it drop back all the way (I think that halfway hanging back causes more strain) but gently. During cobra and full locust I keep the neck in line with the rest of the spine rather than letting it drop back. During locust I look down during the parts where you lift one leg at a time rather than keeping the chin forward. And on Stading Sep. Leg Stretching I bring the top of the head to the floor, ashtanga style, rather than the forehead.
Once I started to analyze it, I realized that the neck is cranked back unnecessarily (in my opinion) in many of the poses. I'm sure the Bikram police would tar, feather and ride me out of town on a rail for practicing and (gasp!) instructing the way I do. But I'm the one who has to live in my body and I do yoga to make that a better, not worse, experience.
I agree that the "your body is releasing toxins" response is often a lame attempt to cover up a lack of knowledge. Ugh. But if you really like Bikram yoga, and you're in a city with multiple studios, try another one. Or perhaps a hot yoga studio- they're often run by certified instructors who, for whatever reason, didn't choose to affiliate with Bikram. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 338
| Thank you for those modifications. I will practice them. As opposed to a lot of people who post, my teachers are not into yelling, peggy |
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| Hi Julie,
I read your post again this morning.
What wonderful modifications! What great thoughts about back bending and the heavy head in relation to the cervical spine. Thank you for posting this. I will start to look more closely at my students in these postures. I think that maybe this could be part of the cause of so much 'fear' in back bending. Maybe they're afraid their head will fall off or their neck will break. I think this hyper- drop of the head inhibits the breath too. I will practice on myself today and tomorrow while I do my postures to get the feeling of the modification and to be able to better explain it. I have always been cautious with those who have upper back or neck issues in back bending… but full-time awareness on this level is …priceless. I am looking forward to see how this changes back bending.
Thanks for offering new awareness.
Yay yoga!
Dee
JackieCat - 2005-02-27 7:02 AM
Hi Guest-
I read your previous post regarding Bikram contributing to neck strain and it really resonated with me. I think Bikram yoga (practiced the "right" way, that is) is very neck unfriendly. I have developed neck issues, not as a result of Bikram (I don't think so, anyway) but when I'm in the midst of a painful episode, certain things definitely aggravate my neck.
So I've started to do (and teach- I'm an instructor) a few things differently. On the backbends (one w/halfmoon and camel) I really focus on lengthening the spine before I let my head go back. I do let it drop back all the way (I think that halfway hanging back causes more strain) but gently. During cobra and full locust I keep the neck in line with the rest of the spine rather than letting it drop back. During locust I look down during the parts where you lift one leg at a time rather than keeping the chin forward. And on Stading Sep. Leg Stretching I bring the top of the head to the floor, ashtanga style, rather than the forehead.
Once I started to analyze it, I realized that the neck is cranked back unnecessarily (in my opinion) in many of the poses. I'm sure the Bikram police would tar, feather and ride me out of town on a rail for practicing and (gasp!) instructing the way I do. But I'm the one who has to live in my body and I do yoga to make that a better, not worse, experience.
I agree that the "your body is releasing toxins" response is often a lame attempt to cover up a lack of knowledge. Ugh. But if you really like Bikram yoga, and you're in a city with multiple studios, try another one. Or perhaps a hot yoga studio- they're often run by certified instructors who, for whatever reason, didn't choose to affiliate with Bikram. |
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| So I've started to do (and teach- I'm an instructor) a few things differently. On the backbends (one w/halfmoon and camel) I really focus on lengthening the spine before I let my head go back. I do let it drop back all the way (I think that halfway hanging back causes more strain) but gently. During cobra and full locust I keep the neck in line with the rest of the spine rather than letting it drop back. During locust I look down during the parts where you lift one leg at a time rather than keeping the chin forward. And on Stading Sep. Leg Stretching I bring the top of the head to the floor, ashtanga style, rather than the forehead.
I'm a certified Bikram Yoga instructor. I teach straight Bikram Method Yoga. I don't think any of the modifications you describe above, except perhaps for Sep Leg Stretching, are inconsistent with the Bikram Method. And as for Sep Leg Stretching, I encourage people to keep the chins forward until they can get their back flat. The flatter the back, the more the neck can be straightened out, until eventually, the top of the head will touch the floor. In my experience, most beginner students, of whom I largely teach, can help get the spine more flat and stretched by pulling the chin out and bringing the forehead towards the floor. More "advanced" or very flexible students may find it more satisfying to straighten the neck. |
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| guest - 2005-02-25 8:53 PM
I had to stop doing Bikram 3 x week because it was making my lower back ache more. Plus, my hands were going numb.
I'm not really sure it was the Bikram casuing discomfort but I stopped anyway. It's Iyengar for me and my musculo-skeletal system now.
I find that a bit strange, guest, since all the bikram asanas are pretty much the same that we also do in Iyengar. Maybe because of the heat you felt comfortable do go deeper into the poses than you would normally do in a "cold" class. That can be harmful.
With the rest of you guys I have to agree, acid heart-burn, back pain, nearly gone!
Yay yoga!!!
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| I should add that I tell my students that they should never be in pain during a posture. If the back of the neck hurts in a back bend then I suggest they don't push it back so far and to work more gently with the neck. I always emphasize lengthening the spine before bending it in any direction. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York |
And as for Sep Leg Stretching, I encourage people to keep the chins forward until they can get their back flat. The flatter the back, the more the neck can be straightened out, until eventually, the top of the head will touch the floor. In my experience, most beginner students, of whom I largely teach, can help get the spine more flat and stretched by pulling the chin out and bringing the forehead towards the floor. More "advanced" or very flexible students may find it more satisfying to straighten the neck.
I too am a certified Bikram instructor. But I find that pulling the chin out puts unnecessary strain on my neck (it wasn't always like this, but I've developed these neck issues that can be really painful.) That led me to explore other ways of doing some of the postures, and as my practice informs my teaching, I share it as an option in my classes.
I stress that it's necessary to really lift the hips up and bring the weight forward in this pose, and to focus on hinging at the hips to help keep the spine straight. It seems that the straighter one's back is going into this, the more likely one is to be able to stay straight. |
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| I stress that it's necessary to really lift the hips up and bring the weight forward in this pose, and to focus on hinging at the hips to help keep the spine straight. It seems that the straighter one's back is going into this, the more likely one is to be able to stay straight.
Agreed.
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| Jackiecat,
How strong are your lower abs? If the neck is feeling strain in that range of motion, you may be losing core stability which can effect the neck.
This sounds strange, but try putting your tounge on the roof of your mouth, drawing back the belly button(don't suck back.) and concentrate on relaxtion of the upper abs when you try the pose next time. Then try on lift the head slowly. This should help with you neck stabilty a bit. Remember as always go slow and be respectful of your body. Let us know what happens.
Oh yeah and don't lock you knees while you do it.
B |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | Hi Brian-
I think they're pretty strong . . . I do pilates and other core conditioning in addition to yoga. My neck thing is weird, and I'm not unconvinced that it is a mind/body thing to a certain extent. When it flares up, it just get really super sore over a period of about 24 hours and at the worst point, it's impossible for me to drop my head back at all when doing the Bikram breathing exercise. It takes a couple of weeks (under chiropractic care) to get back to normal.
So I am now just very vigilant about protecting and babying the neck. I'm able to try to touch my forehead to the floor (in SSLS)- I can sometimes touch it- but it just feels better to keep my neck straight.
But thanks for your tip . . . I am going to try it next time I practice and I'll report back.  |
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| JackieCat: I love all the changes you made. I teach it this way too. Right on. Sep leg stretch is much better with the top of the head down. The spine gets straight as it lengthens not as someone tries to make it staight. In this posture, many people spines are angled foward infront of the toes. This is a sign of trying to force it straight. Top of the head pointing down inbetween the balls of the feet is how I teach it . The body already knows the most effective way to do the posture, listen and it will tell you. Don't get stuck trying to do it the "right" way. |
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| jackiecat,
just curious, are you doing pilates classes or privates on the refromer? Also, what kind of core work are you doing? |
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| JackieCat: I love all the changes you made. I teach it this way too. Right on. Sep leg stretch is much better with the top of the head down. The spine gets straight as it lengthens not as someone tries to make it staight. In this posture, many people spines are angled foward infront of the toes. This is a sign of trying to force it straight. Top of the head pointing down inbetween the balls of the feet is how I teach it .
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| At my Bikram yoga school, those of us with severe back problems (or any other problem) are allowed to use modifications if we have doctor's orders not to do certain things or if a posture causes sharp pain. If I had to do every posture according to the model, I would have thrown out my back by now or quit. My instructor identified a priority of stretching for me to ease me into the absolutes on the postures that are difficult for me. I would never try to do any of the standing forward bending poses with my head down, for example. I am too tight to go far, and dropping my head puts incredible pressure on my lower back. Therefore, I keep my head slightly lifted on any standing posture that has us bending forward.
Jeri |
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Bikram Yoga as Therapy.
