Fused disc and high stress, how can i help?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi, I am a yoga teacher living in a very rural part of western Ireland. Today i had a call from a lady who was very distressed. She has been suffering from extreme pain in lower back since the birth of her first child 13 years ago. she had had 2 miscarraiges prior to this child and had gained a lot of weight to hide her pregnancies… after her 13 year old was born she ended up having 2 operations in her lower spine. has been in constant pain since. She acknowledged that since seeing her physiotherapist over a five year period there has been a lot of improvement in her mobility and she has lost her excess weight, but still says pain is about 6 on a scale onf 1-10… she sounded highly stressed and said it was very hard to stop her mind from going on and on, and also said she felt very guilty about not being able to work outside the home.

I felt from speaking with her that there is huge unresolved trauma around the site of the operation and also from her birthing history.

she felt that Yoga may be helpful to her. I asked her what exercises she was doing from the Physio, and it was pelvic tilts, gentle cat, knee to chest, gentle bridge etc etc. she was also walking most days about 4 km.

my feeling is that she needs calming Pranayama, and deep relaxation practices and perhaps loving kindness practices as she was very hard on herself. but if anyone has ideas, thoughts, experience of this kind of client I would love to hear…

I do not feel very well prepared as i am not a yoga therapist though i am a pre natal yoga instructor and am constantly studying when and where i can , but as there is no one else with this kind of yoga therapy knowledge in our area, i said i would try to help if i could…

putting it out there! thanks, namaste, Bella

#2

It would be interesting to hear other people’s suggestions.
Althought you might find interesting to read my post about anxiety since many people responded me how i can reduce my anxiety with some poses & pranayamas.

http://www.yogaforums.com/forums/f16/yoga-and-anxiety-6432.html

#3

Hello Bella,

It is so very challenging for us as yoga teachers to inherit a student after they’ve already pursued very drastic, invasive procedures from the western medical model. Scar tissue builds up and often we have no idea what has been altered anatomically in the surgical process. And here this is further exacerbated by your location and surroundings. So of course you are compelled to do the best you can.

I believe part of yoga for us as teachers mandates that we are honest with students about what we do and do not know. This allows us to teach from integrity and it allows the student to get that we are real and living the yoga we convey to them.

I would trust you instincts on this as they also resonate with me however I would use care in labeling an “unresolved trauma” for a variety of reasons. Just move forward in working with her in a gentle, compassionate, and loving way. And as you do this begin to share the things in the practice which will bring ease to her living - some of this will be posture and some will be gentle pranayama. Both will be bringing her into her body, reacquainting her with herself, and rediscovering the light which dwells within all of us, her included.

As you build trust you can begin to share nutrition and lifestyle elements with her and impart the philosophy behind yoga so that she may put these things into action in her life.

We are very committed to spreading the tools of Purna Yoga and Ireland is included. If you all cultivate enough interest then a week or weekend series of workshops may be possible.

gordon

#4

`thank you, Gordon for your reply, i agree with you completely… i guess when i said “unresolved trauma” around the injury site, what i felt was that she had felt so violated and experienced so much pain by the surgery that she was really afraid to let any healing happen there, this was based on what she told me…
i really agree with being honest! I did say to her that we would see , and that i would try to give her some useful tools, techniques, but certainly didnt promise her a cure and also felt that what she was getting from her physio was helpful and safe for her right now.

I really appreciate your answer. it is nice to hear others thoughts and instincts,
I am now thinking of gentle Ujayi pranayama, the golden thread breath , which is a technique taught by Uma Dinsmore Tuli, in her most wonderful pranayama book, Mothers breath (Recommend for every yoga teacher to read!!!Mukunda stiles wrote the intro)) which is a very calming focusing breath technique. Empowering and loving mantra and mudra, and yoga nidra, with lots of support for her body.also teaching her to link breath and movement and I did think of the pawanmuktasana, but maybe in a few weeks.

thanks for listening,
nanmaste, bella

#5

[QUOTE=Arabella Hancock;39024]Hi, I am a yoga teacher living in a very rural part of western Ireland. Today i had a call from a lady who was very distressed. She has been suffering from extreme pain in lower

[/QUOTE]

I can tell you the case of a close relative of mine. She had back pain for years. She took a course with a real Rishi from India, visiting Canada.

The Rishi taught her a simple method, basically sitting in lotus with the thumbs up. In a few weeks, the pain was over…for good.

This is no story, no exxageration…just as it happened.