Extracted from The Back Pain Sourcebook by Stephanie Levin-Gervasi

Yoga has its origin in India and goes back nearly 3,000 years. A Sanskrit word meaning joining together, yoga works to unite the body and the mind. Yoga involves the whole person as the mind focuses meditatively on each movement.

Yoga is not an exercise, but a series of postures or poses. The gentle poses are held anywhere from 10-60 seconds. Poses should never be painful. Because yoga combines both mental and physical activity, the two most common types of yoga are hatha and raja. There is an interdependency between the two.

Hatha yoga enhances musculoskeletal strength flexibility, balance, agility and coordination. Raja benefits the mind by relaxing and quieting the mind. Benefits of raja yoga are increased mental stimulation and an ability to handle stress. Yoga encourages the individual to sensitize himself or herself to their limits while teaching that physical limits often change.

Because yoga strengthens the musculoskeletal system, your back, as do your abdominal muscles, benefit. Because breathing and relaxation are a part of yoga, stress is reduced and fresh oxygen flows to the muscles.

Once you've had a back attack, yoga works in a slow, methodical manner to stretch and strengthen the muscles. Yoga takes a holistic approach that a back problem is not isolated from the rest of your body.

If I've never taken yoga where do I start?

Visit a yoga class and talk to the instructor. If you are practicing yoga to strengthen your back, ask about specific postures. Many exercises prescribed by specialists or that are currently part of back schools, derive from yoga. It is vitally important to search out a yoga class or an instructor who understands yoga postures, specifically designed for back problems. A person with a back problem does not belong in a generic hatha yoga class. Look for a class, and an instructor who specifically has a background in yoga regarding back problems. Just as each back problem is unique, so is each instructor. Seek out a yoga teacher who understands your back ailments. If there is a yoga institute in your city, call and ask for a referral. Often universities or community colleges offer yoga classes, as do senior citizen centers. The Yoga Journal has a list of yoga instructors, classes and retreats around the country. A good instructor teaches you to pay attention to your own signal of distress. It is also your responsibility not to push your body beyond its limits, just because everyone else is doing a posture. A bad back will not fare well in a yoga class filled with healthy backs.

Further information can be found at:

Yoga Online