Registration for this course is now closed.
If you’d like to go on the waitlist for the next course, starting in September 2022, please email julia
A Truly Holistic Approach with Yoga for Back Pain Care
Many yoga for back pain courses focus purely on the physical aspect of back pain. The emphasis is on strengthening muscles that support the spine, releasing tight muscles that cause compression in the spine and training new movement patterns so that the pressure on the spine is relieved. This work, to identify musculoskeletal imbalance, is really important and is covered in every lesson, throughout this course.
An Individualised Approach: Yoga for Back Pain Care
However, many doctors, spine and pain management specialists now realise that pain is more than a physical process. The UK medical researchers at NICE (the UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence) now recommend that chronic back pain sufferers are treated using a bio-psycho-social approach. This is a more holistic, individualised approach to back care that involves taking stock of physical, mental and social factors that might be contributing to pain.
Therapeutic Yoga for Back Pain
This approach lends itself well to the yoga therapy model, which looks upon a human being as more than a physical body and more than a thinking mind. We are the product of our environment, our society, our upbringing and our life experiences. This course addresses the problem of back pain through the lens of Yoga Philosophy, plus the detailed and gentle work with Hanna Somatics, Gentle Yoga, Mindfulness, Breathing, Relaxation and Meditation. Julia is an expert in teaching yoga for back pain care and has appeared on ITV Tonight with her yoga for back pain students. Scroll down to the end of this page to see the clip.
What Happens Once I Book the Course?
Once you book the course, I’ll get in contact to arrange a short phone call where we can discuss your back pain history. Then I’ll email a form with details of your back pain diagnosis that you might have been given by your doctor, osteopath or physiotherapist. You can fill in this form via email or by hand at the first class on May 11th if you prefer.
What is a Hybrid Learning Course?
This means that part of the course is in person and part is online. You’ll get a reminder sent to your phone to let you know which class is which, on the day before. We’ll all meet together for the first three classes at Union Church, in Crouch End – click here for the full address. The online classes are gentle and relaxing. We’ll also explore other contributors to back pain other than the biomechanical factors. Our mood affects our posture and stress is very prevalent these days. We’ll dive deep into the stress-relieving aspects of yoga. We’ll have three more in-person classes after the first three, and you can book a one to one in-person for a special discount, while you are on this course, if you wish.
What Will I Learn on the Yoga for Back Care Course?
- An individualised set of rescue poses to help relax your back
- A variety of breath practices to regulate your nervous system and manage pain
- How your nervous system affects muscle pain and tension
- Why accepting pain works better than fighting pain
- How to find and wake up muscles that have gone to sleep
- What main muscles support the spine and how to strengthen them
- How to relax, sleep better and release deeper levels of tension
- How your personality traits affect your pain levels and what to do about it
- How to create more balance in your body, mind and lifestyle
- Why self love and self care is so important for pain relief
- How your thoughts affect pain and recovery and what to do about it
- How sound has a deep effect on pain relief
- How to establish a regular practice to support you throughout your life
Yoga for Back Pain Care: Online Course Materials, and Recorded Zoom Classes
You will have access to online materials, recordings of the Zoom classes and pre-recorded videos of classes and relaxations to support you through the course. These classes are available throughout the twelve-week course. There is an option to purchase access to pack of 4 video classes to help you keep up your practice after the course is over (£50).
Is This Yoga for Back Pain Course Suitable for Me?
If you have ongoing grumbling intermittent chronic back pain, with occasional flare-ups and remissions of pain, this course is ideal for you! You will learn how to manage the pain and you’ll most likely learn the cause of the pain and how to avoid it as you continue through the course.
You do not need to have any previous experience of yoga, you certainly don’t need to be able to touch your toes or stand on your head!! 🙂
This yoga is very gentle, you are never required to move out of your comfort zone. The yoga classes themselves are very safe, enjoyable and relaxing.
This course is designed for people with chronic back pain (it could be upper, mid or lower back pain), hip pain or sciatica. There are certain symptoms (known as Red Flags) that will make you ineligible for the course. Instead, you should be referred for medical treatment.
Another requirement is that you are able to get down to the floor and back up again unaided by another person (you can use a nearby chair for support if needed).
This course is not suitable for pregnant women, or women trying to become pregnant. If you are pregnant and have back pain problems, a course of three one to one lessons with Julia is a good idea.
Online and In-Person Lessons
You will also need to have a good broadband connection on your laptop or a phone that is plugged into a TV screen so you can get a good view of the classes online. Everyone is required to have their cameras on for the online classes. Some classes are in-person, so please check the dates and make sure that you are able to travel to the venue at the required times. You will be sent a reminder email and text about your class the day before, please let Julia know if you are unable to attend.
Please note the first class is compulsory, if you cannot attend, you will be required to have a private session with Julia to assess your posture, movement and breath.
Lesson Dates and Times
Please note:
Class times are Wednesdays 6:30 – 8pm whether in-person or online.
The course starts on the 11th May 2022
You are required to attend the first assessment class on the 11th May, or have a private assessment lesson with Julia (or both).
If you have to miss one or two of the weekly classes it is ok as you will have online practices to do in the meantime.
If you wish to have a private lesson while you are on the course, I offer a discount to back care students £50 (usually £60) for a lesson on Zoom or at my home in Crouch End.
11th May In-Person Class*
Finding Your Comfort Zone
18th May: In-Person Class
Breath and Energy Regulation
25th May: In-Person Class
Practising Self-Acceptance
1st June: Online Class
Mindfulness and Self Knowledge
8th June: In-Person Class
Posture, Supporting the Spine
15th June: Online Class
Peace, Deep Relaxation and Sleep
22nd June: Online Class
The Holistic Human
29th June: In-Person Class
Balance, Within and Without
6th July: Online Class
Wisdom of the Heart
13th July: Online Class
The Discerning Mind
20th July: Online Class
The Yoga of Sound
27th July: In-Person Class
The Goal is to Follow the Path
Additional Practitioner Talks
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EFT Talk and Practice with Tessa Wolfe
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Herbal Medicine for Digestion and Sleep Problems with Sara Zanone
- Sound Bath with Alistair Smith
Dates to be confirmed, but these session form part of the online classes, they will be recorded and uploaded to the course portal.
About Your Teacher
Julia has been teaching gentle yoga for back pain sufferers for nearly a decade, and she’s been teaching yoga for nearly two decades. She trained as a Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs teacher in 2013 and has also completed an in-depth course on Yoga for Chronic Pain with the Minded Institute. Julia appeared on ITV’s Tonight Programme called Back Pain: Britain’s Unseen Crisis. You can view a clip from this programme, which features Julia and her students being interviewed, below. Julia started to practice yoga in 1988 and initially, she found the practice relieved her upper back, shoulder and neck pain, nervous tension and anxiety. However, once she started attending strong dynamic studio classes she developed injuries in her lower back (sacroiliac joint), hip and knees. Yoga teacher training and subsequent gentle self-practice enabled her to avoid surgery. Yet it was only once Julia discovered the neuro-muscular re-education practice of Hanna Somatics that her sacroiliac pain was truly resolved.
