hello! I've never commented on a video before but I want to thank you Elena, this video has brought me comfort and hope. I'm very grateful for it. Thank you!

Elena, isn't your models lower back too rounded for tailbone action when she does parsvottanasana for example? I learned to bring my sacrum in and widen, widen, widen, before I even think about pelvic loop or outer spiral in forward bends?! Sorry to be picky, but I'm teaching a backpain workshop tomorrow and I'm still confused about how much tailbone action I should do in forward bends... Help would be very much appreciated! Thank you and all the best from Germany from Julia

Great direction. My lower back has so much more space. Thank you!

Good all-yoga advice for me to remember:
shins in, inner thighs out, sitting bones down

I just revisited this class at 35 weeks pregnant to help deal with some intense sacral/sciatic pain. This was so helpful, it should be cross-listed with your prenatal classes! I'll be revisiting this many times in the next few weeks. Thank you.

Sooo grateful. Immediate opening and relief, after weeks of discomfort and pain. Within just 1/2 hour. Thank you for your very specific methodical instruction. Perfect.

very helpful.
thank you

Nice class Elena!

Hi Elena, i'm having an episode of bad back pain in the lower back and i'm not taking any medications, and only doing this practice twice a day. after one day i can walk better and really helped me a lot.Thank you from the depth of my heart

Lisa, I recommend strongly that you seek out an Anusara Certified teacher in your area who can assist you with therapeutic uses of props and help you understand the need for integrity in your shoulders in order to keep your elbow safe and sound. I appreciate the idea to do an online therapeutics class regarding the arms/shoulders and look forward to hearing from you. Check in with anusara.com and click on the Teachers Directory for a list of teachers in your area.
Warmest,
Elena

Elena, I have been introduced to your beautiful yoga practices through Kathryn Budigs writings. What a blessing to come across this fantastic practice. I am a physiotherapists and think the science behind what you are doing is spot on!! Thank you for this informative, safe and healing practice.

Simone, as a yoga teacher I cannot give medical advice. We recommend and feel it is important that you consult your doctor to address any specific medical needs. In my experience and from the perspective of practicing yoga try to strengthen your legs, while they are in alignment, and be certain to maintain strong energy throughout the muscles of your legs in order to be more safe throughout any practice. Going to a yoga studio and getting specific instructions for modifications or adjustments could also help you, particularly with a Certified Anusara teacher. Thank you and best of health to you.

Thank you for your teaching. I have done an Ausara immersion so I am familiar with these exercises for the lower back, my condition is however a bit more complex. I have a bulging disk in L5, but my main injury is a serious instability in my Sacroilliac joint. Both of these injuries were likely caused by yoga in my pre-Anusara days. I am really desperately seeking more exercises and sequences to address my SI joint injury. It seems that the SI instability is a very common yoga related injury and yet there is so little focus on healing this in the yoga community. There's useful article written by Judith Lasater in the Yoga Journal archives, although some of her advice would indicate that the universal alignment principles of Anusara may not be quite enough to keep the SI joint safe in all cases. If you or perhaps even John Friend has any insight into this topic I would be very grateful. Namaste, Simone

Thank you Elena, it is so helpful for me to just acknowledge that pain is not a weakness but a sign that my body speaks to me. I needed this practice to reconnect with my body in a nurturing way and come back to my home of yoga. namaste =-)

Thank you so much Helena. I've been struggling with sciatica and this class really really helped.

I am a ballet/modern teacher that has injured my back teaching, I am grateful for this class, it calmed me down and brought the warmth of healing into my body. Thank you

i've been watching the comments and am so pleased that it's really helping. so much better than pain pills and so great to be of use - even during pregnancy. wonderful.

I also have chronic back pain and it seems to be worse when I lay down as Elena said. This definitely eased up the tension in my low back and I'm looking forward to using this video often (much better than pain pills!).

I'm so happy I found this tonight and love that I can turn to yoga for my aches and pains. I am very early in my second pregnancy and chasing a two and a half year old all day took it's toll on me. Thank you, it is much appreciated. Namaste!

I did this class today after having some back, hip, and leg pain from maybe overdoing it yesterday. I was not expecting any results except hoping for the back pain to ease up. When I finished, ALL the pain was gone! I do not know why, but after doing yoga, for the first hour or so, I am sore, as though I have never done yoga before. Then the soreness goes away. I also have arthritis and do yoga to prevent any stiffness. I feel rather disheartened though that I do not seem to be making any progress as far as flexibility goes and assume this is due to the arthritis. I am happy however that it probably keeps me from becoming more stiff. Thanks again for a wonderful session!

Great sequence. Very healing for my lower back pain. Thank you for this great sequence Elena!

hi sara. thank you for your educated inquiry. per your PT's instructions, when in child's pose, balance the roundedness with some "inner spiral" - move your inner thighs back and wider apart, THEN tuck your tailbone and "round," WHILE MAINTAINING THE INNER THIGHS BACK and wide. it's ideal to balance the two actions, at which point you'll feel more stable and connected to the ground. your lower back will feel more spacious, and your breathing will become very nourishing and delicious! let me know if that's clear... at your service.

i finally used this myself recently... So glad that it's working! here if anyone needs any specific questions answered.

Absolutely love this. Please great a sequence for level 2 :)

this is so wonderful. I cannot tell you how much the Anusara principles have helped me heal some pretty major SI joint pain that was threatening my ability to teach yoga. thanks for giving a great, short sequence that most people can do without worry of further injury.

glad to hear this, rachel. to anyone who needs relief from chronic pain, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns as you work through this sequence. very best, elena

this helps me a lot when my chronic back pain flares up.