The Yoga rules

By Glen Wood

Office workers spend a good chunk of their time hunched over a computer pounding away trying to beat those ever-pressing deadlines.

Each day, over 100,000 Americans suffer from lower back pain. Lifting heavy objects incorrectly, sitting still at work or at a computer for long periods, poor posture, or even sleeping in the wrong position can all contribute to lower back pain.

Furthermore, psychological stress can have as one of its consequences physical pain, and one of the places this pain tends to manifest is in the back.

There are many ways to treat this pain: medicines, chiropractic and massage therapy, and bed rest being some of them. All of these therapies are valuable, and no alternative remedy is a substitute for proper medical care.

However, practicing certain yoga techniques can complement traditional therapy, and can greatly alleviate, or even eliminate, lower back pain.

Something simple you could try. A popular and easy yoga pose to prevent back pain is called the Cobra. If you have seen a cobra at the zoo, keep that image in mind.

Lay flat on your stomach placing your palms down on the ground either underneath of the shoulders or just wider than the shoulders. Keep your body relaxed, with elbows back and out. Raise your body allowing the back to arch and hold this pose for 10 to 15 seconds. If you feel uncomfortable, use your elbows instead of hands and it will give your body a gentler stretch.

This will stretch the abdominal muscles while the back muscles are relaxing. Slowly lower the upper part of your body to the ground.

Yoga helps alleviate lower back pain by strengthening the muscles of the lower back, making strains less likely to occur. Yoga also stretches the muscles, allowing them to elongate and relax, and alleviating tension.

Regular yoga practice also improves posture, relieving back pain by keeping the spine in proper alignment. The following are three yoga asanas, or postures, which can help in stretching and strengthening the lower back. These postures can be practiced singularly, or as a flowing series.

Cobra is just one. While at your computer try this. Place your bottom in close to the chair back, try to get your shoulder blades over the back of the chair, next as you exhale with your arms folded overhead gently lean back over the chair. Use your breath to deepen the pose.

Glen Wood - The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back and Shoulder Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for your FREE "Yoga and You" report at http:http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com