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I have managed back pain since the early 80s. In the late 90s, the pain
became so agonizing, I was hospitalized. Curious oncologists wanted to
take a biopsy. Half a dozen other docs had different theories about
cause. I chose the arthritis option as it was least invasive. I took
Prednisone for a week, then resumed NSAIDs (non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen.Over the years, as I moved up and down the east coast and to the west coast and back, I visited different types of chiropractors. I took NSAIDs daily, tried various herbal supplements, pain management with TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), hot packs, cold packs, Tiger Balm, you name it.
What I learned: the human body is not designed to sit for hours the way writers, truck drivers, academics and office workers do. Our body is designed for motion. Think of arthritis like rust. If you don’t move it and use it, rust sets in.
So, when the rust is already there, moving is difficult. It takes time to break through the decades of crusty inaction. You weren’t born this way. Over decades of sitting, arthritis crept in.
What helped me:
• Pilates: with a good instructor, one that really knows anatomy
• Elliptical machine at the gym – low impact
• Walking
But what changed my life and got me completely off NSAIDs: Bikram Yoga.
I had tried yoga in the past when I could no longer do high-impact exercise like jogging. Yoga without heat and with weird instructions like, “Breathe into your shoulder,” confused me.
With Bikram, I could understand the directions. The heat helped my muscles to relax. All that sweat flushes toxins. I came out of class happy, not sore. Soon, I needed fewer doses of NSAIDs and within months I didn’t need them at all.
To get used to Bikram yoga takes time. You need to hydrate and not eat 3-4 hours before class. And be gentle and patient with yourself. Just staying in the 105°F hot room for 90 minutes is a victory the first time.
The 26 moves systematically massage all your internal organs, but the real focus is the spine. The posture sequence progressively limbers the spine. With each move, you are the one in control edging your body toward wellness.
The original purpose of yoga was to prepare the body for meditation. Aligning the body allows spinal fluid and blood to flow freely, delivering oxygen where your body needs it. This produces the effect of feeling centered within your own body.
Bikram is not an incense-burning, Om-chanting experience. It combines the movement and breathing of Hatha yoga with positions held in Iyengar. The instructors talk you through each move from the inside out. Focusing on the process of each move feels like a mini-vacation from the world.
You may have heard some unsavory stories about Bikram the man. But I think of it this way, if someone told you Thomas Alva Edison was once a schmuck, would you stop using electricity?
The instructors and students in various countries and states in the US where I’ve practiced have all been professional, competent and gentle souls focused on the yoga.
The beauty part is the system. Wherever you go, it’s the same sequence of 26 moves, the same patter explaining the postures. If you travel, you can find a place to practice and it's as familiar as home.
One other thing that helped my back: before I moved to France, I sold my car. I do all my errands on foot and practice yoga at least twice a week in the heated studio. I haven’t needed a chiropractor in over a year.
This is my fourth year of practice. When I first began, I challenged myself to go every day. After about six months I backed off to 3-4 times per week, which I maintained for over two years. For the past year, my hot room practice reduced to twice a week, though I prefer three times.
Each day is a new experience. One day I may feel strong and complete the series easily, another I have to sit out a posture here or there; sometimes my balance is solid, at other times, wobbly. But as the saying goes, “It's yoga practice, not yoga perfect.” I never leave practice thinking, “I wish hadn’t gone to yoga.”
My back and overall health are better now than before my second son was born. That will be twenty-two years ago this summer. It’s not for everybody, but for me, Bikram has been better than the fountain of youth.
Disclaimer: I am neither a medical doctor nor an accredited yoga instructor. Please listen to your own body. Consult the appropriate professionals for your situation. Before yoga class, inform your teachers of any injuries so they can suggest suitable modifications.
Of the Bikram 26, there are two where I still make modifications. There are also postures I can do today that I could not do at all four years ago—others I can do today that I could not attempt two years ago. Progress comes with perseverance and prudence to avoid re-injury as well as by challenging limitations.
photos:
Top Left:
Charles Laughton as Quasimodo is from the bell scene in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) or "How I used to walk around with sciatica and various forms of back pain."
Top Right:
Me in July 2018 approaching Eagle pose - it's sort of in-process because the timer on the camera is short and I'm slow!
Nice, France
July 21, 2018
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