A Journey With Back Pain: Part 1 - My Story

Beautiful Soul,

In 1984 I was enrolled in The School of Physical Education at Oregon State University, as a pre-therapy major, with my sights on getting my degree in Occupational Therapy. As a PE major, I had to take classes in teaching a variety of physical activities. So I registered for a class to learn to teach swimming. The problem with that was that I was going to have to demonstrate my proficiency including diving. Truth is, I couldn't swim very well and had never even tried to dive.

That's kind of how I roll you know - always ready to jump in. Fortunately I'm also pretty good at figuring out how to make things work. So I signed up for Beginning Swimming too!

I spent so many hours in the pool that term and I truly learned a lot. But my enthusiasm and drive also got me hurt.

My enthusiasm and drive got me hurt.

I think I was tired that day that we were learning to dive in the beginning swimming class. When it was my turn I stepped up to the edge of the pool, put my hands over my head, and dove in just like I had been instructed. I felt it immediately, even though I wasn't sure exactly what had happened - I could barely get myself back to the edge of the pool. I was in excruciating pain, needed help getting out of the water, and then hobbled to the student health center to see what was wrong. Turns out I had kicked my legs way too far over and severely hyper-extended my lower back.

That injury set in motion 20 years of coping with back pain for me.

During that 20 year span I did become an OT. I was also very active and started doing yoga. But I had to be extremely careful with my back and had severe bouts of pain several times a year.

I saw all kinds of healthcare practitioners through the years. Some helped, some did not - like the PT who told me I needed to go get tested to see if I had bone cancer since his methods were ineffective!

Yoga helped. Yoga also made things worse. Some yoga teachers helped me. Many "knew" exactly what pose I needed to "fix" my back. Much of the advice I received either didn't help at all or made things much worse!

Ultimately it was my own practice, diligence, and curiosity that led to a point- yes, 20 years later - where I actually felt like I was healing.

And now, for the last 15+ years, I haven't had any back pain at all!

This is why I love helping other people who have challenges with their backs. Who cope with back pain, stiffness, or lack of mobility. And who want to move better! It's also why I feel so passionate about teaching some of the secrets I learned not only to get rid of pain, but to help my spine feel healthy and mobile and for my back to feel strong!

And it's why my first 5 day Yoga Immersion this year is going to help you to explore your spine and experience some of the secrets that I've learned to help you achieve and sustain a strong, flexible, and healthy back.

This class is for you if you want to learn more about your spine, how it moves, and how to keep it moving well. It's also for you if you are curious about what to make sure you include in your yoga practice that will keep your spine healthy and what to stop doing too.

The class is not for you if you have significant back pain or an acute injury. If this is the case, I recommend we talk about how Yoga Therapy might support you. Email me at leslie@yogaheartsong.com for more information.

You can learn more about the Immersion here. And as always, feel welcome to reply here with any questions if you're interested but not sure if it's right for you. And if you’ve come upon this blog after the Immersion has happened, get in touch - I’m sure to have something else for you!