How to stay young with yoga? Hint: Give your back some attention.

Your age is expressed by the flexibility of your spine. One of the most basic goals of kundalini yoga is to take care of the spine. That is why we do exercises for the back in the lessons; to activate, align and loosen the spine.

*I am currently teaching these lessons in February 2020 and they will be repeated regularly*

You may have lower back pain or upper back stress, the most common health complaint in adults. The best way to prevent back pain is to take care of your spine daily. There are no quick fixes for back pain, but the kriyas (a series of yoga exercises) we do during this time are a great maintenance program.

If you regularly suffer from back pain, it can have a major impact on your overall well-being, both physically and mentally. Even your breathing changes when you have back pain. A healthy spine is part of a healthy lifestyle. Of course you want to prevent back pain, but it actually starts a step before that. If you keep your back in good condition, this works through the health of your body and mind. The question is, are you willing to work on that before you have pain somewhere?

To better understand the important role your spine plays in your health, it’s helpful to first understand how your spine is put together. The spine is a series of stacked bones that house and protect your spinal cord. The spinal cord is a column of nerve pathways that branch out into the rest of your body, and they’re responsible for sending and receiving messages from your brain. It’s through the spinal cord and its branching nerves that your brain influences the rest of your body, controlling movement and organ function. Simply put, think of your nerve pathways as cables running from your computer. What happens if one of those cables breaks or comes loose? It affects the entire system, right? So what do you do about it?

The key to maintaining a healthy spine is flexibility.

Yogi Bhajan said; “The flexible spine holds your entire nervous system.” So yogis say that your age is determined by the flexibility of your spine. Stiffness or even tightness in your back can prevent you from moving normally and as a result muscles can weaken. As a result you become stiffer, develop bad posture and suffer from other back problems. Kundalini Yoga has many exercises and sequences that can keep your spine flexible, which can help you keep a healthy back and thus.. young! The exercises also decompress the spine and increase circulation to the spinal cord, which helps to relieve tension in the surrounding muscles.

Want more scientific background on why kundalini yoga is good for your spine? In this Q&A article, Chicago neurosurgeon Sheri Dewan explains why she recommends all yoga and especially kundalini yoga for people with back problems: " A Neurosurgeon on Why Kundalini Yoga Is Good for Your Spine "

My personal tip: Take weekly yoga classes. The dynamic exercises of kundalini yoga make this yoga form accessible and varied!