Your Yoga Formula for Freedom Is…
Use the Law of Opposing Forces
to Find Relief from Pain
Chronic pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and many other conditions that leave the body feeling restricted, create mental as well as physical anxiety. Yoga does the opposite.
Yoga and chronic pain go together like yin and yang. Yoga calms the nervous system, relaxing the body and the brain, and allows the muscles to release and let go of the stress and strain of daily life.
Yoga isn’t just for the young, fit, and ultra-flexible. Yoga is for everyone. The yoga poses and practice that I’ll be sharing with you are do-able regardless of strength, size, or mobility.
You deserve to feel a sense of relief and relaxation.
Yoga can help you…
- Reduce pain perception and increase grey matter in the brain which is linked to sensations of peace and well-being. [1]
- Lower stress levels by entering the “tend and befriend” response of the nervous system which helps release tension in the body and the mind.
- Relieve compression of joints and soft tissues and bring your body back into optimal alignment.
“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.”
–B.K.S Iyengar
How Yoga Helps Treat Chronic Pain
- Calms the nervous system
Yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system – the rest and repair state – allowing stress and anxiety to melt away. A regular yoga practice will also make you more resilient to stress, giving you the tools you need to better cope with pain.
- Brings the body back into alignment
Most people spend the majority of the day sitting at a desk and staring at a screen. For people experiencing chronic pain, this lifestyle can exacerbate underlying issues and reduce blood flow to the areas of the body that need it most, worsening inflammatory conditions. Yoga helps to realign the bones and musculature and over time teaches you to develop and improve your posture through better awareness.
- Improves sleep
Quality sleep is essential for your body to regenerate, but it can be hard to get when you’re in a lot of physical pain. Yoga has been shown in numerous studies to help improve sleep quality particularly when practiced as part of a pre-bed wind down routine
- Increases circulation
Poor circulation can worsen chronic pain. Think of how you would feel not bathing or showering for 2 weeks. When you finally get that shower you feel refreshed, clean, and energized. That’s how your body feels when you stimulate your circulation. When blood and lymph can flow freely to the joints and muscles you bring life, nutrients, and lubrication back into those areas.
- Reduces pain perception
Yoga can literally change your brain (in a good way). Just as chronic pain can change the brain to be more sensitive to pain— yoga makes it more resilient. Pain induces anxiety and stress and yoga teaches the brain how to cope with it.
- Increases mobility
It’s hard to move when you’re in pain, but the less you move, the worse it gets. Inactivity results in muscular and/ or tendon shortening as well as joint capsule contraction and weakened ligaments. A regular yoga practice helps maintain and increase mobility helping you to live your life with greater freedom and autonomy.
The Top 3 Gentle Yoga Poses to Create Freedom in Body and Mind
Befriend Your Body and Lose Weight with This Gentle Yoga Sequence tutorial that will show you many adaptations for each of the poses…
Learn about the benefits and contraindications of the 3 Gentle Yoga poses
Cat & Cow pose
Benefits:
- Stretches the abs, back, shoulders and neck.
- Lengthens the spine
- Stimulates the kidneys and adrenal glands
- Provides a gentle massage to belly organs
- Strengthens the back and abdominal muscles
- Increases spinal mobility
- Improves posture.
- Trains breath awareness
- Can help to alleviate lower back, neck and shoulder pain
- Relieves stress and tension
Contraindications:
- Acute back pain or injury, move slow and gentle, don’t push
- Neck injury, keep the head in line with the torso
- Acute knee or wrist injury, try to get comfortable with modifications
Legs up the wall
Benefits:
- Offers relief from symptoms of arthritis, headaches, high/low blood pressure, and insomnia
- Eases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and menopause
- Relieves tired, cramped feet and legs
- Gently stretches the hamstrings, legs and lower back
- Relieves lower back pain
- Calms the mind
- Eases anxiety and stress
Contraindications:
- Menstruation
- Pregnancy
- Glaucoma
- High blood pressure
Supine twist
Benefits:
- Encourages movement and mobility in your spine and vertebrae
- Stretches your chest, shoulders, lower back, hips, middle spine and your upper back
- Alleviates pain or stiffness in your lower back, spine and hips
- Massages, stretches, and tones your internal organs
- Improves your digestion
- May increase creativity, confidence, self-esteem and sexuality
Contraindications:
- Severe lower back problems – check with your doctor and go easy
- Pregnancy (more comfortable with pillow between knees)
- Internal organ surgery – check with your doctor
Meet Your Teacher…
Marie Mann, Certified Yoga Teacher and C.H.E.K Practitioner
Hi, I’m Marie and I came to yoga in a roundabout way when I had been unwell with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), an inflammatory condition of the spine and joints for several years.
AS leaves many people completely immobilized by fused joints and extreme chronic pain. I was only 30 at the time of my official diagnosis and terrified of losing my mobility at such a young age.
Yoga amongst other things has helped me thrive despite having this condition. It’s the only reason I was able to recover good movement in my in my lower back and with that return to living a normal life.
I run a yoga studio in Castleford, U.K. where I work with people struggling with mobility issues, chronic pain, arthritis, and many other conditions.
People assume that yoga is only for the young, fit, and flexible, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
If a stroppy and resistant person like me who thought yoga is never going to work for my back can find relief with yoga, so can you.
I’ve helped countless students of all ages go from completely immobile and in severe pain to finding freedom to move, find relief from pain that felt like it would never recede, and experience a sense of connection to their bodies that they never knew was possible.
I’d love to help you too.
Welcome to the Simply Doable Yoga community where everyone is welcome and you’ll be able to do a version of every pose.
Your Journey to Relief Starts Now…
I’ll be popping into your inbox with more information and resources to help you make yoga a part of your life. You deserve to feel at home in your body and I’m here to help you do just that.
Happy Customers
Tina M.
“I can’t give enough praise to Marie for helping me get my health back on track. I had suffered with a bad back and aching joints for years and more recently a chronic back issue. I tried conventional physio which didn’t help me and the doctors pretty much wrote me off. When I signed up with Marie for my first Yoga session my back was so bad I could barely make it to the class – but her encouragement to just try and do what I could, was so supportive and non- judgemental that I kept going and within about 6 weeks I couldn’t believe the difference it had made and even friends and family noticed the change.
I have been doing Yoga for 10 months and have also taken up Pilates & Tai Chi – I just love it – and its enabled me to do so much more in everyday life that I struggled with before because of back and joint pain. Not only do I feel stronger and more flexible, I am pretty much free of the chronic pain I had for almost 2 years. I couldn’t have imagined when I came to that first class, that Yoga would become such an important part of my life and I just wish I had tried this years ago.
Marie has such a great ability to take into account everyone’s individual needs and she picks up on the smallest things that can make such a big difference. She has taught me to understand and listen to my body and given me the knowledge and confidence to feel in control of my health going forward. I would encourage anyone to come to a class or work with Marie to improve their wellbeing.
Thank you Marie for helping me to change my life for the better.”
Julie J.
I’m 51, late to motherhood, not very fit with a list of ailments and past injuries, I work full time with a young family and a disabled parent to take care of.
I initially started with the hope of improving my health and gaining some ‘me’ time, Little did I realise just how much help my body and mind were in great need of! I’m not a trendy bendy typical yogi but after only a few months I started to feel the benefits of attending Marie’s classes and quickly realised the more effort and perseverance you put in, the more you gain from it.
Her classes are welcoming and with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, come as you are and do what you are able to do, Marie is experienced with a wealth of knowledge on all ailments and will guide and help you to find a way, if you are willing to try and to help yourself.
Thanks to Marie and her class, Yoga really has changed my life, not just physically but emotionally and mentally. Because I struggle to attend more than once a week my aim is to home practise every day – not easy to make time for but well worth it when I do. So I signed up for the online practise too.
For me the combination of class and home study works well – I prefer to have them both as I really enjoy attending class.
If I struggle I can email Marie for support or guidance on how to do a pose in a way that works for me personally.
If you’re thinking about it but not sure if it’s for you – come to a taster day or if you’re self conscious about coming to class or find it hard to find the time – try the online practise. We look forward to seeing you on the mat, Namaste, Julie
Nikki A.
Then I discovered Marie’s classes. She makes you feel welcome and makes you realise yoga is for everyone….it doesn’t matter what size or shape you are and it doesn’t matter how many blocks, straps, cushions, etc you use to assist you in poses.
I have a weird back issue which means I cannot do back bends. Marie is always very good about offering me alternative poses to stop me hurting myself. She is very good about finding out about people’s health issues and ensuring they push themselves in a class, but in a way that is not going to hurt them. I feel I have gained a lot from Marie’s classes, not just physically but also mentally”