Archive for May 12th, 2008

Written By Glen Wood

If health professionals paid more attention to driving posture and the science of sitting, they would have fewer patients to treat for back pain. Instead, their “state of the art” advice to patients is: 1) Use a rolled towel or lumbar support in the lower back when driving, and 2) get out of the car and stretch after every 15-30 minutes of driving. This typical advice shows absolutely no understanding of the dynamics of driving posture and back pain, yet this advice comes at an hourly rate of at least $100 to $150!

If you find yourself stiff and cranky after driving just 15 minutes you are not alone. 8 out of 10 drivers suffer from Repetitive Driving Injuries, according to a study by Ergonomic expert Professor Mark Porter of Loughborough University. The five most common RDI’s are foot cramps, lumbar/lower back pain, stiff neck, side ache, and headache/eye strain. His findings show that 65% of drivers in the study reported having low back trouble, 43% neck trouble and 40% shoulder trouble. Sound familiar?

By identifying what your driving style is, you can learn how to adjust your car seat to reduce the incidence of RDI’s. Ergonomic adjustments and low back pain exercises will help you avoid those symptoms. By adding simple Yoga poses and Yoga exercises to your drive, you’ll feel more energized and recover more quickly from commuter fatigue. You’ll leave road rage in the dust after practicing yoga in your car and using the suggested breathing techniques. Yoga exercises are a great, anti-aging way for getting more healthy and for stress relief. Now you can get these benefits even in stressful situations like being stuck in gridlock on your commute.

Most individuals are well aware of the results from conforming their bodies to car seats when commuting to work and travelling: low back pain, upper back and neck pain, headaches, and fatigue. These common health complaints develop from a slumped sitting posture that rounds the back and shoulders, restricts diaphragmatic breathing, and protrudes the lower abdomen.

This slumped driving posture is characterized by a collapsed trunk with a round back, round shoulders, and a forward head posture. The relaxation of the lower abdominal and back muscles in this posture increases the stress to the back ligaments and discs.

Also notice that the pelvis can slide forward on the car seat, away from the lower backrest.

Continued …

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://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Unfortunately, some Yoga teacher training courses do not cover the value of mantra or japa. In fact, in some rare cases, an intern might learn two dozen (24) Yoga postures (asanas), at level one, over a weekend. It is true that you have to start somewhere, but, in this case, a teacher’s continuing education must be pursued in a multitude of directions.

However, let’s talk about the true benefits, and value of mantra. The definition of mantra should be clear to all Yoga teachers, but the most common understanding might be: A mystical or sacred syllable, word, or set of words. In Sanskrit the definition of mantra is: “Mind protection.”

One might ask: Protection from what? In short, mantra is protection from self-destructive “mind chatter.” Not all mind chatter is self-destructive, but some of us easily default toward negative thoughts, when we are awake, and even, when we dream.

Mantras are words with the power to protect the Yoga practitioner through repetition and practice. How is this possible? Positive affirmations and prayers do the same thing. The only person who doubts the power of positive affirmation and prayer is a pessimist. Pessimism is a guaranteed path toward self-destruction.

Therefore, let’s consider the optimistic path of enlightenment. Your mind will need protection from negative internal or external influences, which naturally occur during the course of a day. Even if you were in the middle of a sacred prayer, while driving your car, would you be able to maintain good thoughts? Now, what if other drivers were endangering your life by running stop signs?

This is just one example of real life situations. How do you usually react to a bullying co-worker? Would prayer, affirmation, or mantra, protect you from negative thoughts? Would you be peaceful, and logical, in the face of an adversary?

In truth, you would react to torment, but your emotions would be kept in check, to some degree, as a result of mantra practice. It is only human to have feelings. As you know, feelings and thoughts can be good or not so good.

So, why do we judge ourselves so harshly over thousands of daily thoughts, which come and go? We fear that we are what we think about. Now, we have come back “full circle,” to the true value of mantra, prayer, and positive affirmation.

The self-protection of our mental health is dependent upon having a focused, and controlled, mind. This is the reason why every Yoga teacher certification program should completely expose the positive value of mantra. In turn, Yoga teachers should pass this knowledge on to their students as Yogis did for thousands of years before us.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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