The problem 

You have one or more herniated lumbar discs: should you do yoga or not?

To answer this question, we have to answer this key question: what is yoga?

Yoga is a practice focused on getting you in balance.

What does it mean?

It means spending some time using the poses and other exercises (like breathing, meditation, ect) to correct what is not balanced.

So, everybody who has a body can do yoga and, done with this goal, yoga is always good.

The problem is doing yoga exercises that aren't right for your body.

It means that you can't go to a regular yoga class and do the poses that are thought for a body that is pretty much in balance.

Unless you know how to modify the poses in the right way for your body, you risk of hurting yourself or make your lumbar disc problem worse.

Ideally, anyone should do yoga in a different, personalized way, modified to his or her body imbalances.

And surely this is KEY for you if – like me – you have herniated lumbar disc problems.

And the same if you have any other kind of herniated discs, lordosis, kyphosis, sciatica or any other physical problem. 

In fact, the ideal solution is to find a private instructor who knows about your problem and who can teach and follow you what yoga exercises to do for your body situation.

In a nutshell: the RIGHT yoga, done in the RIGHT way can do good for you because it teaches you to feel, understand and manage your body (and your pain).

So, just doing any yoga exercise, thinking it will help no matter what, can be dangerous.

On the other hand, just avoiding yoga because it can be dangerous, prevents you from the good you can get from yoga.

That is why I created this "modified yoga class".

The solution

I am doing "modified yoga classes" to teach you

• What yoga poses to do and how 
• What yoga poses to avoid and why
• How to keep working on the rest of your body even if you have this problem

So you understand how to modify your yoga poses to avoid making your situation worse and, on the contrary, getting your body closer to balance than you are now.

Depending on the attendance, I will do my best to give attendees personalized feedback and answers.

What we will do

The class will be a combination of explanations and a "modified" yoga practice.

This is not a "physiotherapy for herniated disc" class.

It is a slow beginners Vinyasa (flow) yoga class to experience the benefits of yoga, but adjusted for people like us with an herniated disc problem.

This means that will avoid or modify all the poses that can push the hernia further out (even when they don't give us pain!).

And on top of that we will add:

• extra stretching exercises to elongate the muscles that you usually contract (because of the spasms related to your herniated disc problem)
• extra stretching exercises for the spine (Eldoa) and tissue education exercises (McKenzie) to help to contain the disc hernia and to improve mobility.

Program

Introduction – 20/25 minutes

• We will start introducing each other and talk about “what to do and what to avoid” in our yoga practice.
• Plus some tips to practice yoga with all kinds of herniated disc and general yoga safety rules.

Modified Practice – around 1 hour

There will be modifications to poses and sequences where needed for our specific situation

• How to sit and how to breath
• Modified Sun Salutation sequence
• Warriors and standing poses
• Balance poses 
• Closing sequences with stretching exercises (with some specific for sciatica), static abs and rebalancing of our nervous system.
• And... Shavasana 😊.

Why me

My name is Daniela Novati and I am a yoga teacher that is living, practicing and teaching with 4 herniated lumbar discs.

One on L5-S1 is specifically serious with almost 1" x 0.5" protrusion that I will probably needs surgery.

However, in the meantime I learned all the modifications to yoga poses that let me practice and teach without making my herniated disc worse.

With my experience of teaching yoga I could create specific modifications and understand how they work.

That is why I feel confident that I can teach you the right modification for your poses.

Is this class for you?

While I am confident I can advise people who have my same issue (lumbar herniated disc) because I have first-hand experience, I have limited experience with other types of herniated disc.

I have some experience with yoga for cervical herniated discs, but it's partial (I worked with a client who had this issue).

And I have no experience with other types annd positions of herniated discs.

And finally, everybody is different

So, before joining the class, ask yourself if this is for you. And during the class listen to your body!

If you...

• have a lumbar herniated disc(s) problem – those are the most common
• already do yoga even at a very basic level
• or you want to learn how to use yoga to feel better

...this class will surely benefit you.

Because I will teach you yoga modifications that are original and based on "first hand" experience of a yoga teacher doing yoga with herniated lumbar discs.

If you think this is for you, welcome to the class!