Search - Yoga: Freedom from Back Pain on DVD

Gentle stretches to release the back

Beth Cholette | Upstate NY USA | 09/22/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD offers a very gentle approach to treating back pain. Instructor Lillah Schwartz offers two main parts to this 90-minute DVD. In the first, the 60-minute Instructional segment, she provides detailed teaching for a total of twelve exercises. Then, there is a more flowing Practice session of just under 30 minutes; here Schwartz guides you through the same poses as in the instructional segment, but she spends less time on setup and moves seamlessly from pose to pose. Schwartz uses a blanket, towel, strap, and a chair for postures such as reclined leg stretch (several variations), bound angle, locust pose, and crunches (with legs on the chair).

Personally, I found the Practice Sequence to be very mild and did not feel particularly stretched by it, but that may well be because 1) I am not someone who suffers from back pain, and 2) I was already quite experienced with the yoga postures which Schwartz presented here. However, prior yoga experience is definitely not needed to perform the exercises on this DVD; in addition, Schwartz does a nice job in the DVD insert of suggesting options for working your way up to the full program of twelve exercises if needed. Back pain sufferers in particular may benefit from this very gentle yoga program, and I certainly would recommend it."