This is what my m physiotherapist told me a few years ago, with this sentence in mind I just didn't understand how it was possible and that he was wrong.
Instead, over time, I realized that many students and no less yoga teachers suffer from back pain.
-I am not a doctor and therefore I always invite you to visit your doctor if you have any questions.
How is this possible?
Take a wooden stick at its ends, when you flex it continuously on one side and on the other, sooner or later it breaks.
This is one of the reasons why we feel pain after a while.
An Asana sequence must be studied with intelligence, for example passing from deep forward bending to backward does not help.
An example is after doing Urdhva dhanurasana (the wheel) coming down and bring the knees to the chest.
You are flexing your spine like a stick, this causes your vertebrae to wear out.
Why do you make a position? How do you prepare to do it? And how do you get out of it gradually?
The intervertebral discs are structures that we find between the vertebrae of our spine (see image).
They have different roles, one of which is to support the spine, allowing you to perform all movements and absorb shocks.
The discs give 25% of the height of our spine, in the morning they are more relaxed and during the day with the weight of the body they tend to flatten naturally.
So in the evening we will always be a little lower than in the morning.
With age, the elastic matter of the discs tends to shrink, and this can manifest as a herniated disc or bulges. It is a normal part of the aging process, not necessarily associated with pain and not necessarily requiring surgery.
So what to do?
Don't be afraid to move your spine, but move it with awareness.
Movement is medicine for our body, by staying still often the pains instead of improving becomes stronger and we weaken the structure of our body.
If you have a herniated disc you can practice Yoga, but try to avoid deep twists and instead focus on gentle positions like cat-cow, side bends, etc.
Remember that our body has an incredible ability to heal itself and that nothing is permanent.
Time and patience are your allies in Yoga, make them friends!
Finally ask yourself why.
"Why do I do this position? How can I best prepare myself to do it? And how do I gradually get out of it?"
If you want to practice with me or have doubts and questions, I invite you to contact me.
Namaste
Daniele