New Online Course with Donna Farhi!
Yoga for Lower Back Pain: Keys to Sacroiliac Stability and Ease of Movement
Earn 15 Hours Continuing Ed. with Yoga Alliance and IAYT
Take a Sneak Peek at Donna's Course:
Can Common Yoga Practice Erode the Stability of the SI Joint?
What Is Spinal Leveraging in Yoga
and How Can It Hurt Your Back?
How Asymmetrical Transitions Can Contribute to SI Pain and What to Do
A Model for Understanding Healthy Movement
How Yogis Mess Up Their SI Joint and Keys to Avoiding the Issue
How Ligaments Get Damaged and What Not to Do
“Donna’s information and unique practices for SI joint issues is exactly what I have been searching for. She is simply brilliant, a shining star in the yoga world and beyond. So glad you created this program for all of us to learn from and then share with our students.” -Dianne M.
With the increasing popularity of fast-paced Vinyasa style yoga practices with poor body mechanics, SI joint issues are becoming disturbingly common among yoga practitioneri.
Join renowned yoga teacher Donna Farhi for an in-depth look at how repetitive dysfunctional movements, skewed body mechanics and forceful overstretching can undermine the inherent stability of the pelvis and SI joint, resulting in pain and movement impairment.
In this 15-hour course, Donna will guide you through the complex anatomy and kinesiology of the sacroiliac joints so that you can better understand why certain practices compromise the integrity of these joints. Drawing on decades of medical research, we’ll look at several models for joint function and spinal stability that can inform your movement choices, and better enable you to adapt the method or tradition of Yoga you practice.
Here's What's Included in the Course!
Module 1:
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of the bones, ligaments, and articulating surfaces of the pelvis and lower spine.
- Explore the natural range of motion for both the SI joint and spinal facets Identify observed gender differences in the anatomy of this region.
- Understand how force is transmitted through the pelvis.
- Video: Eight Things Yogis Do to Stuff-Up Their SI-Joints: Including femoral and spinal leveraging, misguided biomechanics in standing postures, faulty transitions in flow sequences, and poor core strength coupled with hypermobility.
Module 2:
- Understand the key types of sacroiliac dysfunction and common habits that can aggravate these.
- Learn the three levers we exert on our SI joints.
- Explore how these forms of leveraging can show up in yoga practice and what problems they can cause.
- Develop a tool set for identifying sacroiliac dysfunction and steps to take to mitigate it.
- Video: Reducing Pain & Discomfort: Learn a simple practice sequence for calming and alleviating sacroiliac discomfort and helping to recenter the pelvic bones. Do targeted release work with the iliopsoas muscles, gently mobilize the pelvis and lumbar spine, and adapt practices to prevent excessive loading into the SIJs.
Module 3:
- Build a comprehensive understanding of the musculature and kinesiology of the pelvis and lower spine.
- Explore the 3 stability and 3 mobility subsystems of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems and how to put their principles into practice.
- Identify common “problem” poses
- Video: Coming Together: Building Pelvic Integrity: Learn a protocol to reduce asymmetrical torque in the SIJs. Many people who suffer from SIJ discomfort falsely believe that stretching will alleviate their discomfort, only to discover that within hours the pain has worsened. Although counterintuitive, increasing force closure of the SIJs (the snugness of the joint offered through increased regional muscular support) can give startlingly positive results, both immediately after practice, and in the long term. This pelvic integrity practice is a simple, accessible practice that may become your lifelong friend.
Module 4:
- Develop a step-by-step progression for working with sacroiliac dysfunction.
- Identify a spectrum of pose types from safest to least safe.
- Common adjusting no-nos to avoid.
- Video: Maintaining Stability While Regaining Mobility: This practice sequence begins with a standing warming and loosening sequence to improve fluidity in the spine. Explore strategies for maintaining stability while increasing mobility and function, reintroducing asymmetrical practices such as lunges, wide-stance standing postures, and twists. Many of the variations offered can be incorporated into your yoga classes to help your students avoid future SIJ problems.
Join Donna Farhi for this 15-hour course - Earn Continuing Ed. with the IAYT APD Credits and Yoga Alliance
For the yoga therapists and yoga teachers among you, we have good news! Donna Farhi's course is now approved for 15 hours of APD credit with the IAYT and 15 CEs with Yoga Alliance. This means that not only do you get to study with Donna online, if you are a yoga teacher, it's also a tax deductible expense.