Fw: Unwinding Sciatic Pain - Yoga Tune Up Newsletter - August 2011

[Guest guest]

Ooh - sorry for the double post - but I found the article on sciatic pain interesting!! And, very similar to my issues. My chiro works on my whole back when I go and it really is all connected. I really need to try some more of Jill's work.

Donna

Subject: Unwinding Sciatic Pain - Yoga Tune Up Newsletter - August 2011To: donna112520@...Date: Thursday, August 18, 2011, 9:45 AM

Do you remember that playground song as a kid... Your foot bone's connected to your ankle bone, your ankle bone's connected to the leg bone, your leg bone's connected to the knee bone, your knee bone's connected to the thigh bone, and your thigh bone's connected to the hip bone....

That's part of the lyrics to "Dem Dry Bones" by and mund ... Well, while the lyrics may not be anatomically correct, the point is... EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED and that is truth!

Your body is comprised of multiple interrelated layers of muslce and connective tissues (called Fascia), many of which converge into each other OR into bones via tendons. These tendons often merge into joint capsules and ligaments and create motion at our joints. Point is... EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED.

If you are feeling aches or pain in one part of your body you have to address the WHOLE... and that is the story YTU Teacher Jablonski tells when describing how she addressed her client's SCIATICA PAIN by ultimately working on her SHOULDER using the YTU Therapy Balls!

And speaking of the YTU Therapy Balls... they're featured along with a few YTU classic poses in a FIVE PAGE SPREAD in Canada's leading lifestyle magazine, CHATELAINE (see an online preview here). I'll be in Canada this weekend for CanFitPro and then back to LA to lead a Level 1 Teacher Training. If you can't study with me, there's now about 100 YTU certified teachers that you can study with either privately, in a class, or at a workshop.

Take a look at 's article below, it's important!... See you soon,

**HOW DO YOU ROLL?**

Yoga Tune Up®

Therapy Ball Kits

Experience the powerof Self Massage

Get 10% off all Kits Enter Coupon Code: GIVEME10(Good through 8/31/11)

Finding Sciatica Relief... or One Woman's Journey

to Discover How the Shoulder Bone Really is Connected to the Thigh Bone

by Jablonski, Certified YTU Teacher

In Yoga Tune Up® we're encouraged to look for the less obvious reasons why a muscle or joint might act the way it does. Human anatomy is at once complicated, beautiful and mind-bogglingly intertwined. Rarely does it seem that the site of discomfort is actually the source of the problem. But if you can loosen just one tiny piece of the knot, keep following the thread--and you'll probably unravel your client's pain.

Consider a woman who came to me complaining of sciatica on her left side. She had been in and out of physical therapy for years, but it never provided long-lasting relief. A few sessions with the YTU Therapy Balls and a few key YTU poses (such as the pelvic primers and leg stretch series) relieved the searing leg pain she has been experiencing, but now she noticed the entire left side of her body, shoulder to thigh, felt tight. Clearly while we had relieved the majority of her discomfort, we hadn't solved the problem, meaning, it would most likely return.

We used the Therapy Balls on her quadratus lumborum, the QL (that's right where you see the man's right hand on the above photo). While she rolled out this deep low back muscle, she also felt tension and "odd pulling" on the front of her body. This is because the tension in her back was also stitched into knots and kinks in the muscles directly in front of the QL, namely the famous psoas and the tail end of the respiratory diaphragm. All of these muscles connect in some fascial way to one another, and to the 12th thoracic vertebrae so it was not surprising to me that my student was also unable to take deep abdominal breaths. (How could she when her entire lower back and portions of her breathing muscles were in spasm?)

THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF IT ALL

Perhaps the real issue was lodged further up the body. The lower trapezius also connects at T-12, so I wondered, "what if her trapezius was yanking on her low back muscles and creating a larger issue for her whole back?" Since my client mentioned her shoulder hurt, we changed tactics and moved the balls to her upper back, rotator cuff and clavicular area, adding some 'shazam' stretches like Holy Cow at the Trough. She 'oohed' and 'ahhed' about how nice all of this felt, but her chest-based breath didn't seem to change.

Stumped, we returned to her mid-section--this time doing static Yogi Leg Lifts to stretch her psoas eccentrically (lengthening the muscle while contracting it). With her left leg hovering an inch off the mat, she inhaled so deeply and dramatically it surprised us both. And then came the woooosh of her body releasing from her shoulder all the way down to her thigh (see? they are connected!). It was at this point my client mentioned she had broken her sternum (breastbone) some time ago, but never received breathing therapy as part of her rehab. She hadn't taken a deep breath in years and had never noticed it until now! But neither had she noticed any pain at the site of the break--only the sciatica, which is what brought her to me.

UNRAVELLING THE MYSTERY

In short, her sciatic problem was a RESULT not the ISSUE. How the human body processes and presents injury can be frustrating for both client and practitioner alike. It is unclear exactly how my client's body dealt with her broken sternum. What is clear is that as her sternum healed, it kicked off a chain reaction in her body that wound its way though her chest, shoulder, back, abdominal and possibly gluteal muscles, ultimately showing up as sciatic pain.

We finished that session with a few rounds of Uddihyana Bandha (isolating and stretching the diaphragm in a profound abdominal vacuum)--they literally blew her mind and mine, as the body's quirky, circuitous connections unwound themselves in just one breath -- and I am happy to report that her sciatic pain is now, a distant memory.

Upcoming Teacher Trainings

Yoga Tune Up® Level 1 Certification (70 hrs) September 8-11 & 16-18, Los Angeles, CA Call to Registerwww.yogatuneup.com

Yoga Tune Up® Hips & Bliss Immersion (24 hrs) Ocotber 13th -October 16th - West Hartford, CT Call to Registerwww.westhartfordyoga.com

Yoga Tune Up® Therapy Ball Practitioner Training October 18th, Brooklyn, NYCall to Registerwww.crossfitvirtuosity.com

SEE BELOW FOR ALL YTU INTEGRATED ANATOMY TRAININGS

Workshops & Retreats w/Jill

CanFitProAugust 17 - August 21, Toronto, Canadawww.canfitpro.com

Inner Idea ConferenceOctober 6 - October 9, La Jolla, CAwww.ideafit.com

Yoga Tune Up® Hips Helpers for Classic Poses October 19th, New York, NY @ YogaWorks Sohowww.yogaworks.com

Yoga Tune Up® Core Integration October 20th, New York, NY @ PURE Eastwww.pureyoga.com

Ojai Yoga CribOctober 27 - October 30, Ojai, CAwww.lulubandhas.com

ECA World Fitness ConferenceNovember 3 - 6, Boston, MA November 10 - 13, Ft. Lauderdale, FLwww.ecaworldfitness.com

Yoga Tune Up® Core Integration November 7th, Toronto, Canada Yoga Tune Up® Shoulders, Hips & Heels November 8th, Toronto, Canada www.theyogasanctuary.net

Cal-a-Vie Health SpaNovember 27 - December 4, Vista, CAwww.cal-a-vie.com

*FEATURED TRAINING* Yoga Tune Up® Therapy Ball Practitioner Training

in Brooklyn, NY @ CrossFit October 18th

This CERTIFICATE TRAINING course empowers professionals from any body-based discipline to help clients of any level of fitness to adopt a simple and effective self care regimen.

Learn 6 proven head-to-toe series that affect profound change in the rotator cuff, upper back, neck, jaw, hips, lower back, IT Band, calves and feet. Throughout this training you will identify bony landmarks,muscular attachments, fascia geography, and specialized ball rolling techniques that penetrate into common high tension areas to help release adhesions, generate circulation and relieve pain. CrossFit VirtuosityCall to Register

Yoga Tune Up® Integrated Anatomy Trainings: Become an EXPERT!

Deepen your Anatomical Fluency with Yoga Tune Up® Anatomy

This unique & comprehensive anatomy module expertly guides you into your living tissues, beyond traditional anatomy trainings, providing you with a direct personal experience of the interplay of the many complex systems of the body and helping you make them relevant and tangible for your students. Open to All Levels

Upcoming Trainings

9/16 - 9/18 - San Mateo, CA, w/ Iglecia 9/23 - 9/25, Newport Beach, CA, w/ Court 10/7 - 10/9, Chicago, IL, w/Marua Barclay 10/7 - 10/9, Los Angeles, CA, w/ Court10/14 - 10/16, San Francisco, CA, w/Owen Grady10/14 - 10/16, Boston, MA, w/Lillee Chandra10/21 - 10/23, Palos Verdes, CA, w/Maura Barclay10/21 - 10/23, NYC, NY, w/Jill 10/21 - 10/23, Greenwich, CT w/Lillee Chandra 10/21 - 10/23, Preston Hollow, TX w/ Iglecia

Tuition: $375 Call at to register or email: lauren@...

Presented @ the PURE/Equinox 200 hr. RYT Trainings

For more info on the PURE/EQUINOX 200 hr. TEACHER TRAINING Program GO HERE or email purett@...

Yoga Tune Up® Level 1 Teacher Training

Train to Teach Yoga Tune Up® Upcoming LA Training in September

Join us for the next Yoga Tune Up® Level 1 40 hour Certification Program. The program strikes a balance between the worlds of Yoga and Fitness, and is on the cutting edge of Yoga Therapy, attracting trainees of all ages and types. Learn advanced Anatomy and Physiology and proven techniques to help your studens and yourself. Los Angeles Training Thursday, September 8 - Sunday, September 11 & Friday, September 16 - Sunday, September 18 Los Angeles, CA Contact: lauren@...

Featured Video

Yoga Tune Up® Pose Video: Twisted Child Pose Therapeutic Applications: Helps pull apart and rehydrate muscles that often get stuck together along the back, especially for folks with scoliosis, or hip imbalances that cause chronic back pain. View this Full Pose Here (Poses Change Each Week)

Blog Time:

YTU teachers tell it like it is!

Heidi Broecking discusses self care techniques for your calves, also known as the leg's little belly! Ariel Kiley shares how YTU Therapy Balls kept her safe during a bad car accident Tia Ukpe writes about the right way to stretch and the dangers of overstretching. Yoga Tune Up® Blog Live Better. Learn More.

REGISTER for BLOG Updates! Go HERE

YTU Products

Yoga Tune Up® Therapy Ball Programs Get targeted massage therapy at your fingertips! Yoga Tune Up® At Home Program Get a new DVD customized to your experience level sent direct to your doorstep each month. Yoga Tune Up® Quickfix Rx DVD An invaluable series of pain therapy routines for strengthening, stretching and relieving aches & pains. Yoga Tune Up® Quickfix Rx: KneeHab Four specialized sequences based on the health level of your knees to help you rehab and strengthen.

Yoga Tune Up® Post Athletic Stretch Routines DVD Get highly specialized post athletic stretch routines for: Running, Cycling, Swimming, Tennis & Golf.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS w/Certified YTU Instructors Portland, OR

Breathe in Bliss Out, 8/21 w/Maura Barclay

Dublin, Ireland Healing Hips & Soothing Shoulders, Sept 10 Rescue Your Back, 9/24 Rehabilitate Your Knees, 9/24 Massage Yourself to Health, 9/25 Rescue Your Back, 9/25 w/Dagmar Khan

stown, NYStiff Shoulders & Hitchy Hips Got Back Pain Sept 18, w/ Jablonski

Yokohama, Japan Yoga Tune Up® Hips Helpers Sept 23, w/Kyoko Jasperwww.yogafest.jp

Los Angeles, CAYTU Shoulders, Sept 7 YTU Hips, Sept 14 YTU Core, Sept 21 YTU Therapy Ball, Sept 28 w/Holli Rabishaw

Tolland, CTKneeHab: From Ow to Wow, 10/8 w/ Jablonski

Yoga Tune Up® Teacher of the Month

Holli Rabishaw is a Yoga Tune Up® instructor who often blends YTU with Vinyasa Flow. This unique combination supports conscious conditioning of the entire body while helping to tune in to mind, body and spirit. Her her classes are infused with an energy that settles and engages the mind, inspires, juices and stimulates! What is your favorite YTU pose and why? My FAVORITE YTU pose is Assymetrical Uttanasana. I can target hamstrings, piriformis, gluteus medius and maximus, illiotibial band AND with the added upper body twist, the quadratus lumborum! Every time I teach this in my YTU and Vinyasa Flow classes, or I take this stretch on my own, sheer tension release resounds. It is the single most well received posture in my YTU universe. What is your biggest breakthrough with a student? My biggest breakthroughs with students are in the "ah ha" moments when rolling out with YTU Therapy Balls. The self directed approach and tissue specificity that is characteristic of therapy ball techniques has created a new self care tool for each student. Finding personal tender spots in deeper layers of muscles and connective tissue brings a greater sense of control and relief to the individual experience. Using fascia grabbing techniques, each student receives a finely tuned massage. As students down tempo and breathe, the breakthroughs come in the form of melting away pressure, tension and stress. How has Yoga Tune Up® helped you personally? As an instructor, YTU has created an embodied experience for me to communicate to students. I am a much more "tuned in" and able to help students identify their physical imbalances and "prescribe" Tune Ups to correct or realign patterns which manifest in daily movement, activity and even in yoga asana (poses). YTU makes muscular and connective tissue responsiveness inherent as we heighten awareness. It is thoughtful, intelligent and fun both to teach and to explore. September is Yoga Tune Up® month at Yoga Works Tarzana w/HolliEvery Wednesday from 12:00 till 2:00pm, Holli will lead YTU workshops targeting Shoulders (week 1), Hips (week2), Core (week 3) and total body YTU Therapy Ball Tune Down (week 4). Search HERE for Holli'sLos Angels, CA area classes Meet ALL of our Yoga Tune Up® Certified Teachers HERE.

Get Bulk Balls Wholesale!

Own a STUDIO or teach LARGE CLASSES? Get Wholesale Pricing on 24+ SetsEmail lauren@... for details

Why I Teach YTU

"Yoga Tune Up® has given me the confidence and capability to no longer fear a student who comes in with a meniscus problem, disc issue, or hip replacement. I have such a wide variety of tools at my disposal and the capacity to use them because of my YTU Training."

- Court, Certified YTU Instructor

Shop YTU | Body Therapy | Free Videos | News | Community | Workshops

& Trainings | About YTU

Follow us:

Copyright © 2010-2011 Tune Up Fitness Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. To Update your email address click here For Newsletter opt-out click here Tune Up Fitness Worldwide, Inc. 12400 Ventura Blvd #325 Studio City, California 91604 United States