This course was developed by Justin Sluyter, author of Yoga for Low Back Pain, a former group yoga instructor who found himself debilitated by yoga-induced back pain, and created the Low Back Yogi program based on years of research undertaken by Dr. Stu McGill at his world-renowned Spine Biomechanics Laboratory at the University of Waterloo. This course is intended to provide yoga practitioners with a legitimately science-based approach, offering a path out of chronic back pain.
Instead of focusing on arbitrary flexibility, the focus here is on strength, endurance, stability, and appropriate mobility.
All you need to get started is a yoga mat! It can also be helpful to have a Swiss Ball handy for the Stir-the-Pot exercise, and one or two kettlebells or dumbbells for use in the Carries exercise, but these are quite optional.
UPDATE 1/22/20:Buying this course on Udemy now gives you access to the latest edition of the ebook, Yoga For Low Back Pain:AScience-Based Approach!
Early Access Reviews:
I started going to group yoga classes a few years ago to complement my normal routine and help prevent injuries. I am quite happy to have been introduced to Justin's series, as the sequence is far more tailored to my needs. Quite usefully, Justin explains the logic behind the poses chosen, as well as the reasoning behind why you might be better off skipping some of the poses included in typical group classes. I recommend the course to anyone who has dealt with back pain in the past as well as anyone who wants to improve core strength and stability.-Jacob Mays
I think he did a great job of presenting the material. He focused on a specific therapy (yoga for the low back) instead of trying to teach all yoga for all body parts to everyone and that was a wonderful thing because it delivered exactly what was promised in the title of the course. The wide shots were beautiful with the landscape in the background. The video camera was also close enough to see details. He seems to CARE about the practitioners too which is nice. He gives reasons why you should do things a certain way and he gives advice as to how to approach the practice and what to do for your back pain when you're not practicing. His goal really seems to be helping people in pain. There were some non traditional moves that were new to me and that says a lot because I'm always studying exercise and constantly searching for variety. I find anyone who can inspire me with something new very refreshing!!!-Sky Nicholas
This feels revolutionary. I think with continued practice this could help relieve lower back pain for many people familiar with yoga. It might be a bit difficult for people who are not flexible, but they would most likely gain flexibility by doing these exercises. The instructor is obviously very knowledgeable and yet also has a gentle, encouraging tone. He is a joy to watch and listen to.
I don't think this course needs to be changed in any way. It does exactly what it says, and I believe it would provide great results over time for dedicated students who proceed with the caution the instructor recommends.-Patricia Smith
I don't know anything about yoga but this helped me and it's one I'll watch again and again and take notes.-Lovely L. Jones
