YOGA for Healthy Lower Backs
Specialised, Evidence-Based 12-Week Courses
The University of York, Department of Health Sciences, York Trials Unit
Arthritis Research UK
Gentle * Effective * Enjoyable
Quality * Small Group Classes
Unique * Specific * Individualised
Beginner-Friendly * Cost-Effective
Teaches and Motivates
Health & Well-being Promotional Self-Management
Upcoming or current course details:
SPECIFIC COURSE INFORMATION SHEET
Day: Monday Evenings
Time: 5.30-6.30 pm
Venue Address: The Studio at Chester Chiropractic Clinic/Back to Health, 76A Hoole Road, Chester, CH2 3NL
Start-date: 30st March 2020
- Monday 30st March
--break for Easter
- Monday 20st April
- Monday 27th April
- Monday 4th May
- Monday 11th May
- Monday 18th May
--mid term break
- Monday 1st June
- Monday 8th June
- Monday 15th June
- Monday 22nd June
- Monday 29th June
- Monday 6th July
Unable to attend Class 1? – Please contact your teacher. Class 1 is important because:- it includes an assessment element; it is a different type of class to the rest of the course, where you will go through a ‘menu’ sheet of pain-relieving poses; and importantly you will be taught how to relax.
Unable to attend all 12 classes? – Don’t worry if you think you may not be able to attend all the classes, as you are guaranteed 12, i.e. you can catch up on missed classes on future courses, thereby spreading out your learning.
Teacher: Alyson Gwatkin
Please contact the teacher by phone for a brief pre-course preliminary chat. (Please make contact soon - at the very latest, a week before the course begins.)
Alyson’s telephone number = 07801 575773 Email = aly@yogaly.co.uk
What to Bring: Please bring along a yoga/exercise/camping mat and a rug/blanket.
What to Expect: This unique ‘best practice’ yoga course is designed by experts. It is extremely gentle in its approach and puts you in charge of improving your health and wellbeing. It is taught in small groups to allow for individual attention.
What to Wear: Please wear loose layered clothing so that you can move easily and won’t get cold/hot. You will practise yoga in bare-feet, but if it is cold, you may like to wear non-slip socks.
The Book, Relaxations CD and Home Practice: To gain maximum long-term benefits, you receive the comprehensive ‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’ book (by Alison Trewhela / Anna Semlyen). Our research trial participants had this manual as a course accompaniment to remind them of things learnt throughout the 12 classes. You will be taught to incorporate postural and stress-relieving techniques into your daily life and to practise simple yoga effectively at home. To begin with, we will suggest you practise almost every day, but once your condition has improved, practising for 30 minutes twice a week is likely to help maintain long-term health improvements, as shown in our research. You will receive home practice sheets and hand-outs throughout the course. You will also receive access to a single relaxation track via an Audio App with the option to buy the research trial’s 4-track Relaxations CD to enable you to learn how to release physical, mental and emotional tension. (I have made the CD an optional purchase to keep the upfront cost of the course to a minimum)
Payment for this 12-week course that teaches you to help yourself forever:
£30 due now or 3 weeks before the course begins to reserve your place (Registration & Resources Pack - book, Relaxation track, practice sheets, hand-outs. This is payable by cash, cheque or bank transfer to Alyson Gwatkin:- 40-12-55 A/C No. 11000314 (Ref.= your name and YHLB)
£120 – payable at or before Class 1 = Teaching Fees for the 12week course, payable directly to teacher by cash, cheque or bank transfer (the day before the class) to the account detailed above. If you need to make 2 payments of £60 to spread the cost, please ask.
Thank you for helping us to build numbers for our Wait-Lists by telling others about these courses. Look forward to helping yourself improve the health of your back for the long-term. Happy Yoga.
Back discomfort is a common problem. Now there is an innovative evidence-based way to improve back health and function. The 'YOGA for Healthy Lower Backs' programme gently and progressively aims to help people get back to being more active again.
The Research that Used this Specific Yoga
The University of York (Department of Health Sciences, York Trials Unit) ran one of the largest yoga research studies, funded by Arthritis Research UK. Teachers from the Iyengar Yoga Association (UK) and the British Wheel of Yoga designed and ran specialised 12-week courses in five areas of the UK. The positive results showing it to be safe and effective were published in the 'Annals of Internal Medicine' ('Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Trial' H Tilbrook, et al, Nov 1st 2011). The Cost Evaluation in the Journal 'Spine' (LH Chuang, Aug 15th 2012) showed it to be cost-effective for the NHS, society and the workplace. A social enterprise has been set up to allow more people to benefit from the same yoga programme used in the randomised controlled trial.
Learn Life-long Self-Management Skills
Learn skills to improve your health for the long-term. Ask your GP whether this gentle, evidence-based, specially-modified yoga course is appropriate for you (show them the www.yogaforbacks.co.uk website). Enjoy helping yourself with this yoga 'toolkit', as many others have.
Yoga Class Format
The 12 x 1 hour classes comprise easy foundational yoga poses. Props such as a yoga block, blanket or belt are used to aid effectiveness and to ensure absolute comfort.
If you are interested in booking onto a course please contact me for details of the next course.