I can barely move. How can I possibly do yoga?

You don't need to be flexible or pain-free to start. I modify everything. If you can't bend forward, you don't. If you can't get down to the floor, I use a chair. It's about comfortable movement within your range, not achieving shapes.

Won't yoga make my back worse? I'm terrified of triggering a spasm.

I never take you into pain. If a pose doesn't feel right, you skip it or change it, and nothing is held against you. Many students arrive scared of moving at all and find that slow, comfortable movement feels safer than they expected. If your pain is new or severe, see your GP before you book anything.

I have a herniated disc / sciatica / spondylolisthesis. Is yoga safe for me?

That's a question for your GP or physio, not for me. Get their go-ahead first, then tell me what they said on the health form and I'll modify around it. Plenty of students come here after finishing physio to keep themselves moving.

What's the difference between yoga and physiotherapy?

Physios diagnose and treat specific problems with targeted exercises. I teach group classes of general, gentle movement. Many students do physio for the acute part and come here to keep moving afterwards. I'm not a substitute for either your physio or your GP.

How soon will my pain improve?

I don't know, and I won't pretend to. Some students say they feel looser after a class or two. Others take months, and for some yoga isn't the right thing. What I can promise is that we won't force anything.

I sit at a desk all day. Is this the right yoga for "desk back"?

Long days at a desk leave a lot of people stiff and achy, and slow, gentle movement can improve your range over time. I'll also show you things you can do at your desk between classes.

Do I need to bring anything or wear anything special?

Wear comfortable clothes you can move in. I provide mats, bolsters, blocks, blankets, and straps. If you struggle getting up from the floor, let me know beforehand and I'll set you up with a chair.

Yoga for back pain | The Yoga Den Wallington

Yoga for back pain

Slow, comfortable movement for backs that have learned to brace. No perfect poses, no forcing.

Best for

✓Long-term, nagging lower back pain
✓Stiffness from desk work
✓Getting moving again after an old injury
✓Fear of bending, lifting or twisting
✓"Stiff back" and limited mobility

What to expect

Everything modified. I use blocks, bolsters, and chairs to meet your body where it is. No forward folds if they hurt, no twists if they aggravate. You're in control.

1–2 classes per week

Recommended classes

View timetable

The pain keeps coming back

The painkillers take the edge off, but the tension remains. You're afraid to move because you're afraid of the spasm.

You've tried physio, osteopathy, ergonomic chairs. Some of it helped for a while, but the pain keeps returning. And every yoga picture you've seen, people folded neatly in half, looks like a recipe for disaster.

That's not what happens here. Nobody folds anyone in half.

How the class works

Pain can make you brace and avoid movement long after an injury. We use slow, comfortable movements and let your range increase gradually. No forcing.

Every pose is modified. If you can't get to the floor, I use a chair. If a shape doesn't feel right, you skip it or change it. You stay in charge of your own back.

Before your first class you fill in a health form. Tell me about your pain on it, and I'll have modifications ready before you walk in.

Classes that help

Hatha Yoga

Slow, modified movement

·Gentle mobility work at your own pace
·Blocks, straps and chairs wherever they help
·Everything modified for pain and limitations

Yin Yoga

Long, supported holds

·Quiet, supported poses held for a few minutes
·Nothing forced, props everywhere
·Suits stiff, cautious bodies

Breathe.Meditate.Relax

Pain is exhausting. This is the resting one.

·Breathing practice and guided rest
·Lying down, fully supported
·No movement to worry about

What the research says

1.NICE, which advises the NHS, says a group exercise programme, which can take a mind and body approach, is worth considering for a flare-up of low back pain (NICE guideline NG59).
2.The largest UK trial of yoga for back pain followed 313 adults with long-term or recurring low back pain and compared a specialised 12-class yoga programme with usual GP care. The yoga group had better back function at three months; pain scores didn't improve. My ordinary classes are not that programme (Tilbrook et al., 2011).

If you have acute back pain (severe, sudden onset), new neurological symptoms (numbness, weakness, bowel/bladder changes), or suspect a fracture, see your GP urgently before starting yoga.

If you need more than yoga

Yoga helps a lot of people, but it isn't everything. If you need more, here's where I'd point you.

Local osteopaths

For hands-on treatment and diagnosis

Local physiotherapists

For acute rehab and targeted exercises

Your GP

Always see your GP first for new or severe back pain

NHS Back Pain Advice

Self-help resources and guidance on when to seek urgent care

Common questions

Start slowly

Tell me about your pain on the health form so I can prepare modifications.

Book your first class Email me about your back

Bring your pain, your limitations, your fear. I'll work with all of it.

Read about my training.

The pain keeps coming back

The painkillers take the edge off, but the tension remains. You're afraid to move because you're afraid of the spasm.

That's not what happens here. Nobody folds anyone in half.

How the class works

Pain can make you brace and avoid movement long after an injury. We use slow, comfortable movements and let your range increase gradually. No forcing.

Every pose is modified. If you can't get to the floor, I use a chair. If a shape doesn't feel right, you skip it or change it. You stay in charge of your own back.

Before your first class you fill in a health form. Tell me about your pain on it, and I'll have modifications ready before you walk in.

What the research says

1.NICE, which advises the NHS, says a group exercise programme, which can take a mind and body approach, is worth considering for a flare-up of low back pain (NICE guideline NG59).

2.The largest UK trial of yoga for back pain followed 313 adults with long-term or recurring low back pain and compared a specialised 12-class yoga programme with usual GP care. The yoga group had better back function at three months; pain scores didn't improve. My ordinary classes are not that programme (Tilbrook et al., 2011).

If you have acute back pain (severe, sudden onset), new neurological symptoms (numbness, weakness, bowel/bladder changes), or suspect a fracture, see your GP urgently before starting yoga.

If you need more than yoga

Yoga helps a lot of people, but it isn't everything. If you need more, here's where I'd point you.

Local osteopaths

For hands-on treatment and diagnosis

Local physiotherapists

For acute rehab and targeted exercises

Your GP

Always see your GP first for new or severe back pain

NHS Back Pain Advice

Self-help resources and guidance on when to seek urgent care

Common questions