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Chapter 6. Backache And Aching Legs Due To Bad Posture

Have we not often admired the graceful and dignified carriage of the average Indian man and woman, the coltish grace of their brown-limbed children? There is no magical secret to this natural grace, it is simply that in the East there are two natural sitting positions, which are adopted from early childhood. One of these is cross-legged, whether in the so-called tailor fashion or with the soles upturned, in the classical Lotus Posture. The other is on the haunches with the feet flat on the floor. This 'squatting' pose is described in the previous chapter.

Americans complain that the cross-legged and squatting positions are unnatural and so they are—to those who are used to sitting on chairs. But in the East they are so accustomed to sitting like that that they actually find it more comfortable than any other position. Years of sitting in these positions tends automatically to hold the spine in a naturally erect position, not rigidly straight as some people seem to think, but held with its natural curves in the right place. And so, in walking the spine is also held naturally and gracefully and this is the simple 'secret' behind the superb carriage of the average Indian.

I do not for one moment expect the average American who reads this book to acquire the habit of sitting down in the Lotus Pose or even in one of the easier cross-legged poses. These positions should be included in the daily schedule of Yoga exercises and held for a limited time only unless you wish to proceed to the more contemplative forms of Yoga. The Lotus Posture, though graceful and serene in appearance is difficult and painful for the beginner and likewise the Half-Lotus position I have demonstrated on the cover.

However, there are three cross-legged poses, which are not beyond the reach of the more supple among you, though I warn you that even quite young people in their early twenties sometimes have knees so stiff that they cannot sit cross-legged on the floor. I will describe these seated postures in turn, beginning with the LOTUS POSITION and you can try them for yourself.

1. Lotus Position

The advantage of this position is that it forms a symmetrical and firm seat so that the Yogis, in states of deep spiritual trance, did not overbalance. Sit down on the floor with your legs stretched out, feet together. Take the right foot in both hands and place it high up on the left thigh. The right knee should be pressed firmly to the floor. Take the left foot in both hands and draw it gently over the bent right leg so that the left foot is placed on the right thigh. I have demonstrated the correct position in figure 14.

2. Siddhasana (Half-Lotus position)

If you are unable to master the Lotus position this one is considered by many to be somewhat easier, and at the same time more comfortable. Certainly it is preferred by many Yogis to the full Lotus Pose. (See figure 14.) Sit down as before and place one foot with the heel against the perineum. The other foot is then placed on the opposite thigh with the heel pressed against the pubic bone. The hands should be placed as in the Lotus Pose, with the thumb and first fingers joined and the palms upwards.

3. Easy Pose

Sit down on the floor, tailor fashion, with the heel of one foot touching the perineum and the heel of the other underneath the opposite ankle. This is considerably easier than either the Lotus or Half Lotus positions.

If you are very stiff and find all three of these positions agonizing, then please do not pursue the matter. I do not want you to suffer unnecessary pain, but if you think you possibly could master one or all of them then do try for the sake of your posture.

The last of the seated postures I will describe in this chapter is as follows:

Samasana or The Symmetrical Pose

Sit down on the floor and bend the right leg, placing the heel against the pubic bone and resting against the left thigh. Bend the left leg and place the foot over the right one so that the heel is set against the pubic bone and the toes are pushed between the right thigh and calf. People who cannot master the other three-seated postures I have described are often able to sit down in Samasana without difficulty or discomfort. (Sec Fig. 13.) All three positions will hold the spine in a naturally erect position and so promote better posture.

The effective functioning of the entire organism is closely linked to the healthy condition of the spinal column and cord. As your body grows older there is a tendency for the vertebrae to become rigid especially after a lifetime of abuse in the form of bad sitting, walking or standing. If the body is habitually held in postures, which involve slouching the spinal column, tends to get out of alignment. In discussing this problem of backache we must face the fact that much of it is due to bad posture. Cure the one and the other disappears, and automatically there is an improvement in the genera! health and well-being.
I must warn you before 1 go any farther that a few days practice of the asanas I will describe in this chapter will not eliminate the effects of years of bad posture. If you would cure your backache, your round shoulders, and your rather ungraceful carriage you will have to work at it. You must keep a wary eye open at all times to see if you are slouching. People who work at typewriters are among the worst offenders here. Do sit with the base of your spine firmly against the back of your chair so that the back of it supports the lower back. Sit erect at all times and soon it will become a healthy habit.

The following simple exercise will help to limber up the spine and prepare it for more difficult postures. It is easy and bracing and is a vital first blow in our battle against bad posture. Similar to the Rocking exercise described in chapter four. Try this when you get out of bed in the morning.

The Half Somersault

1. Sit down cross-legged and grasp your toes with your arms outside your knees.



2. Bend forward and try to touch the floor with your forehead. No ? Well bend forward as far as you can.



3. Still holding your toes straighten your back and at the same time inhale deeply through the nose.



4. Hold your breath for a moment and then bend forward again while exhaling and when your lungs are empty roll backwards keeping your chin pressed firmly down into your chest in the chinlock I have mentioned before.



5. Roll forwards once more while inhaling until your spine is straight. Hold this position while you complete your inhalation.



6. While exhaling through your mouth bend forward once more to the starting position.

And that is all. Very easy this one, but two points to remember. The whole exercise should be performed slowly and rhythmically, with nasal inhalations and oral exhalations. It is best performed with the eyes closed, which is very calming to the mind and nerves. The benefits are many but principally the Half Somersault brings into play the muscles of the back, toning and stretching the whole of the spinal column.

The YOGAMUDRA exercise I described in the previous chapter is also beneficial to people with backache and bad posture.

Many of the Yoga exercises are based on the natural stretching of healthy animals, which the ancient Yogis, who formulated the science of Hatha Yoga, observed and emulated. Therefore, many Yoga asanas are named after mammals, birds, sea creatures, insects, and reptiles. In this chapter we meet the Swan and the Camel.

The Swan Posture (Swanasana)

As its name indicates, it is a graceful exercise and will, therefore, especially appeal to women readers, although its benefits also to male sufferers from backache can hardly be over-estimated. Like many other Yoga asanas the Swan Posture consists of two opposite movements, which I have demonstrated, in figures 15 and 16.

1. Lie face downwards, feet together, palms flat on the floor at the level of your armpits. Keep your elbows well off the floor. While inhaling deeply through the nose, and pressing downwards on the floor with your palms, slowly raise your head, shoulders and abdomen off the floor until your elbows are straight. (Fig. 16.)



2. Remain in this position for as long as you comfortably can while holding your breath.



3. While exhaling, and keeping your palms firmly on the floor without moving them slowly raise your abdomen, bend your knees, and sink into the kneeling position I have demonstrated in figure 15. Keep your forehead on the floor, your thighs pressed against your abdomen, and your buttocks on your heels. Remain thus while holding your breath.



4. When the impulse to inhale again appears do so and at the same time raise your buttocks off your heels, straighten your knees and, still without moving your palms return to the starting position as in figure 16.



5. Repeat this to and fro movement up to six times and do be careful to perform your breathing correctly.

And that is the Swan exercise. Graceful and beneficial, it massages and helps to reduce the abdomen in the kneeling movement and the other movement helps relieve backache and improves the posture. The to and fro movement combats constipation and promotes the peristaltic movement of the bowel.

The Camel Posture (Ustrasana)

This is another Yoga exercise, which involves a backward bend. I warn you before you attempt this exercise that it is not as easy as it looks, and great care must be taken while coming out of this position. As in all Yoga asanas you must take your time and move without jerking and in particular this applies to movements involving the spinal column. The Camel is simple enough.

FIGURES 15, 16 SWAN POSTURE

FIGURE 17 CAMEL POSTURES

FIGURE 18 BOW POSTURE

1. Kneel down and sit back on your heels with your toes outstretched.



2. Place your hands on the floor palms down, just behind your toes. Your fingers should be pointing away from your body.



3. Lean on your hands, throw back your head, and while inhaling very slowly lift your buttocks off your knees until your spine is fully arched. I have demonstrated the correct Camel Posture in figure 17.



4. Remain in this position for as long as you comfortably can while holding your breath then very slowly and carefully lower your body until you have returned to the starting position.



5. It is during this part of the exercise that you have to take the greatest care as there is great strain on the back of the neck and if you jerk back to the starting position you could get a nasty crick in your neck.

So please go carefully and you will greatly benefit from this valuable posture. It tones and strengthens the muscles of the spine and gives it greater elasticity. It will also correct any displacements in the vertebrae and will strengthen the neck and shoulders. A word of warning. The Camel Posture should not be attempted by anyone suffering from hernia or serious abdominal disorders.

In writing this chapter on backache and bad posture I have not forgotten the many people who suffer from sacroiliac troubles. Here is a Yoga exercise, which will bring relief from this tiring and distressing complaint.

The Centred Spine Bend

1. Stand up straight, feet together and your hands at your sides. Cross your left foot over your right with the toes of your left foot on the floor and the heel off. Your right knee-cap should lie behind the back of the left knee. Resist the temptation to move your body to the left as it is important that your spine should remain centred, and do not try to straighten your knee.



2. Inhale deeply through the nose and while exhaling bend forward, very slowly and carefully, until your finger tips touch the floor or if you are very stiff bring your fingertips as near to the floor as you can. Do not try to force your hands lower than they will comfortably go. With constant practice you will be able to reach the floor when you will obtain the maximum benefit from this exercise.



3. Remain in the bending position for as long as you comfortably can without inhaling.  When the impulse to inhale appears do so and at the same time straighten up again.



4. Repeat the CENTRED SPINE BEND three or four times then reverse legs and repeat thus three or four times. Two points to note. Firstly do not move your shoulders or your buttocks while bending forward, as all the work should be done by the spine above the waistline.  If you perform this exercise very slowly and carefully and practise it faithfully at least three or



5. Four times a day you will soon experience relief from your sacroiliac troubles.

The next Yoga asana in this chapter is the BOW POSTURE (Dhanurasana), which is an intensification of another asana named the Cobra which you will meet in chapter twelve. Dhanurasana is so named because it strongly resembles an archer's bow and is, you will agree, a very beautiful posture and incidentally is a powerful weapon in our war against backache for the vertebrae are moved in such a way that the nerve ganglions receive a richer supply of blood.

It also exerts a healthy pressure on the kidneys, thereby correcting any disorders in their function.

Bow Posture

1. Lie face downwards on the floor, hands along your sides and feet together.



2. Inhale deeply and bend your legs keeping them as close together as possible. Stretch your arms upwards and backwards and grasp your ankles.



3. Pull your legs as high off the floor as you possibly can by fully arching your spine. Hold this position for as long as you comfortably can while holding your breath.



4. When the impulse to exhale appears do so and slowly return to the starting position. I have demonstrated the correct position in figure 18, and you can see why this posture is named the BOW.

At first you will be able to hold this posture for only a few seconds but very gradually extend this period until you can hold it for a full minute. You may perform it up to six times a day, but no straining though.

I foresee that many of you will have some little difficulty with this asana. Either you will not be able to keep your knees together or worse, you may not be able to raise your legs off the floor at all. In this case try this easier method. Pull one leg up at a time and you will soon find that your muscles will be stretched and limbered up and you will be able to bend your body into a perfect and beautiful Bow.

This is a wonderful exercise for the relief of backache but as it is rather a strenuous posture do please practise it carefully.

The Bow Posture may be preceded by the Stomach Balance, which is the very simplest of the backward bending exercises for the relief of backache.

1. Lie face downwards with your arms extended in front of you, palms downward.



2. While inhaling deeply slowly raise your arms and legs off the floor so that you are balancing on your abdomen. Bring your head up as high as you can.

The higher you can raise your head and legs the more effective is the Stomach Balance. Hold the position for as long as you can without exhaling and then, as the impulse to exhale appears slowly return to the starting position. Though a simple exercise it needs care as all the backward bends tend to be somewhat strenuous. The Stomach Balance tones up the entire nervous system and stretches the muscles of the back and abdomen.

The Bow Posture being one of the most beautiful of the Yoga asanas it will appeal especially to women and here is a variation, which is also striking in its aesthetic appeal. It looks like the graceful swimming of some exotic fish, and on a more practical level let me assure you that it is considerably easier than the full BOW POSTURE, which I have just described.

Variation of the Bow Posture

In this variation half the body is kept straight and half bends backwards. Lie face downwards, bend the right knee and catch the toes of the foot with your right hand. Slowly pull the foot towards your head bending only the muscles on the right side of the back. The left arm should be held outstretched and the left foot likewise. Seen from the side this posture has all the grace of the lovely BOW and something else all its own.

And now here is another breathing exercise, which will help to counteract bad posture, drooping and round shoulders, and curvature of the spine. It also improves flabby upper arms, and excessive flesh on the shoulders will slowly be squeezed away. It is called the ARMSWING BREATHING EXERCISE.

1. Sit back on your heels with your spine straight. Lace your fingers together and then turn them palms upwards.



2. Inhale deeply and at the same time bend forward until your chin is touching the floor as in figure 12.

Swing your arms upwards as high as you possibly can trying again and again to swing them just a little higher. Hold this position for as long as you can without exhaling. When the impulse to exhale appears do so as you straighten up again. Relax and repeat from four to six times, after which lie down for a few moments and take a few deep recovery breaths.
If your knees are very stiff or if for some other reason you are unable to sit on your heels you may perform the Armswing Breathing Exercise standing up in which case you lean forward from your waist as far as you can and bring your arms with the fingers interlaced, as far forward as you can. The movement from the waist will help to remove fatty tissue in this area and help the spine towards a new suppleness.

The warning not to jerk any movements is reiterated here as you should not try to swing your arms over violently as you may well injure a rigid muscle, which would discourage you from ever attempting this valuable exercise again. Nothing is more painful than a muscle spasm. Practise this exercise every day and you will soon notice a marked improvement in your posture and a new feeling of freedom from backache and a new feeling of lightness as your straightening spine allows your lungs to take in more oxygen. All parts of the body are interdependent. Cure your backache and your chest complaints are eased, your temper improved, and your looks enhanced. Do not under-estimate the gravity of bad posture. It may not be an illness but it has a well-deserved place in this book on Yoga and health because it can, ultimately, undermine the health of the entire organism by restricting breathing, and cause an unhealthy complexion due to too little oxygen reaching the blood cells. Attack your bad posture and its resulting backache like the enemies they are.

Many people suffer from bad posture and an ungraceful carriage because of weak legs, ankles, or feet. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to the consideration of these particular conditions and I will explain how they can be greatly helped by Yoga's methods. It has often been said that a man's temper is only as good as his feet. If the feet ache and burn how is it possible to be smiling and at ease? If your legs hurt or are swollen with varicose veins how easy it is to snap at everyone and feel that the world is a terrible place.

In this book on health I must always be on guard against anything which can disrupt the dawning calmness of the mind which my readers must experience if they have been faithfully putting into practice all I have written about so far. In practising relaxation you will have discovered a new peace with yourself. In practising the breathing exercises you will feel a new glow of vitality. And if you have practised the asanas your health will have begun to improve beyond your wildest hopes, and with it you will have discovered a new lease of life within yourself, a zest for living, a new inner power. So we cannot let tired, swollen and aching feet hold up the new feeling of health and freedom opening out before you. We cannot let them undo all your good work. So start by putting them up higher than your head whenever possible. It isn't done in the so-called best of circles to put your feet on the mantelpiece. Never mind about that. Yoga dosen't know any class barriers. Go on, put them up, it will do them good. And before going out in the evening nothing could be more restful than lying on the floor in your bedroom and putting your feet up on the bed. Remain like that for a few moments with your eyes closed and you are a new man—or woman. The change is remarkable. You are refreshed and alive and your legs and feet no longer feel like lead.

The following breathing exercise added to your daily asanas will help to strengthen weak ankles, improve flabby calves, and soothe painful or fallen arches.

The Arched Foot Breathing Exercise

1. Stand erect, with your hands on your hips. While inhaling slowly and deeply hook your left foot round the back of your right foot with the toes pressing against the ankle of your right foot.



2. At the same time rise up on the toes of your right foot and remain balanced in this position while you complete your inhalation, and hold your breath for as long as you can.



3. When the impulse to exhale appears do so and at the same time slowly lower your right heel to the floor and unhook your left foot. Both heels should reach the floor at the same time.



4. Repeat this exercise with the legs reversed.

The Arched Foot Breathing Exercise taxes your sense of balance but as in all such exercises it can be used as a valuable exercise in concentration. You will wobble about at first but gradually you will be able to remain balanced on the toes of one foot with your hands on your hips, and remain so for as long as your breath allows you. The practice of this exercise will not only improve your balance but fine down calves and ankles that may be a little too heavy for your liking.

Any exercise which tones and stretches the leg muscles and the sciatic nerve will bring relief from aching legs and so do not omit from your daily practice schedule the exercises described in the following chapter on lumbago and sciatica. And if you suffer from that most distressing and common complaint, varicose veins, nothing could be more helpful than the habitual practice of the Shoulderstand, which I described in chapter four. Also do not omit the simple, leg stretching exercise described in chapter two. Remember the basic principle regarding the relief of aching legs and feet. Put them up higher than your head for in this position your legs are not subject to the downward pull of gravity and are therefore being rested. As you lie there with your feet higher than your head try to calm your mind and still your thoughts so that this period of rest becomes a powerful exercise in mind control and mental stillness.

As a general rule people who study and practise Yoga do not worry overmuch about their looks, in fact they have a natural beauty of face and figure, which comes from pure living and mental serenity. But if you suffer from bad feet and aching legs, as your condition gives way under Yoga's gentle persuasion, you will find that your looks will improve in a surprising way. Those wrinkles of pain, tiredness and discomfort are soon ironed away from your brow and around your eyes and your general well-being cannot but be affected by the improvement of your means of getting about from place to place. It is a constant source of concern to me that so many people neglect their legs and feet yet spend dollars and valuable time on their hair and their clothes. If you want all to be well with your world get to work now on those bad feet of yours and remember the old and wise saying. ”A man's temper is only as good as his feet'!

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