Happy Spine = Happy Mind

This week is Back Care Awareness week. Back pain is incredibly common, around 60% of the adult population can expect to have lower back pain at some point in their life.

Having had 2 major back ops (for Scoliosis), with a metal rod fused to my spine I am naturally very back aware. I may have a hump on one side but I have used exercise to help overcome any issues with how it looks. It was just 3 years after my last op at 30yrs that I started to exercise a) because my back hurt 2) I wanted to push my body to its limits and expand my mind. IT WORKED! My back pain vanished and I started to take charge of my work-life, relationships by launching into the fitness industry and meeting my future husband.

Our spine is our body's central support structure, it’s our posture. How we hold ourselves signals our state, either; open and confident or closed and self-conscious. 

Our spine also protects our whole central nervous system. All signals from our physical body travel through our spine and into our brain and back again. It’s a constant feedback loop. 

In yogi terms we have 7 main chakras, they are energy systems that run along the spine starting at the root extended to the crown of your head. If we’re all jacked up and stressed these can get blocked and cause physical and emotional imbalances. 

To keep the back strong and flexible we can exercise and move. Here’s a really great restore and release you spine video you can try! To maintain grounded and emotionally healthy there are practices we can use to keep the energy flow freely. Meditation, conscious breathing and some very simple self care routines like having a warm bath, walking in nature, reading a book, painting, whatever tickles your fancy.

Physical pain goes beyond your body, in someways it’s our body telling our mind to calm the f*&k down and give your mind and body some self-loving.

Happy spine =  Happy mind