Phoebe Ng. Follow my journey @Pianista_Phoebe @YogaWithPeachy
Imagine your body was perfectly aligned in a pose, yet you don’t feel balanced. Or you feel
well grounded, but your shape is in fact out of place. It is the daily struggle I experience as a
scoliosis patient.
I have an S curve of over 30 degrees in my spine. Like many, I turned to yoga only after
health problems arose and body become almost broken. I got pain in lower back whenever I
bend, and I began to wonder if I have become as frail as an old grandma. I knew through my
first impression that yoga is something very “zen”, but back then I saw it more like an
alternative therapy.
Many exercises can help alleviate scoliosis complications. Swimming is probably the most
commonly known one – it can lengthen your spine while being on water means your spine is
less loaded. Yoga can also does the same with a number of asanas. But what I like is that
yoga helps you to develop awareness about your body. You learn to feel whether your
weight is equally distributed, you learn to check your alignment. And all these are applicable
to your daily lives. Yoga is not only about “zen”, it is about your lifestyle as a whole, and
about being mindful.
No scoliosis patient is the same. A patient’s condition can also change everyday. That
means your scoliosis yoga routine should also change with you. It is also better to work in
conjunction with healthcare professionals.
Poses that work for me may not work for you. I have focused on spine-lengthening postures,
like Adho Mukha Svanasana or inversions. I also have one side of my rib cage less open
than the other, so I brought awareness into expanding that side of the ribs when I breathe.
The curvature at my lower back meant it was more vulnerable and I only approach
backbends in moderation. Instead, I did an abundance of core postures, so I will have more
muscles to protect my spine. I work more on my “weak” side of body. Is it going to heal my
crooked spine? Probably not. Scoliosis is not curable, but at least you can make your life
easier.
