BARBELITH underground
 

Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.


Back Ache

 
 
Mug Chum
21:18 / 24.09.05
I've lately been feeling enormous amounts of pain in the back whenever I try to sit down and try out some pranayama exercises. This been going for a while and it's really being an obstacle on getting to be still and concentrating on bodymind, and reaching any progress...


-- I end up moving on reflex;

-- I can't actively "relaxinfeel" the body;

-- pain comes in the back, can't straighten the back for too long (to a point where i could relax, stand still and concentrate and go beyond on medidation);

-- sort of "nano-micro-tension-spasms" all over the muscles like if a stomped hose is impeding the circulation of... something...



Anyone's been through anything like this? Could somebody help me? Pointers? Suggestions? Tips?

(I just read what i wrote, and it sounds incredibly stupid and much ado for nothing. Well not enough to go on making up a topic about it. But as stupid as it sounds, I can't seem to reach any progress on account of it. I'll be 64 years old and won't be able to sit still 'cause I never picked up the right book wich could tell me about a position X or something...)

ps: sorry for misspellings. I'm high, sleepy and just been reading tons of Finnegans Wake. My english is shit in the last few weeks...
 
 
Mug Chum
00:21 / 25.09.05
oh god! can't you people see that i need some bloody help over here!?
 
 
Lebra
00:47 / 25.09.05
See a doctor.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
07:55 / 25.09.05
Riiight... now, I have to cop to not being terribly well-informed about all this, but I do practice pranayama in a small way on a regular basis.

First off: If you're suffering back pain whilst sitting in a normal posture for a moderate length of time then yes, you should certainly see a doctor. These things can get very nasty if they aren't seen to. You don't say what posture you're using; have you tried varying the way in which you sit?

Now, as to the general twitchyness: how much excercise do you take? Be honest; this is one of those areas where it's all too easy to kid yourself. If I slack off on my physical excercise (I usually do a minimum of an hour's brisk walking per day) pretty much everything else goes tits up. Even if you do take regular excercise, it may be that you need to vary your routine--add an activity, perhaps.

Good luck.
 
 
rising and revolving
17:20 / 25.09.05
Movement need not be a barrier. It's one of the things I've learned via Eriksonian hypnosis, which has proved deeply useful in my general trancework / meditation / projection etc

These sorts of things need not be a barrier to the state you're trying to achieve - in fact, they may be signs of success. I find that yogic work, both asanas and pranayama tend to cause the body to freak out a bit, as it clears its kinks and flushes its pipes. If when this happens, you focus on it in a negative fashion, you're screwed - you'll never cross that threshold.

Instead, realise that this is an indication of success, and quietly note them as such.

"As I feel the pain in my back, as I feel the inpouring and outpouring of my breath, as I begin to spasm, I fall deeper into trance. As my ability to relaxinfeel fades, as I move on reflex, as my body twitches, my pranayama becomes deeper and more powerful.."

This sort of mental dialog check, where you account for the signals incoming and acknowledge them while mixing in a reminder of your destination / intention tends to be very productive, for me at least.
 
 
Mug Chum
19:22 / 25.09.05
oh and they said there was no more goodness in the net...

Well it's not so much a back problem (since i went on a Chiropractic recently and there was nothing wrong), but i've grown acostumed (when doing zazen) to sit and have something to lay my back against, which was pretty much preventing me from concentrating to a full extent, by being awfully too relaxed.

I have changed positions, and pain and unconfortable feeling always comes in. It's not so much a worrying pain, but something that doesn't leave much room for concentration.

About exercises, you might be right. Last year or so i've been extremely sittin' down & smoking bastard. I need to quit this life.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
19:36 / 25.09.05
Could be that your back muscles are a bit weak, that's why they start to ache when they have to hold you up. I get a similar thing sometimes with my abs. Loosen up with some stretches before you do your pranayama, and try a nice dip in the swimming pool for half an hour now and then.
 
 
Mug Chum
19:52 / 25.09.05
I get what you mean, but I don't think i'm foccusing on a negative aspect. I'm truly getting the sense that I'm starting to see things with my body that was long ago deeply repressed that some of its effects were overwhelming me... And only now i'm seeing a little bit better...
 
 
Mug Chum
20:06 / 25.09.05
Yeah was considering going back to swim few times a week...

But was trying also to find parallels here and hints of "energy" explanations (or blocked "energy") when getting into the Work itself. I feel that all this subtle twitchying might be a sign for some energetic paradigm which i'm not familiar with... or maybe some Reichian armor thing...
 
 
rising and revolving
20:08 / 25.09.05
I get what you mean, but I don't think i'm foccusing on a negative aspect.

My phrasing may not be helpful.

What is it about this that is stopping you being able to "relaxinfeel" the body?

That's the bit I'm suggesting working around - cos your back will ache for a while, I suspect, as your body acclimatises to doing harder work. I just don't think that ought to get in the way of the work (which it sounds like it is) - that's part of the point.
 
 
macrophage
20:33 / 27.09.05
I did the same and got tabs fae the Doctors, I also used to do Pranawork with my back against the wall as well. I can relax to some success my back muscles and psoas muscle by Autogenic Training now. One of my old secrets is to imagine a coloured energy within your back to heal it, like the old Colour Magick and Healing I did. I'm a lazy sod I do Corpse Pose - if I was you I would do Hatha to strengthen your back. How about chanting "I AM HEALING MY BACK" several times as an affirmation before your bout of pranayama.
 
  
Add Your Reply