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1-Day Course for Yoga Teachers -
Back Pain in Yoga
Sat Dec 7th
2024 - 8.30-5pm
Unlock a deeper understanding of back pain in this 1-day Continued Professional Development course with studio owner and Om Yoga Magazine Teacher of the year 🏆, Zahir Akram.
Who Should Attend?
This course is perfect for yoga teachers who have completed their initial training but feel there's still more to learn when it comes to working with students in pain—especially those who found previous trainings lacking depth. If you're seeking to sharpen your teaching skills, particularly in addressing back pain with precision and compassion, this training is your opportunity.
Why Focus on Back Pain?
Back pain is complex—something a standard 200-hour teacher training can only skim. This course offers a vital layer of understanding, providing you with the foundation for a more informed and individualized approach to yoga teaching.
With nearly 30 years of personal experience managing back pain, Zahir Akram has seen firsthand how generic advice often falls short. In fact, it can sometimes worsen a student’s condition. Early in his practice, Zahir was advised to do gentle backbends for his pain. Despite his instincts, he followed the recommendation and ended up with debilitating spasms, sidelined for nearly a year.
The lesson? - "The one size fits all" approach doesn’t fit at all when it comes to the spine.
What Will You Learn?
This course dives deep into the intricacies of back pain, offering insights that go beyond surface-level teaching:
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Identify Pain Triggers: Learn how to recognize and assess the unique causes of back pain in your students and tailor your approach accordingly.
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Effective Modifications: Master simple yet effective modifications that can turn discomfort into relief for students in various poses.
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Pose Duration & Gravity: Understand how the duration of a pose and its relationship to gravity can affect back pain, and learn when to adjust time spent in postures.
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Advanced Biomechanics: Gain deeper insights into spinal mechanics and how subtle shifts in posture and alignment can either support or hinder back health.
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Awareness in Action: Learn to teach with greater awareness, helping students avoid movements that can exacerbate their pain, especially in complex poses like Revolved Triangle.
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Personalized Teaching: Develop the confidence to guide each student with more personalized and informed instruction, enhancing both safety and effectiveness in your classes.
Why This Matters for You as a Teacher
The nuances of anatomy and movement are critical when addressing back pain, and yoga offers an incredible path to healing—if applied with care and precision. This course will empower you with the tools to make informed decisions and adaptations, providing your students with a safer, more personalized practice.
Yoga philosophy reminds us that every body is unique. In the same way that we modify poses to suit the individual, we must deepen our understanding of anatomy and the complexities of back pain to truly help our students heal. Join this course to refine your approach and offer your students the guidance they deserve.
IN-PERSON TRAINING
AT THE AWARD WINNING
AKRAM YOGA STUDIO
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157 STATION ROAD
ADDLESTONE, SURREY
KT15 2AT
LIMITED ON-SITE PARKING.
BOOK EARLY TO GET RESERVE YOUR PARKING SPACE.
Example Learning -
Here’s an example of how you’ll apply what you learn: In the image to the left, Karen assists while Tomomi performs Bow Pose. Notice the small towel or blanket placed at the top of Tomomi's hips, preventing her pelvis from tilting forward. Normally, this pose compresses her lower back, making it uncomfortable. However, with this simple modification, she can stretch the front of her body—what the pose is intended to do—without irritating her lower back.
Understanding why certain poses cause discomfort, like lower back pain, will empower you to offer more thoughtful and effective modifications. Modifications should always be based on a clear understanding of biomechanics and the root cause of your student’s pain - or, with the best intentions, you can make things worse for the student.
This one-day course is designed to give you the confidence and knowledge to guide your students safely through their practice.
The course is built around 2x Myths
MYTH 1
"Yoga is Good for Back Pain"
While there is some truth to this, as a blanket statement, it is misleading and can actually cause more harm than good. For yoga to be beneficial for back pain, the class must be adapted to meet the specific needs of those experiencing it. In this course, we’ll develop the skills needed to help you guide students in safely adapting poses to avoid aggravating back pain.
MYTH 2
"Backbending is Good for Back Pain"
This, too, can be problematic when taken as a general rule. While backbending can help some people, it can also worsen symptoms if backbending is a pain trigger for the individual. We’ll explore how to assess and approach backbends safely, keeping in mind the unique needs of those with back pain.
Empower Your Teaching with These Insights:
1 - The pose that provides relief for one person (such as the Cobra Pose) can create pain for someone else. The key is to identify the student's pain trigger and advise accordingly. You will learn the basics of how to do that in this course.
2 - If someone finds relief for their lower back in a forward fold, will this feeling of relief be the same in all forward folds? Seated? Standing? What about the time spent in the pose? Can the duration affect the student's pain levels?
3 - Revolved Triangle – friend or foe? In my opinion, it's one of the world’s greatest stretches, but it can also trigger pain if done without proper awareness.
All this, and so much more, will be learned and discussed in this course.
By the end of the day, my hope is that you’ll walk away not just with knowledge, but with a deeper understanding of how to offer more personalized and mindful guidance to your students. Whether you’re a new teacher refining your skills or an experienced instructor seeking fresh insights, this course will give you the confidence to safely modify poses and help students avoid the common pitfalls that lead to discomfort or injury.
Let’s transform your teaching practice and make a real difference for your students dealing with back pain!
Lower back pain affects around 80% of people at some point in their lives, making it one of the most common reasons people seek medical help or take time off work. Studies have shown that regular yoga practice can reduce pain and improve mobility for those with lower back pain. By focusing on gentle movements, breath awareness, and alignment, yoga offers a holistic approach to pain management.
For yoga teachers, understanding the nuances of lower back pain is crucial, as it allows you to safely guide your students through poses that support healing and recovery while avoiding common mistakes that can worsen the condition.
About Your Tutor – Zahir Akram
Dedicated husband, dad, and seeker.
Hi, I’m Zahir Akram, the owner of Akram Studio and your course tutor. I originally began my journey as a personal trainer back in 2004 and even spent some time studying in New York. My qualifications in personal training have evolved over the years as I’ve always been on the lookout for more effective and interesting ways to help my clients reach their goals.
I came to yoga as a way to manage my own chronic back pain, which I’ve dealt with since a car accident when I was 17. At the time, the advice I received from well-meaning teachers was, quite frankly, confusing. Often, doing nothing would’ve been better. That experience taught me a valuable lesson—sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all if you're unsure. This approach has made me a better teacher, as I’ve learned that empowering students to listen to their own bodies can be far more effective.
My deep dive into understanding back pain began with studying at the National Academy of Sports Medicine, followed by biomechanics with N.E.S.T.A. These studies gave me a strong foundation in understanding why lower back pain can persist and how we can approach it in ways that make life a little easier. I also started a degree in Osteopathy at the London School of Osteopathy but had to step away halfway through due to the demands of running my studio, which made constant travel to the student clinic in Bethnal Green difficult.
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In 2019, I was honored to be voted the best yoga teacher in Surrey (though let’s be honest, I’m not even the best teacher in my own household!). In October 2024, I won the award for favorite yoga teacher in Om Yoga Magazine, which was another humbling experience. Both of these recognitions reflect how dedicated I am to helping students move and feel better, and my passion for making complicated science accessible in a way that everyone can understand and apply.
For anyone considering this course, know that I continue to stay deep in the research, always striving to better understand the nuances and complexities of lower back pain. Having lived through my own struggles with chronic pain, I know firsthand how frustrating it can be. This course is my way of sharing those hard-earned lessons with you, so your students can leave your class feeling inspired, not discouraged.
Zahir Akram
Registered Yoga Teacher
Advanced Yoga Teacher
Yin Yoga Teacher
Anatomy & Physiology Level 4
Advanced Biomechanics
Advanced Personal Trainer
c.p.d
Akram Yoga Training -
Continued Professional Development
Recognised by the Yoga Alliance UK
TEACHERS: GET 8 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
Yoga Alliance requires all yoga teachers to accumulate at least 30 hours of continuing education every three years.
Fulfilling 8 of these study hours is as easy as logging into the Yoga Alliance website and entering your hours after you’ve completed Yoga for Lower Back Pain.
Contact Zahir
If you have any questions
OM YOGA MAGAZINE
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Nominated Favourite Teacher Training 2023
WINNERS' Favourite Yoga Studio 2024
&
WINNER Favourite Yoga Teacher, Zahir Akram 2024
