As a frustrated chronic pain clinic patient for years, I must share my absolute joy having finally recognized the incredible healing, calming and restorative power of Yoga, after decades of skepticism. Frankly, as a former collegiate athlete, yoga seemed a little "wuss" but, WOW, was I ever WRONG!!! Yoga has been instantly and infinitely more effective for reducing my chronic low back and neck pain than any other form of therapy, including a variety of treatments in the most esteemed hospital Chronic Pain programs, which primarily though ineffectively treated my issues with addictive and potentially dangerous pain meds.
After two months of classes at Willow Glen Yoga, I can now say without reservation "YOGA ROCKS!!!" as THE most effective therapy I've found for relieving acute back and neck pain. The observation which has amazed me most is yoga helped immediately after the first class!!! ONE trip to Gabriel Benjamin's "Yoga for Cyclists" (and athletes) workshopliterally vanquished my fear of having to live the rest of my life in pain, inspiring new hope my back pain CAN be dramatically reduced and managed, simply by continuing my mountain biking while adding yoga as a daily regimen and lifestyle enhancement.
Gabriel Benjamin's one–day workshop at Willow Glen Yoga gave this aging athlete almost miraculous relief from back and neck pain for the next full week!!! After one class, I had ZERO back pain for the first time in a decade. Enrolling in Gabriel's ongoing Yin Yoga class has helped me more fully recognize the outrageously effective, restorative, healing power of breath work and prolonged stretching. I can now enthusiastically recommend yoga to anyone with pain which has not been relieved by traditional medicine as well as for those who simply want to keep their bodies in top shape.
Yoga is clearly a powerful method of eliminating pain which may be untamable by more traditional therapies. If you live in pain and have not tried yoga, please give yourself a break and check out Willow Glen Yoga!
-Gary Parker
