sciatica

Back when I used to work full-time in an office, I struggled almost every day with sciatica. I didn't know what it was, and I could never pinpoint the pain to tell anyone its origin. Not only did I sit behind a desk for 40 hours a week, but I also had great friends who lived 5 hours away who I would drive to see on weekends as often as once a month. All that sitting was terrible for me. I would constantly try to shift around to make myself comfortable, but I was never successful. All I could tell people was that I had a shooting pain that went all the way down the back of my left leg. Sounds like a classical case of sciatica to me, and looking back I wonder why nobody suggested that could be my issue? But alas, I eventually found out what it was and learned new ways to deal with it. The nerve stayed irritated the whole time I worked in that office, but once I moved to Portland and started teaching yoga more regularly, the pain subsided. It still flares up occasionally, but for the most part I have it under control. Over the weekend, I went to Seattle and spent a total of 8 or so hours in the car. When I woke up yesterday morning I could barely get out of bed, and I had to teach at 8:30am. Ouch. I could not even touch my toes. After I taught I decided to go for a walk through downtown before teaching again at 5:30. By the time my evening class rolled around I was feeling much better, and today I'm back to normal. Even though I hate a sciatic-attack, I have to admit that it can sometimes be a good reminder to be grateful that my body is generally quite healthy and allows me to bend and move the way I do. There are plenty of poses that are suggested for easing sciatica (downward facing dog, tree, staff pose, marichi's pose, etc.), but I have to say the one that felt best to me yesterday was reclining pigeon with the ouchy leg on top. It's the only pose I did all day that I felt took the pressure off the nerve and allowed me to be without pain. I know I'm not the only one who deals with sciatica, so if you have a go-to pose to ease your sciatic pain, post it on here! You never know- someone else who may not have otherwise tried it might be very grateful that you did.

reclining pigeon