well, thanks for the info. I put my hands flat on the floor and stretch throughout my legs. It feels good afterward. I can't do a horrible pose due to fat protecting me from my own stupidity, it seems. Yeah, I've cried a couple of times after doing that. I know I need to build muscle to get better at it. I don't know if iron pills will help me, but I pop up anemic all of the time. I can't separate it from my fat belly though. I tried jogging last summer and learned that was a bad idea.
You didn't really seem to say *why* we shouldn't stretch the sciatic nerve though. You say it's not *needed* to stretch the hamstrings, but my question is: Why exclude something and only stretch one specific muscle at a time? What if I want to stretch more than just one muscle at a time? Why wouldn't stretching more things at once be beneficial? I interpret this video as trying to say we *shouldn't* stretch the nerves, but you don't explain the reason very clearly. You're just saying this position stretches the nerves, and that it's not *needed* for a hamstring stretch. I understand the details, but not the reason. It sounds a bit like someone saying I don't need to make soup to rehydrate, that I should just drink water instead, while sort of implying there's something bad about soup. I want to know why I shouldn't eat soup (ie. stretch the nerves).
I know this video is not about that, but yoga is so much more than just being flexible and able to stand on your head. It's being able to focus in the moment, to be aware of your breath, your body and mind, to calm down while its getting demanding and not only during the session, but later in the day as well. It's a lifestyle, a philosophy, sorry for being a yoga-nerd, all the best for everyone that read this.
I 100% agree with you! Unfortunately however, since most people doing "yoga" are doing a lot of stretching and poses, I want to help them explore movement in a safer and more effective way.
Fun fact: The first yogis praticed that way of life to master one position! The ancient pratice would view the modern ocident yoga as a weird contortionist exercise
I'm thankful my first yoga teachers were very well trained. They always emphasized lengthening the spine, that there was no value in rounding over and holding. They also cautioned any and all neck and head movements to be soft and gentle. Since those first instructors, all other instructors' classes I've been to have had their class in stupid dangerous poses for no reason. It's so frustrating.
My main yoga teacher is also a qualified dance teacher who is great both at teaching technique and variations for people’s different bodies to keep us all safe.
@tiagodagostini I think a point to take away from this is that, in order to stretch the hamstrings, lengthening the back (not curving) is the way to go. OR, I should say he said, curving and pointing toes or lengthening back and reflexing foot/toes is better than both at at a time. Also, the goal shouldn't be to get the head to the knees, it is rather to reach toward the knees with your chest, but not to the point of pain. It's fine if you can only bend forward that way very little. With regular practice, (a general) you will get closer, with time.
As a yoga teacher myself, I appreciate this kind of information. I've seen some teachers teaching this pose, and truly I can feel what you mean by "stressing the nerves." grateful for these insights, I am always looking to educate myself more on the anatomy of yoga , especially before teaching to others. I believe it is important to not put others' health at risk, and rather bring joy and relief to them. Thank you!
Thank you so much for watching! That's exactly why I've made so many online yoga anatomy courses! We need to do better as yoga teachers! If interested, here are all of my yoga anatomy courses: courses.shapeshiftwellness.com/collections/movement-sciences
As a yoga teacher myself. Always stay soft. Stay in your windows of upertunitie. Stretching is not yoga. Yoga is not stretching. That will harm you. When doing daily. Ore often. At the end. Let the breathing be your stretch. Yoga is unite the breathing whit the movements. And the mind. It’s not insta gymnastic. With difficult pushing poses. Stay soft. And focus more on the breathing. Less on flexibility. It’s not circus. Yoga is a life style. And soo mutch more. The west kidnap it. And make ballet out of it 🙏🏽 namaste
I was able to enhance my streatch only by using the pose he said it was bad. not sure if this dude's study is authentic or he just made it up without any source.
@ursulavdvelden.2053 Also, for I don't know how long now, every class I've looked into emphasizes heat and/or speed, which is in direct opposition to what I first learned, and also is something to avoid for me because of a medical condition .
I had an instructor say that people do the rounded version because they will see how low people with high flexibility can get their head while keeping their back straight, and will think that getting the head lower is the key to a better stretch. In fact, keeping your back straight is the key. It just so happens that if you stretch right and do it regularly, you can get your head pretty low.
Tip if people do want to get deeper into the stretch (and other similar ones) - don’t think down, think up and then along. Down leads to the rounded back etc. It’s tempting so you feel like you’ve achieved more, but resist that temptation! Up and along, not down. Can’t touch your toes that way? Doesn’t matter. You’re visualising reaching beyond your toes, anyway!
Always meet your own edge. I have found some instructors can carry a lil too much ego. Flexibility takes time and there's only one speed to go at; your own.
yeah man, pretention lives strong in yoga - especially unprofessionals. push back and keep your own autonomy. Your body is yours, and you're going to die with the pain you're forced to cause yourself. Take care.
Wow, I’ve never met a “pushy” yoga practitioner… they always “invite” you to try this and not push yourself. I DO however, often find those marathon-type peeps that make it a competition, push themselves to be the best and end up injured. it’s should only be yourself and whatever mobility is available to you in that day. And yes, yoga is much much more than stretching… it is therapy for every system and organ in the body.
Yoga teacher aren’t pushy at all if you feel that way change teacher. I healed myself from the impossible thanks to yoga including the worst sciatica 🎉
Dance teacher here! This makes SO much sense. I have always hated the sciatic nerve stretch, not knowing why i didn’t like the way it made me (and a lot of my students!) feel. Thank you so much for this helpful information!
Hi, I am trained yoga instructor from one of the premier institutes from Bharat. I appreciate the video .Yoga is not just about attaining final pose, but about right process of attaining pose.Unfortunately many of the instructors insist on attaining final pose( some by means of external pressure also),which is absolutely wrong and something goes wrong or one dpes not get desired results ,yoga is blamed.. Yoga is about process to attain final pose and not about only final pose.
Yeah stretching is working your flexibility, but flexibility is only your ability to get into a position, not necessarily being strong and effective in that position. That’s what mobility is I think: a combination of strength and flexibility.
@@DDeidre the theory is that lack of mobility is a protection mechanism. If you are tight the lack of mobility is due to weak muscles which are being adapted to and protected for. Strength development toward full range of motion in those areas works for increased mobility even if you never stretch (according to studies). That is, strength in full range of motion is far superior to simply “stretching”, so the story goes. I’m not an expert, do your research.
Interesting! As a ballet dancer, now I understand why my teachers insisted we keep our heads up, chests tall, and feet pointed when stretching hamstrings on the floor. I thought it was an aesthetic thing! As far as nerve flossing, I was taught to do that by my chiropractor, but she taught a different version where you lie on your back and lift your legs up. This one looks way easier lol
A-m-a-z-i-n-g!! Years of yoga thinking something was wrong with my hamstrings. No info around about pointing or flexing feet... And now you come to fix my nerves. Thanks so so much for this valuable knowledge 🙏
I find nerve tensioners to be EXTREMELY useful for range of motion outside of therapy. Most studies that I have seen that do not advocate nerve stretching usually do a high speed, heavy weight nerve stretch on animals to cause injury, then say “see this is bad!” The anatomy is great, but the conclusion is something I disagree with. Nerve tension is a tool to use. Not a scary thing to avoid.
This video just changed my life forever. I have been struggling to find the answer to the pain from my hip down to knee, ankle & my toes in my right leg. I thought it was a hamstring issue for years. No, I have been pissing off my nerves and gave myself sciatica!! Even doctors and PT’s couldn’t figure it out. Thank you for this video, I learned so much I didn’t know. I started thinking recently maybe it was a nerve pain, but I had no idea what may have caused it. This is absolutely it, it’s the way I’ve been stretching. I appreciate you for real!
I'm really happy this helped! If you're ever interested I have a complete sciatica rehab program that will get you feeling great in no time! Just book a free call if you want to chat about it! www.shapeshiftwellness.com/
To everyone reading this, I sincerely pray for that whatever is causing you pain or stress will pass. May your negative thoughts, excessive worries and doubts disappear, replaced by clarity and understanding. May your life be filled with peace, tranquility and love
This made me realise I've been stretching my sciatic nerve my entire life and that this is why I could never do a full pancake stretch. People were always surprised I couldn't go lower than I can, but it's because it was always pulling at this nerve, and no one told me, and I had absolutely no idea. I genuinely believed hamstrings were this nerve, because none of the positions meant for hamstrings stretch my muscles, they only put pressure on this nerve.
This is exactly why those kinds of stretches always feel „weird“!! Thank you so much! I do quite a lot of yoga from youtube videos and while I love 90% of it, they sometimes have you bend your neck down really far just as in your pictures and I never liked that stretch at all. Now I know why.
@@phasematerialsresearch9319 i can detect a lot of negativity coming from you, my friend. its sad to assume a lot based on one comment, but i hope you find peace within yourself!
Thanks for this video, I was diagnosed of having sciatica pain and I cannot stand straight for a longer period so I stop doing exercises and I felt a little better. Somehow, I still do slight exercises from my PT to make my back muscle & legs strong. Now I know the difference of stretching the nerve and muscle. Thanks a lot!
Has anyone talked about piriformis syndrome? I've read that half the people with sciatica actually have it. Had friends that did piriformis stretches and got relief. Shocked if your pt hasn't suggested that.
@@JJBpilot it’s been couple of years since I had my PT and I still constantly doing short stretches however, this time, I do basic yoga and it really helps. As well hydrating myself of warm water. My PT hasn’t suggested about periformis stretches.
Finally a video that puts enphasis on the tension that the sciatic nerve is under instead of talking just about stretching the muscles. Thank you very much for explaining with such great detail this topic
I’ve always felt a deeper hammy stretch in the halfway lift than in a forward fold, this makes so much sense. I can relate to the thought of more strain or difficulty translating to “better yoga” or whatever ego itch is scratched by this 😅 Great information here, thank you for sharing
I appreciate this! I am a hypermobile yoga teacher. There are sensations that I don't feel and I don't want to injure my students because of unawareness on my part.
Thank you for this video! I'm a practicer not a teacher. I'm always amazed at how generally, yoga teachers don't give any disclaimers about potential hurts and seem to have no clue about the risks of pulling the nerves instead of the muscles. It's tricky because yoga seems so soft so you don't think it might get you injured but I got injured several times like this, in my hip, knees and neck. We really have to be careful. I understand it better now so I'll stop pushing, thank you
I think a yoga beginner avoid the intense sciatic stretch intuitively cause it hurts. But when you are more advanced most of the people are fearless to go into a deep stretch. This video brings a bit clarity. Now I will think twice how deep I need the sciatic nerve stretch.
This stretch and the standing version feels different from ALL the other stretches I do, it doesn't even feel like a stretch it is weird. Edit: I actually found out how to do the standing version correctly, now it feels like a stretch 😅
It's funny because I've always stretched my hamstrings without reaching forward, focusing on keeping my spine straight while pushing my chest towards my knee. Glad to see my intuition was correct
Guess you are referring to yoga teachers in the US. I'm from India and I've been doing yoga under the supervision of various trained teachers for over 10 years. The fundamental instruction is no pain, only stretch, keep spine neutral/unbend, and no folding of knees. So the position would be like this for starters /_\, i.e. bring your back forward to the extent possible while keeping spine neutral and then with hands hold whichever part of shin you can touch. There is no holding of feet until you can bend to that level while keeping spine neutral. The problem is not with yoga but with those who jump into yoga business with half baked knowledge.
You're absolutely right. There are good and bad teachers in the US. Ever since the boom of Martial Arts in the 70s and 80s, there has been all sorts of classes from a wide range of disciplines (usually foreign in origin) and there are a lot that are half baked. But there are a lot of good teachers and classes too. Honestly, its probably best to learn from any research that can be done on CZcams and doing it at home in a controlled environment rather than going to a local yoga place.
Title should read ‘Stop pissing off your nerves’! Sounds like power yoga, so easy to get caught up in all the stretch videos. Ultimately, yoga is about reaching for and feeling a centeredness of the body and mind. Very insightful video thank you.
Great video. However, what you call a 'classic paschimottanasana' is actually just a common wrong way to do this asana. The real paschimottanasana is a straight spine hamstrings stretch. The idea of bending your torso towards the floor was inspired by watching the advanced yogi, who can almost fold in half. But they fold themselves without bending their back - an important noonce many beginners fail to see.
@Shapeshift Wellness It DOES matter. Unusual does not mean wrong or dangerous. There are plenty of benefits to flexibility training as long as you don't force it all at once and progress slow. And if you are using an example that turns out to be flat out improper, it discredits your argument against it.
Thank you so much for this information. I have practiced yoga since 1995. Self taught. Trial and error. Many mistakes. Many injuries. Some from being an overzealous yogi. Some from just improper form and practice. This video is so spot on. I still practice on my own, but when I do practice with others, I see so many people holding poses incorrectly. Great information and breakdown. I have subscribed and look forward to learning more from you.
I’ve been doing this wrong since I started yoga ~10 months ago. Have been noticing some of the early sciatic nerve issues you described. Thank you 🙏 you’ve likely saved me some issues down the road.
I know its a weird thing to compliment, but I really appreciate your correct use of the words "less" and "fewer." Most people use these interchangeably even though they have distinct uses and meanings.
Thank you so much for putting this information out there. My sciatic nerve can get numb, or hot, from time to time, especially after intense running and biking... good to know my stretching afterwards was only making it worse.
Damn, this was exactly the "Why and How" that I've been looking for to help me understand further the importance of physical maintenance. Thanks for this video, it was seriously incredibly easy to follow along and comprehend with your visuals!
Very helpful👍 I’m practicing Yoga over a couple of month now and I always felt this tingly moving kind of pain, mostly in my legs and neck. Good to know that I did it wrong and was actually stressing my body when I wanted to give it some relaxation Thank you and have a nice day😊🌞
Very interesting. When doing ballet as a child, we were taught to keep our toes pointed and legs turned outward. It is so ingrained that I find it hard to do otherwise in yoga stretches. I injured myself in a yoga class (I have hyper-mobile joints) and learned the hard way that yoga isn’t all about flexibility - having good muscle stability and great form is so important. Great to learn more about how to do yoga safely.
This is unrelated, but your description of what a nerve feels like made me realize something. All my life I've experienced what my 3 year old self named warm shivers. I've never been able to figure out what they are, but they are a wave of warmth that usually originates between my shoulder blades and washes down my spine and even down my arms and legs and sometimes to the surface of the skin. It honestly feels great and it can be triggered by yawns, so the tension and relaxation of the muscles, going outside in the snow and sometimes it seems random. For decades I've guessed that it was from my veins and the radiating blood flow, but perhaps it's my nerves, which would make sense since nerves are supposed to carry signals to the brain versus the veins. Interesting, thank you for the video
The way you explained it at the end as the correct way of deepening the stretch is actually the traditional and correct way of doing paschimotanasana. You stop till where your spine is straight and that’s your limit for now and you respect it.
Sure, but then most yoga teachers get lazy and say "try to get your forehead to you knee" and everyone ends up trying to force it... So in the real world, things are messy.
I just had to go make sure this channel was still active bc I'm obsessed! Sometimes I randomly find an old video and the YT page is defunct and it's heartbreaking but you're still making fresh content yay 😁😁😁. I just quit my job and I'm living my best life and I'm going to start yoga and I just stumbled across this and it's so important!!! Thank you ❤
I used to be in great shape but did Nothing for years, and am now 34, and last year from sitting so much I got Horrible Sciatica pain. From my Glute through my hamstring and calve right to my toes would hurt so bad. I was limping, Could not sleep well, and felt tingling Etc. I started walking every day starting from 25 mins up to 2 hours but on average 45 mins - an hour and after a while the Pain got so much better. I then started stretching after the walk and am now hitting the gym. My Horrible Sciatic pain is 99% Gone but I do feel it when stretching, Doing Hamstring stretches is fine but as soon as I put my head down BAM the pain lights up so I stopped that but was wondering if I should maybe try putting my head down a little to feel that pain a bit and maybe it would over time get better but I don't want to hurt all the progress I made. Glad this video confirmed what was happening to me.
I once watched some exercises through yt and performed it, and next day in morning my leg bent when I put my legs down from bed to stand, and after that day I faced this sciatic nerve problem, and after one year I fell from staircase and my lower back injured in that that made my case worse, I joined gym (that may sound not a good choice instead of going to doctor), and this my gym trainer I told him about my problem he told me it's sciatic nerve and he teach me very basic workouts and he left the gym after 2 months, but his workouts really helped me and even he was not there I continue his workout for six months and finally my injury healed. I'm really thankful to that trainer till now.
This was helpful. I have pissed off my nerves, and it's taking a long time to calm them down. There are a lot of conflicting tips out there. I have a set of prescribed stretches and exercises from my physical therapist for my nerve issue. Some of them involve deliberately stretching the nerves. It seems that when it comes to the nervous system, there is a lot of confusion, and many professionals don't know very much about it.
I hope this helped! Yes in some cases it's good to glide or stretch the nerves. Personally for my patients I almost always give nerve gliding exercises, not nerve tensioning exercises.
Big pharma doesn’t want us to use preventative care. That’s why this kind of info is taught. Stretching and movement is so important. Including for the nervous system. Sciatic flossing is such a great feeling and release. Movement is life.
Oh my gosh. I've started to develop sciatic nerve pain after years of at home yoga/stretching. I thought this meant I wasn't doing *enough.* I'm going to stop all the aggressive stretching! I feel pretty dumb... came across this video purely by accident and it was VERY timely for me.
I'm really happy it helps! There's a lot more to unraveling sciatica than this though. You might really enjoy this masterclass on chronic low back pain and sciatica! www.shapeshiftwellness.com/LBP-masterclass
Very useful video! And now I finally understand why my teachers insisted on NOT rounding the back in this pose and always only go as far as it feels comfortable in any pose. But unfortunately not all of them and I definitely experienced nerve stretching in some classes! Which did not feel good and it’s sometimes hard to tell how far I can go when the teachers don’t emphasize listening to your body. So as always trust your body ❤
Hi this video has been very useful to me. I had sciatica for past 4 months and doctors have suggested me to do a set of stretches including this one. I just stopped this one and i can see a great progress. Thanks a lot🙏
THANK YOU!! This is the best information that I have possibly ever seen... and I danced professionally for multiple decades. These stretches caused me such misery, and now I know why. Thank you so much - you Rock!!
Hi, great video and thank you for all your work. With all my respect, i have a little but important remark to make. In the classical yoga, paschimottanasana DOES not go with spine and neck curve. The neck direction should follow the direction of the spine and spine must stay straight - as far as it is possible. Doing yoga does not mean that you have to go all the way down in order to be satisfied. Everyone one must go with his/her own pace. It is true that a lot of people are performing this asana just the way you show, but truly, the yoga teacher should be professional and correct the student. The meaning of the pose is "The east meets the west", so when the body is ready it should be done. Thank you one more time.
Thanks for the comment! I'm glad the video was helpful. I understand your point and I have had a fair amount of classical training so I'm familiar with the cueing. As you point out though, in practice, in the real world, people just end up turning this pose (and most poses) into chances to dive as deep into flexibility as they possibly can. Also, regardless of the spine being straight or curved, this video educates on the sensations one may feel if they are tensioning the spinal cord and sciatic nerves, versus truly stretching just the hamstrings. It's important to know and feel the difference. Thanks for your input!
My yoga cousin recommended this sciatic 'stress' pose for me on world yoga day for my backpain 5 yrs before ...i tried this from that day for a week.After a month my back pain worsened like anything that I couldn't sit for 3 seconds .Later I took various treatments for the same but i remember that as a disaster on every yoga day.Thanks to my internship period where I was walking all day which helped me strengthen my back muscles and relieve pain
Great video! Very informational and helpful. Keep it up-one of the best channels on the subject of yoga, stretching, anatomy, etc., that I’ve come across (and I’ve watched many)
I have been practising yoga for 20 years. A well trained yoga instructor will always guide the student to keep the head I alignment with the spine and NOT to round the back or drop the neck - stressing that one should not compromise the integrity of the pose in pursuit of getting the head closer to the legs.
thank you so much for this video! years of stretching my sciatic nerve and progression was always met with pain. Incorporating this and I already felt like I had deeper stretches.
Glad it helped! A little anatomy goes a long way 🙌 If you ever need personalized guidance I do online consultations for pain and rehab, just in case you ever need more help! www.shapeshiftwellness.com/pages/booking
As far as I remember in this pose you have to bring your chest near your knees and if can then just tuck the chin in without over-stretching That pose is ignoring all precautions
This is really helpful. I am back in massage school 13 years later and learning more about my body at 41 and mechanics in general. I love how these videos are really teaching safety awareness for stretching and Anatomy knowledge at the same time. Thank you and looking forward in learning more from your videos.
Thank you. Now I know why the yoga has helped my prolapse but made my spine, from head to toes, worse. Same with someone else who has had spinal nerve injuries. Don’t listen to the iron pumping blow hards. Your information will help more people than (then) you know. I’ll be adjusting my yoga stretches accordingly. Again, thank you.
Hey Judy! Thanks a lot and I hope this helps you out! If you haven't already, you might enjoy watching the low back pain and sciatica masterclass. Have a great day! www.shapeshiftwellness.com/LBP-masterclass
Thank you for the very good explanation of how the nerves go from one side to the other. My nerves are definitely pissed at me. But I did not quite get why. So going to pay more attention to that ❤
I have caused two injuries by following yoga teachers. One was a mild sciatica nerve problem the other was a more intense and long lasting piriformas muscle injury . I am sure I just done the stretching wrong and irritated the nerves. I would like to get fit without injury or overstretching, would be nice lol but my body likes to resist my efforts. I need an excellent professional to teach me the correct way to strengthen and tone and increase flexibility. I have turned to watching videos like this and tomorrow I have a visit to my physiotherapist so I really hope she can give me a great list on safe stretching or safe methods to get fit .
I hope you find something that works! Sometimes PT can be a great start but often times patients in PT get babied so it's not always a long term solution unless you find a great PT who can really ramp you up into STRENGTH over time (slowly of course). You might really get a lot of value out of this free sciatica and low back pain masterclass: www.shapeshiftwellness.com/LBP-masterclass
The first thing I learnt in dao yin qingong I go for my back was: never force, easy peasy. If you feel anything tensing, tinglings... just: stop. And now I understand why it's always "head up" 😂😂😂 I love how science confirms what pple knew for thousand of yrs🎉❤
Where have you been when I was in my YTT? This info is gold. There are good yoga anatomy books but hardly any decent videos and workshops. Thank you for your channel and it deserves a ton of subscribers. Let's get you there!
I've always felt that the practice of recognizing what feels comfortable and what feels like a stretcher is a in built kn yoga. Every position tells you whether it's good for you or not. You can literally feel it in your bones! And I've always known that curving my spine in this position felt wrong. Now I know trusting the signals my body sends is the right thing to do!
It's more that this type of stretching is more accurately classified as a "sciatic nerve tensioner" rather than a hamstrings stretch. Nerve tensioners can be used as a therapeutic exercise, but generally should only be given as therapy from your licensed healthcare practitioner.
In the middle of the video the guy mentioned that he is not a fan of stretching:) but this is an actual reason why he made this critical video) whole yoga is based on stretching of muscles AND nerves as well.
Fan-freaking-tastic explanation, and super thorough overview! This is something I work with my students with a lot, I'll definitely be sending this video to some students to nerd out more deeply on.
I had a dance instructor when I was young who would sit on my back to "help" me stretch. It was painful af, but he told me that the pain was part of the stretching process. And look, he did the same thing to his other students and now they're flexible thanks to him Yeah, glad I left that place before it managed to damage me permanently.
I've been studying ex. sci for a couple years and am approaching PT track and can honestly say this was an awesome video and I managed to learn a lot; keep up the good work!
I also agree that while maintaining plantarflexion and extension of the cervical spine during hip flexion and knee extension would be a better hamstring stretch, it may be a slight oversimplification to say one movement is better than the other due to better isolation. I believe the latter stretch would carry over into more functional movements in people who might also have sciatic nerve irritation when going further into a pose or stretch.
I actually disagree. I’ve found a lot of comfort in my lumbar by rounding my back & gently pulling the belly in, feet are relaxed or pointed. I’ve been practicing daily for 6 years. Granted I have extremely long hamstrings & can face plant my shins so perhaps it’s an individual thing. But the important thing is that it’s helped my lower back. Just sayin’ 🤷🏼♀️
In this video I mentioned that in certain contexts this activity as well as nerve glides and nerve tensioners can be used therapeutically. I cannot in good conscience advise this practice to the general public, but under the advice of a person's healthcare provider (also I'm covering my own ass here), sometimes it can be good therapy. The point of this video is that the classic yoga pose is NOT a hamstrings stretch anatomically, but rather it is a *nerve* stretch.
@@Butunmallick7851 Obviously you have no familiarity with how science works. In science. We don’t speak in absolutes. We speak honestly given current evidence, which means allowing for all scenarios. It’s called nuance.
Пречудова Софія. Дякую що запросили її. Особливо сподобався формат інтерв‘ю-розмова про якісь страхи, незручності, які насправді багатьом притаманні. Це зближує😊
Thank you so much for this. Now i know why I feel pain whenever I do some of the stretches bec. I'm doing it a wrong way. I'm suffering from a pinched nerve and the last time I stretched my right leg and bend my body forward towards my foot(my PT teach that poses before) and then i feel the tension on my nerve and then the next day the numbness begin under my foot..😔
Finally an Excellent explanation on the neuro-dynamics!! I've been explaining this and correcting my patients and clients for years, and they all keep coming back from their fitness, yoga, whatever training protocols with this major mistake! Thank you!
Subbed! Very interesting and you might have saved me. I had just heard about the concept of "nerve flossing" and this video filled in a simple gap in my understanding... as well as good advice maybe not to do it without professional advice.
Ever since elementary school I would see real tall people doing this almost daily and a lot of other people throughout the years adapt that bending the head down and forward+ grabbing toes. It never felt right to me and after learning this I'm glad it never became a habit.
I used to do yoga daily, till I got too flexible so I tried always to push myself to the limit, I stop doing it or some years then came back and realize that by not trying to reach my previous level but just reaching till it felt like a nice release no matter how far I was from the yogist position I was getting such a nice release, besides, even the channel I follow (Boho Beautiful) they constantly tell you "don't worry if you ain't that far, focus on what feels good for your body, be gentle"
@@phasematerialsresearch9319 🤷🏻♂️ maybe well, just by checking their channel you’ll be able to tell based on your experience , I’m just grateful they got me into meditating and stretching daily
I was taught that in any type of forward fold you are to keep the back straight so you are bending from the hips, avoiding nerve tensioning. I thought all yoga teachers were taught this.
That alone doesn’t necessarily prevent nerve tension, especially if you are grabbing the big toes. Also, most people simply cannot do that, they can’t keep their backs flat. That requires some atypical hypermobility.
@@ShapeshiftWellness that’s true. There some teachers that have hypermobility and it makes me sad they don’t address it, misleading people into thinking they need to look a certain way when doing poses. Thank you for the video!
Stiffness of calf muscles can be a limiting factor on your compression capacity, yet I wouldn't say stretching them at the same time is benefitial, but you can stretch the calf muscles before compression and if you improve that means your calves is a weak link in your compression capacity
The very first yoga class I took was in my early 20s, and stressed breathing and proper form for stretches (and was also the best one I've taken).I was taught that the proper way to do that stretch was the way you said was right. No other class I took metioned anything about it, but it's how I've always done it since that first class. 😁
According to panjali yoga sutra " sithir sukham Asana" it means we should do only which asana in which we feel comfortable nd happiness not pain. IN YOGA their is only happiness, comforts nd peace their is no space of "No pain no gain mind set." Everyone is different by his body flexibility nd strength therefore we should learn yoga practice or any other exercise by only a trained teacher or expert person .
This is very eye opening, I always thought I had "short hamstrings" because when trying to touch my toes I'm about 30 cms from the floor with my fingertips. But the sensation I'm feeling is more of a burning feeling behind my knees, and at times I do experience numbness, which are things mentioned at 13:27. So is there hope for me to become flexible? Your video says "stop stretching your sciatic nerve", but can I stretch it to become more flexible? If yes, what poses/routines would you recommend?
Pay attention to the way that I suggested stretching the hamstrings in order to avoid sciatic nerve tension, so keep a long and neutral spine, and point the toes and ankle away from the rest of the body. This way you can increase hamstrings flexibility without irritating the sciatic nerve. That's step 1. After that there are ways to floss the sciatic nerve but you would want guidance from a PT or chiro before doing that.
I just realized that I gotta stop my lifetime habit of stretching, which was to be told, by my teachers back in elementary school. It scares me how irresponsible the physical education institution can be, where educated people hurt you the most. I'm exaggerating a bit now, but the point is, some people are trained and paid to be cautious and helpful to people in need, when it comes to training others. I'm at fault for not knowing how to prepare my body for heavy use, and responsible for the outcomes, cause I should've reached out sooner for medical help. So at this point, my back is ruined, and I have constant pain, my arms are burning at the age of 30, even in a sleep position... So I really appreciate every help that points out one of the most important things (in my case) to avoid, like this stretching method! So thank you, to share this. I'll pay more attention to it! And maybe I'll share this with my former therapist too! :)
Thanks for commenting! Any personal health questions should be directed to your doctor or another healthcare provider, but here's what I can say: Generally speaking, the main point here is simply to not force anything, and to take variations that are putting less stress on the sciatic nerve. That said, fun fact - nerves are actually the STRONGEST tissue in the entire human body under a tensile (pulling) load! Pretty cool. Yes, IF nerves are damaged, they can heal most of the time. Talk to your local physical therapist or sports chiropractor for help with your own body though!
Well this explains why I am all of a sudden having sciatica for the first time in my life, I was doing this pose, I am on maybe month 3 or 4 of having sciatica which I didn't even know what was going on and had to go see a doctor who told me it was sciatica. It's getting better with exercises, massages and warm rice packs. Thank you for the information!
This makes soooo much sense! I know this is gonna make a difference for me. I’ve been wondering why my lower back can actually hurt more than times I’m not doing my yoga. I feel kinda silly for not figuring it out. I knew I was doing something. Thank you thank you thank you!
Been dealing with a imbalance in my right leg/femur due to a childhood injury from a growth plate fracture. This information is very helpful thank you 🙏🏽
THIS is what my physiotherapist wanted me to do on a chair when I had a herniated disk and nerve compression and this only caused me MORE PAIN. I stopped doing it and changed to a different provider.
LEARN HOW TO DO SCIATIC NERVE FLOSSING: czcams.com/video/LcoNO88H50g/video.html
Great message, but please be more focused during presenting. Video could be done in under five minutes.
well, thanks for the info. I put my hands flat on the floor and stretch throughout my legs. It feels good afterward. I can't do a horrible pose due to fat protecting me from my own stupidity, it seems. Yeah, I've cried a couple of times after doing that. I know I need to build muscle to get better at it. I don't know if iron pills will help me, but I pop up anemic all of the time. I can't separate it from my fat belly though. I tried jogging last summer and learned that was a bad idea.
@@JobBouwman I think you would like Dr.Huberman channel then.
It is the wrong way to do the asana. Learn from a qualified yoga teacher, thanks.
You didn't really seem to say *why* we shouldn't stretch the sciatic nerve though. You say it's not *needed* to stretch the hamstrings, but my question is: Why exclude something and only stretch one specific muscle at a time? What if I want to stretch more than just one muscle at a time? Why wouldn't stretching more things at once be beneficial? I interpret this video as trying to say we *shouldn't* stretch the nerves, but you don't explain the reason very clearly. You're just saying this position stretches the nerves, and that it's not *needed* for a hamstring stretch.
I understand the details, but not the reason. It sounds a bit like someone saying I don't need to make soup to rehydrate, that I should just drink water instead, while sort of implying there's something bad about soup. I want to know why I shouldn't eat soup (ie. stretch the nerves).
I know this video is not about that, but yoga is so much more than just being flexible and able to stand on your head. It's being able to focus in the moment, to be aware of your breath, your body and mind, to calm down while its getting demanding and not only during the session, but later in the day as well. It's a lifestyle, a philosophy, sorry for being a yoga-nerd, all the best for everyone that read this.
I 100% agree with you! Unfortunately however, since most people doing "yoga" are doing a lot of stretching and poses, I want to help them explore movement in a safer and more effective way.
I can feel you are trying to spread a positive message, and indeed, yoga is truly amazing! 😂
@@ShapeshiftWellness and thank you for that, I myself as someone who does yoga and also enjoys studying anatomy really found your video useful!❤
It helps develop your fascia too which is a pretty big deal if you get into something like qi gong
Fun fact: The first yogis praticed that way of life to master one position! The ancient pratice would view the modern ocident yoga as a weird contortionist exercise
I'm thankful my first yoga teachers were very well trained. They always emphasized lengthening the spine, that there was no value in rounding over and holding. They also cautioned any and all neck and head movements to be soft and gentle. Since those first instructors, all other instructors' classes I've been to have had their class in stupid dangerous poses for no reason. It's so frustrating.
I have a hard time going to public classes and listening to the ridiculous things most teachers say.
Who was your first teacher?
My main yoga teacher is also a qualified dance teacher who is great both at teaching technique and variations for people’s different bodies to keep us all safe.
Up to a point.. if you have severe shortened hamstrings some minimal bending is good, because you likely do not even walk properly.
@tiagodagostini I think a point to take away from this is that, in order to stretch the hamstrings, lengthening the back (not curving) is the way to go. OR, I should say he said, curving and pointing toes or lengthening back and reflexing foot/toes is better than both at at a time. Also, the goal shouldn't be to get the head to the knees, it is rather to reach toward the knees with your chest, but not to the point of pain. It's fine if you can only bend forward that way very little. With regular practice, (a general) you will get closer, with time.
As a yoga teacher myself, I appreciate this kind of information. I've seen some teachers teaching this pose, and truly I can feel what you mean by "stressing the nerves." grateful for these insights, I am always looking to educate myself more on the anatomy of yoga , especially before teaching to others. I believe it is important to not put others' health at risk, and rather bring joy and relief to them. Thank you!
Thank you so much for watching! That's exactly why I've made so many online yoga anatomy courses! We need to do better as yoga teachers! If interested, here are all of my yoga anatomy courses: courses.shapeshiftwellness.com/collections/movement-sciences
As a yoga teacher myself. Always stay soft. Stay in your windows of upertunitie. Stretching is not yoga. Yoga is not stretching. That will harm you. When doing daily. Ore often. At the end. Let the breathing be your stretch. Yoga is unite the breathing whit the movements. And the mind. It’s not insta gymnastic. With difficult pushing poses. Stay soft. And focus more on the breathing. Less on flexibility. It’s not circus. Yoga is a life style. And soo mutch more. The west kidnap it. And make ballet out of it 🙏🏽 namaste
I was able to enhance my streatch only by using the pose he said it was bad. not sure if this dude's study is authentic or he just made it up without any source.
@ursulavdvelden.2053 Also, for I don't know how long now, every class I've looked into emphasizes heat and/or speed, which is in direct opposition to what I first learned, and also is something to avoid for me because of a medical condition .
@hqcart1 He didn't say it was always bad, it depends on what you want to achieve.
I had an instructor say that people do the rounded version because they will see how low people with high flexibility can get their head while keeping their back straight, and will think that getting the head lower is the key to a better stretch. In fact, keeping your back straight is the key. It just so happens that if you stretch right and do it regularly, you can get your head pretty low.
Tip if people do want to get deeper into the stretch (and other similar ones) - don’t think down, think up and then along. Down leads to the rounded back etc. It’s tempting so you feel like you’ve achieved more, but resist that temptation! Up and along, not down. Can’t touch your toes that way? Doesn’t matter. You’re visualising reaching beyond your toes, anyway!
Oh man!! This explains why I hurt every time I do yoga!! So many of my injuries are caused by my pushy instructors , I am wiser now . Thanks!!
I hope I can help you find a more enjoyable and less painful yoga practice to explore!
Always meet your own edge. I have found some instructors can carry a lil too much ego. Flexibility takes time and there's only one speed to go at; your own.
yeah man, pretention lives strong in yoga - especially unprofessionals. push back and keep your own autonomy. Your body is yours, and you're going to die with the pain you're forced to cause yourself. Take care.
Wow, I’ve never met a “pushy” yoga practitioner… they always “invite” you to try this and not push yourself.
I DO however, often find those marathon-type peeps that make it a competition, push themselves to be the best and end up injured. it’s should only be yourself and whatever mobility is available to you in that day.
And yes, yoga is much much more than stretching… it is therapy for every system and organ in the body.
Yoga teacher aren’t pushy at all if you feel that way change teacher. I healed myself from the impossible thanks to yoga including the worst sciatica 🎉
Dance teacher here! This makes SO much sense. I have always hated the sciatic nerve stretch, not knowing why i didn’t like the way it made me (and a lot of my students!) feel. Thank you so much for this helpful information!
Glad it helped!
Do people actually call it the sciatic nerve stretch? Kudos for teaching dance; I love dance, more then yoga.
Hi,
I am trained yoga instructor from one of the premier institutes from Bharat.
I appreciate the video .Yoga is not just about attaining final pose, but about right process of attaining pose.Unfortunately many of the instructors insist on attaining final pose( some by means of external pressure also),which is absolutely wrong and something goes wrong or one dpes not get desired results ,yoga is blamed..
Yoga is about process to attain final pose and not about only final pose.
Thanks for sharing!
He literally said “not a fan of stretching”. Stretching does not address the underlying cause of the lack of mobility
Yeah stretching is working your flexibility, but flexibility is only your ability to get into a position, not necessarily being strong and effective in that position. That’s what mobility is I think: a combination of strength and flexibility.
@@DDeidre the theory is that lack of mobility is a protection mechanism. If you are tight the lack of mobility is due to weak muscles which are being adapted to and protected for. Strength development toward full range of motion in those areas works for increased mobility even if you never stretch (according to studies). That is, strength in full range of motion is far superior to simply “stretching”, so the story goes. I’m not an expert, do your research.
Strangely enough I have always thought yoga is about uniting with God one way or another😂
Interesting! As a ballet dancer, now I understand why my teachers insisted we keep our heads up, chests tall, and feet pointed when stretching hamstrings on the floor. I thought it was an aesthetic thing!
As far as nerve flossing, I was taught to do that by my chiropractor, but she taught a different version where you lie on your back and lift your legs up. This one looks way easier lol
A-m-a-z-i-n-g!! Years of yoga thinking something was wrong with my hamstrings. No info around about pointing or flexing feet... And now you come to fix my nerves. Thanks so so much for this valuable knowledge 🙏
Always happy to help!
All that is taught by true yoga teachers in India.
I find nerve tensioners to be EXTREMELY useful for range of motion outside of therapy.
Most studies that I have seen that do not advocate nerve stretching usually do a high speed, heavy weight nerve stretch on animals to cause injury, then say “see this is bad!”
The anatomy is great, but the conclusion is something I disagree with.
Nerve tension is a tool to use. Not a scary thing to avoid.
I just watched that video of yours
true
I came here to mention your video lol
OMG I SAW THIS COMMENT AND DIDNT REALIZE IT WAS YOU DAVID! LETS GOOOOO DAVID IN THE WILD
there are studies that find nerve stretching beneficial
This video just changed my life forever. I have been struggling to find the answer to the pain from my hip down to knee, ankle & my toes in my right leg. I thought it was a hamstring issue for years. No, I have been pissing off my nerves and gave myself sciatica!! Even doctors and PT’s couldn’t figure it out. Thank you for this video, I learned so much I didn’t know. I started thinking recently maybe it was a nerve pain, but I had no idea what may have caused it. This is absolutely it, it’s the way I’ve been stretching. I appreciate you for real!
I'm really happy this helped! If you're ever interested I have a complete sciatica rehab program that will get you feeling great in no time! Just book a free call if you want to chat about it! www.shapeshiftwellness.com/
To everyone reading this, I sincerely pray for that whatever is causing you pain or stress will pass. May your negative thoughts, excessive worries and doubts disappear, replaced by clarity and understanding. May your life be filled with peace, tranquility and love
que comentário lindo, tudo em dobro para você e para os que amam ❤
🩵🙏
This made me realise I've been stretching my sciatic nerve my entire life and that this is why I could never do a full pancake stretch. People were always surprised I couldn't go lower than I can, but it's because it was always pulling at this nerve, and no one told me, and I had absolutely no idea. I genuinely believed hamstrings were this nerve, because none of the positions meant for hamstrings stretch my muscles, they only put pressure on this nerve.
Bingo! I hope this helps!
This is exactly why those kinds of stretches always feel „weird“!! Thank you so much! I do quite a lot of yoga from youtube videos and while I love 90% of it, they sometimes have you bend your neck down really far just as in your pictures and I never liked that stretch at all. Now I know why.
That’s your problem, you do a lot of “yoga” from CZcams videos. I doubt you know what Yoga is and what it isn’t.
@@phasematerialsresearch9319 i can detect a lot of negativity coming from you, my friend. its sad to assume a lot based on one comment, but i hope you find peace within yourself!
Thanks for this video, I was diagnosed of having sciatica pain and I cannot stand straight for a longer period so I stop doing exercises and I felt a little better. Somehow, I still do slight exercises from my PT to make my back muscle & legs strong. Now I know the difference of stretching the nerve and muscle. Thanks a lot!
I'm glad you had success when working with your PT, and I'm happy they encouraged you to get strong in the legs and back!
Has anyone talked about piriformis syndrome?
I've read that half the people with sciatica actually have it.
Had friends that did piriformis stretches and got relief.
Shocked if your pt hasn't suggested that.
@@JJBpilot it’s been couple of years since I had my PT and I still constantly doing short stretches however, this time, I do basic yoga and it really helps. As well hydrating myself of warm water. My PT hasn’t suggested about periformis stretches.
Resting squat position helps
"I'm not a big fan of stretching but if you do it, please do it right" 😍 thanks for the informational vid!
Hilarious, did I say that? 😅 Glad you liked the video!
Why wouldn't it be good to stretch?
@@ShapeshiftWellness you did at 10:05. Please elaborate
@@LucasSoaresy Here's why flexibility isn't very valuable: czcams.com/video/H1bYun0TM10/video.html
Here's a better alternative: czcams.com/video/CMD710LUmQM/video.html
Confusing statements. In the video “Flexibility is basically useless” he says “I love Yoga. I like stretching. It feels good”.
Finally a video that puts enphasis on the tension that the sciatic nerve is under instead of talking just about stretching the muscles. Thank you very much for explaining with such great detail this topic
I’ve always felt a deeper hammy stretch in the halfway lift than in a forward fold, this makes so much sense. I can relate to the thought of more strain or difficulty translating to “better yoga” or whatever ego itch is scratched by this 😅 Great information here, thank you for sharing
I appreciate this! I am a hypermobile yoga teacher. There are sensations that I don't feel and I don't want to injure my students because of unawareness on my part.
Thank you for this video! I'm a practicer not a teacher. I'm always amazed at how generally, yoga teachers don't give any disclaimers about potential hurts and seem to have no clue about the risks of pulling the nerves instead of the muscles. It's tricky because yoga seems so soft so you don't think it might get you injured but I got injured several times like this, in my hip, knees and neck. We really have to be careful. I understand it better now so I'll stop pushing, thank you
Simple rule: never force it! Yoga teachers are poorly educated most of the time, unfortunately.
I think a yoga beginner avoid the intense sciatic stretch intuitively cause it hurts. But when you are more advanced most of the people are fearless to go into a deep stretch.
This video brings a bit clarity. Now I will think twice how deep I need the sciatic nerve stretch.
❓ QUESTION OF THE DAY: What yoga poses cause you discomfort or pain, or just feel WEIRD to you?
All of them! 😂 Thanks for the video! Makes sense!
@@kenschulz4186 Do it more.
Halasana!
@@nikhilbarjatiahat is your purpose in doing the standing version - muscle stretch or nerve tensioning?
This stretch and the standing version feels different from ALL the other stretches I do, it doesn't even feel like a stretch it is weird.
Edit: I actually found out how to do the standing version correctly, now it feels like a stretch 😅
It's funny because I've always stretched my hamstrings without reaching forward, focusing on keeping my spine straight while pushing my chest towards my knee. Glad to see my intuition was correct
Guess you are referring to yoga teachers in the US. I'm from India and I've been doing yoga under the supervision of various trained teachers for over 10 years. The fundamental instruction is no pain, only stretch, keep spine neutral/unbend, and no folding of knees. So the position would be like this for starters /_\, i.e. bring your back forward to the extent possible while keeping spine neutral and then with hands hold whichever part of shin you can touch. There is no holding of feet until you can bend to that level while keeping spine neutral. The problem is not with yoga but with those who jump into yoga business with half baked knowledge.
You're absolutely right. There are good and bad teachers in the US. Ever since the boom of Martial Arts in the 70s and 80s, there has been all sorts of classes from a wide range of disciplines (usually foreign in origin) and there are a lot that are half baked. But there are a lot of good teachers and classes too. Honestly, its probably best to learn from any research that can be done on CZcams and doing it at home in a controlled environment rather than going to a local yoga place.
Title should read ‘Stop pissing off your nerves’!
Sounds like power yoga, so easy to get caught up in all the stretch videos. Ultimately, yoga is about reaching for and feeling a centeredness of the body and mind. Very insightful video thank you.
Great video. However, what you call a 'classic paschimottanasana' is actually just a common wrong way to do this asana. The real paschimottanasana is a straight spine hamstrings stretch. The idea of bending your torso towards the floor was inspired by watching the advanced yogi, who can almost fold in half. But they fold themselves without bending their back - an important noonce many beginners fail to see.
It doesn’t matter, either version is just a passive static stretch that requires unusual hypermobility.
@Shapeshift Wellness It DOES matter. Unusual does not mean wrong or dangerous. There are plenty of benefits to flexibility training as long as you don't force it all at once and progress slow.
And if you are using an example that turns out to be flat out improper, it discredits your argument against it.
Thank you so much for this information. I have practiced yoga since 1995. Self taught. Trial and error. Many mistakes. Many injuries. Some from being an overzealous yogi. Some from just improper form and practice. This video is so spot on. I still practice on my own, but when I do practice with others, I see so many people holding poses incorrectly. Great information and breakdown. I have subscribed and look forward to learning more from you.
I’ve been doing this wrong since I started yoga ~10 months ago. Have been noticing some of the early sciatic nerve issues you described. Thank you 🙏 you’ve likely saved me some issues down the road.
I know its a weird thing to compliment, but I really appreciate your correct use of the words "less" and "fewer." Most people use these interchangeably even though they have distinct uses and meanings.
Thank you so much for putting this information out there.
My sciatic nerve can get numb, or hot, from time to time, especially after intense running and biking... good to know my stretching afterwards was only making it worse.
Damn, this was exactly the "Why and How" that I've been looking for to help me understand further the importance of physical maintenance. Thanks for this video, it was seriously incredibly easy to follow along and comprehend with your visuals!
Glad it helped!
Very helpful👍 I’m practicing Yoga over a couple of month now and I always felt this tingly moving kind of pain, mostly in my legs and neck. Good to know that I did it wrong and was actually stressing my body when I wanted to give it some relaxation
Thank you and have a nice day😊🌞
You're so welcome! I hope this helps your yoga practice feels more enjoyable!
🎉🎉
Very interesting. When doing ballet as a child, we were taught to keep our toes pointed and legs turned outward. It is so ingrained that I find it hard to do otherwise in yoga stretches. I injured myself in a yoga class (I have hyper-mobile joints) and learned the hard way that yoga isn’t all about flexibility - having good muscle stability and great form is so important. Great to learn more about how to do yoga safely.
Heard this same story a million times. Glad it helps!
This is unrelated, but your description of what a nerve feels like made me realize something. All my life I've experienced what my 3 year old self named warm shivers. I've never been able to figure out what they are, but they are a wave of warmth that usually originates between my shoulder blades and washes down my spine and even down my arms and legs and sometimes to the surface of the skin. It honestly feels great and it can be triggered by yawns, so the tension and relaxation of the muscles, going outside in the snow and sometimes it seems random. For decades I've guessed that it was from my veins and the radiating blood flow, but perhaps it's my nerves, which would make sense since nerves are supposed to carry signals to the brain versus the veins. Interesting, thank you for the video
i've seen a lot of videos talking about "how to ACTUALLY stretch your hamstrings" and such but this one is the real deal
Glad it helped!
Super helpful video. I would love to know more about why you're "not a fan of stretching", since clearly you're very knowledgeable.
Me too
Me to
The way you explained it at the end as the correct way of deepening the stretch is actually the traditional and correct way of doing paschimotanasana. You stop till where your spine is straight and that’s your limit for now and you respect it.
Sure, but then most yoga teachers get lazy and say "try to get your forehead to you knee" and everyone ends up trying to force it... So in the real world, things are messy.
I just had to go make sure this channel was still active bc I'm obsessed! Sometimes I randomly find an old video and the YT page is defunct and it's heartbreaking but you're still making fresh content yay 😁😁😁. I just quit my job and I'm living my best life and I'm going to start yoga and I just stumbled across this and it's so important!!! Thank you ❤
That's awesome! Welcome aboard! It there anything specifically I can help you with?
This whole video can be summarized in just 30 seconds. Carry on good man.
I used to be in great shape but did Nothing for years, and am now 34, and last year from sitting so much I got Horrible Sciatica pain. From my Glute through my hamstring and calve right to my toes would hurt so bad. I was limping, Could not sleep well, and felt tingling Etc. I started walking every day starting from 25 mins up to 2 hours but on average 45 mins - an hour and after a while the Pain got so much better. I then started stretching after the walk and am now hitting the gym. My Horrible Sciatic pain is 99% Gone but I do feel it when stretching, Doing Hamstring stretches is fine but as soon as I put my head down BAM the pain lights up so I stopped that but was wondering if I should maybe try putting my head down a little to feel that pain a bit and maybe it would over time get better but I don't want to hurt all the progress I made. Glad this video confirmed what was happening to me.
I once watched some exercises through yt and performed it, and next day in morning my leg bent when I put my legs down from bed to stand, and after that day I faced this sciatic nerve problem, and after one year I fell from staircase and my lower back injured in that that made my case worse, I joined gym (that may sound not a good choice instead of going to doctor), and this my gym trainer I told him about my problem he told me it's sciatic nerve and he teach me very basic workouts and he left the gym after 2 months, but his workouts really helped me and even he was not there I continue his workout for six months and finally my injury healed. I'm really thankful to that trainer till now.
Wow, quite the story thanks for sharing! Glad you're better now!
Omg thank you. There are so many shorts everywhere teaching so much in every direction... we need more awareness
This was helpful. I have pissed off my nerves, and it's taking a long time to calm them down. There are a lot of conflicting tips out there. I have a set of prescribed stretches and exercises from my physical therapist for my nerve issue. Some of them involve deliberately stretching the nerves. It seems that when it comes to the nervous system, there is a lot of confusion, and many professionals don't know very much about it.
I hope this helped! Yes in some cases it's good to glide or stretch the nerves. Personally for my patients I almost always give nerve gliding exercises, not nerve tensioning exercises.
Big pharma doesn’t want us to use preventative care. That’s why this kind of info is taught. Stretching and movement is so important. Including for the nervous system. Sciatic flossing is such a great feeling and release. Movement is life.
Movement is medicine!
Oh my gosh. I've started to develop sciatic nerve pain after years of at home yoga/stretching. I thought this meant I wasn't doing *enough.* I'm going to stop all the aggressive stretching! I feel pretty dumb... came across this video purely by accident and it was VERY timely for me.
I'm really happy it helps! There's a lot more to unraveling sciatica than this though. You might really enjoy this masterclass on chronic low back pain and sciatica! www.shapeshiftwellness.com/LBP-masterclass
Very useful video! And now I finally understand why my teachers insisted on NOT rounding the back in this pose and always only go as far as it feels comfortable in any pose.
But unfortunately not all of them and I definitely experienced nerve stretching in some classes! Which did not feel good and it’s sometimes hard to tell how far I can go when the teachers don’t emphasize listening to your body. So as always trust your body ❤
Hi this video has been very useful to me. I had sciatica for past 4 months and doctors have suggested me to do a set of stretches including this one. I just stopped this one and i can see a great progress. Thanks a lot🙏
Best of luck! Usually people have a lot of success with strengthening, rather than deep stretching.
how is your sciatica feeling now?
THANK YOU!! This is the best information that I have possibly ever seen... and I danced professionally for multiple decades. These stretches caused me such misery, and now I know why. Thank you so much - you Rock!!
Hi, great video and thank you for all your work. With all my respect, i have a little but important remark to make. In the classical yoga, paschimottanasana DOES not go with spine and neck curve. The neck direction should follow the direction of the spine and spine must stay straight - as far as it is possible. Doing yoga does not mean that you have to go all the way down in order to be satisfied. Everyone one must go with his/her own pace. It is true that a lot of people are performing this asana just the way you show, but truly, the yoga teacher should be professional and correct the student. The meaning of the pose is "The east meets the west", so when the body is ready it should be done.
Thank you one more time.
Thanks for the comment! I'm glad the video was helpful. I understand your point and I have had a fair amount of classical training so I'm familiar with the cueing. As you point out though, in practice, in the real world, people just end up turning this pose (and most poses) into chances to dive as deep into flexibility as they possibly can. Also, regardless of the spine being straight or curved, this video educates on the sensations one may feel if they are tensioning the spinal cord and sciatic nerves, versus truly stretching just the hamstrings. It's important to know and feel the difference. Thanks for your input!
Definitely true! Great channel.
My yoga cousin recommended this sciatic 'stress' pose for me on world yoga day for my backpain 5 yrs before ...i tried this from that day for a week.After a month my back pain worsened like anything that I couldn't sit for 3 seconds .Later I took various treatments for the same but i remember that as a disaster on every yoga day.Thanks to my internship period where I was walking all day which helped me strengthen my back muscles and relieve pain
Great video! Very informational and helpful. Keep it up-one of the best channels on the subject of yoga, stretching, anatomy, etc., that I’ve come across (and I’ve watched many)
I have been practising yoga for 20 years. A well trained yoga instructor will always guide the student to keep the head I alignment with the spine and NOT to round the back or drop the neck - stressing that one should not compromise the integrity of the pose in pursuit of getting the head closer to the legs.
thank you so much for this video! years of stretching my sciatic nerve and progression was always met with pain. Incorporating this and I already felt like I had deeper stretches.
Glad it helped! A little anatomy goes a long way 🙌 If you ever need personalized guidance I do online consultations for pain and rehab, just in case you ever need more help! www.shapeshiftwellness.com/pages/booking
i'm going to accredit the prevention/reduction of my back pain in the future to this guy, THANK YOU
As far as I remember in this pose you have to bring your chest near your knees and if can then just tuck the chin in
without over-stretching
That pose is ignoring all precautions
THAT HAMSTRING STRETCH JUST CHANGED MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!
This is really helpful. I am back in massage school 13 years later and learning more about my body at 41 and mechanics in general. I love how these videos are really teaching safety awareness for stretching and Anatomy knowledge at the same time. Thank you and looking forward in learning more from your videos.
Thank you. Now I know why the yoga has helped my prolapse but made my spine, from head to toes, worse. Same with someone else who has had spinal nerve injuries.
Don’t listen to the iron pumping blow hards. Your information will help more people than (then) you know. I’ll be adjusting my yoga stretches accordingly. Again, thank you.
Hey Judy! Thanks a lot and I hope this helps you out! If you haven't already, you might enjoy watching the low back pain and sciatica masterclass. Have a great day! www.shapeshiftwellness.com/LBP-masterclass
Thank you for the very good explanation of how the nerves go from one side to the other. My nerves are definitely pissed at me. But I did not quite get why. So going to pay more attention to that ❤
Glad it helped!
I have caused two injuries by following yoga teachers. One was a mild sciatica nerve problem the other was a more intense and long lasting piriformas muscle injury . I am sure I just done the stretching wrong and irritated the nerves. I would like to get fit without injury or overstretching, would be nice lol but my body likes to resist my efforts. I need an excellent professional to teach me the correct way to strengthen and tone and increase flexibility. I have turned to watching videos like this and tomorrow I have a visit to my physiotherapist so I really hope she can give me a great list on safe stretching or safe methods to get fit .
I hope you find something that works! Sometimes PT can be a great start but often times patients in PT get babied so it's not always a long term solution unless you find a great PT who can really ramp you up into STRENGTH over time (slowly of course). You might really get a lot of value out of this free sciatica and low back pain masterclass: www.shapeshiftwellness.com/LBP-masterclass
Best explanation I've come across. Very educational!
The first thing I learnt in dao yin qingong I go for my back was: never force, easy peasy. If you feel anything tensing, tinglings... just: stop. And now I understand why it's always "head up" 😂😂😂 I love how science confirms what pple knew for thousand of yrs🎉❤
Where have you been when I was in my YTT? This info is gold. There are good yoga anatomy books but hardly any decent videos and workshops. Thank you for your channel and it deserves a ton of subscribers. Let's get you there!
Welcome aboard! You're absolutely right, YTT's are woefully lacking in the science and anatomy department. I appreciate the words and support!
I've always felt that the practice of recognizing what feels comfortable and what feels like a stretcher is a in built kn yoga. Every position tells you whether it's good for you or not. You can literally feel it in your bones! And I've always known that curving my spine in this position felt wrong. Now I know trusting the signals my body sends is the right thing to do!
Everything you said makes perfect sense, but I'm still slightly sad now. The "wrong" stretch just feels so good :p
It's more that this type of stretching is more accurately classified as a "sciatic nerve tensioner" rather than a hamstrings stretch. Nerve tensioners can be used as a therapeutic exercise, but generally should only be given as therapy from your licensed healthcare practitioner.
In the middle of the video the guy mentioned that he is not a fan of stretching:) but this is an actual reason why he made this critical video) whole yoga is based on stretching of muscles AND nerves as well.
Yoga has nothing to do with flexibility or stretching. People just make it about stretching 🤷♂️
whats wrong with stretching the nervous system??
Its.. not meant to be stretched? Too much pull can damage the nerves..
Stop stretching. Got it, saved me so much time
Fan-freaking-tastic explanation, and super thorough overview! This is something I work with my students with a lot, I'll definitely be sending this video to some students to nerd out more deeply on.
I’m so happy it helped! Spread the nerdy love 🙌
I had a dance instructor when I was young who would sit on my back to "help" me stretch. It was painful af, but he told me that the pain was part of the stretching process. And look, he did the same thing to his other students and now they're flexible thanks to him
Yeah, glad I left that place before it managed to damage me permanently.
I've been studying ex. sci for a couple years and am approaching PT track and can honestly say this was an awesome video and I managed to learn a lot; keep up the good work!
I also agree that while maintaining plantarflexion and extension of the cervical spine during hip flexion and knee extension would be a better hamstring stretch, it may be a slight oversimplification to say one movement is better than the other due to better isolation. I believe the latter stretch would carry over into more functional movements in people who might also have sciatic nerve irritation when going further into a pose or stretch.
Yep - it's not a "better than" scenario, more of "if you want to target the muscle, do 'x', if you want the nerve for some reason, do 'y'."
Great, great information. That's really a tremendous insight for those of us prone to work too hard(!). Much appreciation.
I actually disagree. I’ve found a lot of comfort in my lumbar by rounding my back & gently pulling the belly in, feet are relaxed or pointed. I’ve been practicing daily for 6 years. Granted I have extremely long hamstrings & can face plant my shins so perhaps it’s an individual thing. But the important thing is that it’s helped my lower back. Just sayin’ 🤷🏼♀️
In this video I mentioned that in certain contexts this activity as well as nerve glides and nerve tensioners can be used therapeutically. I cannot in good conscience advise this practice to the general public, but under the advice of a person's healthcare provider (also I'm covering my own ass here), sometimes it can be good therapy. The point of this video is that the classic yoga pose is NOT a hamstrings stretch anatomically, but rather it is a *nerve* stretch.
@@ShapeshiftWellness I understand. I should have said that I respectfully disagree. I love your videos.
It's a common Pilates stretch so I do ti very often. Helps my lordosis tremendously. With correct preparation and tucked abs of course
@@ShapeshiftWellness if there is 50% certain cases ,iffs buts in ur theory then it's totally crap🙄
@@Butunmallick7851 Obviously you have no familiarity with how science works. In science. We don’t speak in absolutes. We speak honestly given current evidence, which means allowing for all scenarios. It’s called nuance.
Пречудова Софія. Дякую що запросили її. Особливо сподобався формат інтерв‘ю-розмова про якісь страхи, незручності, які насправді багатьом притаманні. Це зближує😊
Thank you so much for this. Now i know why I feel pain whenever I do some of the stretches bec. I'm doing it a wrong way. I'm suffering from a pinched nerve and the last time I stretched my right leg and bend my body forward towards my foot(my PT teach that poses before) and then i feel the tension on my nerve and then the next day the numbness begin under my foot..😔
I hope this helps you modify things and feel better!
Finally an Excellent explanation on the neuro-dynamics!! I've been explaining this and correcting my patients and clients for years, and they all keep coming back from their fitness, yoga, whatever training protocols with this major mistake! Thank you!
You may like this as well! czcams.com/video/LcoNO88H50g/video.html
Subbed! Very interesting and you might have saved me. I had just heard about the concept of "nerve flossing" and this video filled in a simple gap in my understanding... as well as good advice maybe not to do it without professional advice.
Glad it was helpful! Welcome aboard! Yep there's a time and place for it, but forcing it in yoga is a bit silly IMHO.
I just started doing stretches today and i totally get this😭I'm so grateful and thankful i stumbled upon this
Very informative and useful. Thank you! You definitely deserve more views.
mfb05 I appreciate it, thanks for watching :)
Ever since elementary school I would see real tall people doing this almost daily and a lot of other people throughout the years adapt that bending the head down and forward+ grabbing toes. It never felt right to me and after learning this I'm glad it never became a habit.
bumped into this video by accident but WOW. this is amazing information!! THANK YOU
Happy little accidents 🙌 Glad it helped!
I used to do yoga daily, till I got too flexible so I tried always to push myself to the limit, I stop doing it or some years then came back and realize that by not trying to reach my previous level but just reaching till it felt like a nice release no matter how far I was from the yogist position I was getting such a nice release, besides, even the channel I follow (Boho Beautiful) they constantly tell you "don't worry if you ain't that far, focus on what feels good for your body, be gentle"
Something tells me you weren’t actually doing real yoga, the bastardized western version of it perhaps..
@@phasematerialsresearch9319 🤷🏻♂️ maybe well, just by checking their channel you’ll be able to tell based on your experience , I’m just grateful they got me into meditating and stretching daily
I was pulling my brain! 😉. No wonder I hated stretching! Thanks!
Haha, a little mobility in the spinal cord is okay in a specific therapeutic context, but no need to go yanking on it all the time!
Thanks for explaining it so well. This problem was really getting on my nerves
I was taught that in any type of forward fold you are to keep the back straight so you are bending from the hips, avoiding nerve tensioning. I thought all yoga teachers were taught this.
That alone doesn’t necessarily prevent nerve tension, especially if you are grabbing the big toes. Also, most people simply cannot do that, they can’t keep their backs flat. That requires some atypical hypermobility.
@@ShapeshiftWellness that’s true. There some teachers that have hypermobility and it makes me sad they don’t address it, misleading people into thinking they need to look a certain way when doing poses. Thank you for the video!
Same! Most teachers told me that
@@2630apple I have ultra long arms and I don't even need to try to touch my toes...my wingspan is 10cm longer than my height
Stiffness of calf muscles can be a limiting factor on your compression capacity, yet I wouldn't say stretching them at the same time is benefitial, but you can stretch the calf muscles before compression and if you improve that means your calves is a weak link in your compression capacity
The very first yoga class I took was in my early 20s, and stressed breathing and proper form for stretches (and was also the best one I've taken).I was taught that the proper way to do that stretch was the way you said was right. No other class I took metioned anything about it, but it's how I've always done it since that first class. 😁
According to panjali yoga sutra " sithir sukham Asana" it means we should do only which asana in which we feel comfortable nd happiness not pain. IN YOGA their is only happiness, comforts nd peace their is no space of "No pain no gain mind set." Everyone is different by his body flexibility nd strength therefore we should learn yoga practice or any other exercise by only a trained teacher or expert person .
This is very eye opening, I always thought I had "short hamstrings" because when trying to touch my toes I'm about 30 cms from the floor with my fingertips. But the sensation I'm feeling is more of a burning feeling behind my knees, and at times I do experience numbness, which are things mentioned at 13:27.
So is there hope for me to become flexible? Your video says "stop stretching your sciatic nerve", but can I stretch it to become more flexible? If yes, what poses/routines would you recommend?
Pay attention to the way that I suggested stretching the hamstrings in order to avoid sciatic nerve tension, so keep a long and neutral spine, and point the toes and ankle away from the rest of the body. This way you can increase hamstrings flexibility without irritating the sciatic nerve. That's step 1. After that there are ways to floss the sciatic nerve but you would want guidance from a PT or chiro before doing that.
Just don't curve your spine as a banana
I just realized that I gotta stop my lifetime habit of stretching, which was to be told, by my teachers back in elementary school. It scares me how irresponsible the physical education institution can be, where educated people hurt you the most. I'm exaggerating a bit now, but the point is, some people are trained and paid to be cautious and helpful to people in need, when it comes to training others. I'm at fault for not knowing how to prepare my body for heavy use, and responsible for the outcomes, cause I should've reached out sooner for medical help. So at this point, my back is ruined, and I have constant pain, my arms are burning at the age of 30, even in a sleep position... So I really appreciate every help that points out one of the most important things (in my case) to avoid, like this stretching method! So thank you, to share this. I'll pay more attention to it! And maybe I'll share this with my former therapist too! :)
Does this mean the sciatica pain I’m feeling every now and then could be related to this? Is there a way to recover from nerve damage? Thank you 🙏🏼
Thanks for commenting! Any personal health questions should be directed to your doctor or another healthcare provider, but here's what I can say: Generally speaking, the main point here is simply to not force anything, and to take variations that are putting less stress on the sciatic nerve. That said, fun fact - nerves are actually the STRONGEST tissue in the entire human body under a tensile (pulling) load! Pretty cool. Yes, IF nerves are damaged, they can heal most of the time. Talk to your local physical therapist or sports chiropractor for help with your own body though!
Well this explains why I am all of a sudden having sciatica for the first time in my life, I was doing this pose, I am on maybe month 3 or 4 of having sciatica which I didn't even know what was going on and had to go see a doctor who told me it was sciatica. It's getting better with exercises, massages and warm rice packs. Thank you for the information!
Happy to help!
This makes soooo much sense! I know this is gonna make a difference for me. I’ve been wondering why my lower back can actually hurt more than times I’m not doing my yoga. I feel kinda silly for not figuring it out. I knew I was doing something. Thank you thank you thank you!
This video totally _unnerved_ me with the bones and nerves part.
Been dealing with a imbalance in my right leg/femur due to a childhood injury from a growth plate fracture. This information is very helpful thank you 🙏🏽
CZcams "suggestions" is such a wonderful thing!
Awesome explanation. Been doing yoga for quite a while now and been wondering why my legs tickle all the time... Thanks for the great video.
That sounds unpleasant! I hope this helps!
I have recently started feeling the ‘tickling’ feeling across my toes 😮
THIS is what my physiotherapist wanted me to do on a chair when I had a herniated disk and nerve compression and this only caused me MORE PAIN. I stopped doing it and changed to a different provider.