Back pain is often the result of excess tension in the muscles that run down either side of the spine, a twisted pelvis, and tight hip flexors. Relieving this imbalance can be as easy as lying down on your back in an aligned position and breathing. This posture known in the Egoscue Method© as Static Back. It’s commonly referred to as the 90-90 position—and it is incredibly healing.

Proper Positioning
• Use a chair, couch, bed, table or ottoman for this technique.
• Ensure that your hips and knees are in direct vertical alignment with each other and at right angles to your torso and lower legs.
• NOTE: You may need to use blankets or pillows under your lower legs (calves and ankles) to reach the correct height. If your hips and legs are rotating out to the sides, your legs are too low.
• Depending on the position of your upper body, your head may not comfortably rest on the floor. If this is the case, use pillows to support your head and neck. With time, you should be able to reduce the support needed. Gradually use thinner pillows, blankets and towels until your head easily contacts the ground without tipping back or creating tension in your neck, shoulders or upper back.

Body Awareness
• Relax into the position with your arms out to the sides, palms up.
• Notice how your pelvis and lower back are touching the ground.
• Become aware of how your shoulder blades are hitting the floor.
• Pay attention to the position and tension in your neck, and feel your head supported by the ground.

Ask yourself:
▪ Do I feel balanced with equal contact on both sides of my body—from my pelvis to my head?
▪ Does one side of my body feeling lighter or lifted?
▪ Is the tension equal throughout the muscles on either side of my spine?
▪ Is my head tilted to one side? (You might have someone else look.)
When I started practicing this position, I would notice that my right lower back was much higher and tighter than my left. The right side of my pelvis was barely touching the ground. Not surprisingly, my back pain was most severe on my right side.

Relax and Breathe
• This is a static position where you allow gravity and your breath to bring your body back into balance. You do not need to actively “DO” anything. Rather, you need to “BE” patient and allow your body the opportunity to reposition.
• Observe your breathing and focus on initiating the movement from your diaphragm. Breathe throughout your entire torso - front, back and both sides. For a refresher on diaphragm breathing, watch my video: https://youtu.be/Wm5nz3Z8CRY.
• Depending on your starting position, it may take a while for your body to release and realign. You want to stay in this position until your entire back (side to side and head to pelvis) are equally flat and contacting the ground.
In the beginning it would take upwards of 45 minutes for my body to adjust. I was heavily ingrained in my twisted posture. As I did the position regularly (daily is ideal), the time it took my body to align reduced. Along with this change was a consistent reduction in my back pain. As I reminded my muscles to lengthen, and as I regularly repositioned my body, the changes I was making were starting to be maintained long-term.

Practice this position and many more in Posture Fitness Class. This class uses gentle standing, sitting and mat whole-body exercises for repositioning and strengthening. Class is moderately paced and appropriate for those with chronic musculoskeletal issues.

Class Details
Mondays @ 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Moab Recreation and Aquatic Center
Investment: $10 /class, $45/5-punch card, $80/10-punch card
Your first class is free!

Repositioning and releasing excess tension is the first step in relieving back pain for good. The next step is to strengthen this improved position. Discover some of these strengthening exercises in class and by reading the blog: Stay Aligned to Beat Back Pain: 5 Exercises https://thepfathlete.com/stay-aligned-to-beat-back-pain-5-exercises/

Jessica Kisiel, MS, is a local wellness professional specializing in injury recovery and pain management through alignment. She is certified by the Postural Restoration Institute® and Egoscue University®. Enjoy more articles like this by joining The Pain Free Athlete community, http://www.thepfathlete.com

India, the decision made, this is where my journey of Ashtanga Yoga began. I had never practiced the series/style before, but I knew I wanted to study this ancient tradition. I wanted to understand how this practice had remained unchanged throughout time and continents. Little did I know yoga would become a lifelong journey to bettering myself and everyone I met.

“Practice and all is coming” was all I needed to hear. I believed these words and I wanted it all.

I believed practice would allow me to touch my head to my knees or stay in a headstand for days. I believed practice was all it took to achieve a life full of happiness and enlightenment. I believed that if I could master the physical asanas(postures), that everything else in my life would fall into place. What I had yet to realize was the “all” had nothing to do with the physical shapes I made in yoga. The “all” is actually a state of pure joy. A place where people and things no longer controlled my mind. A place where calm and peacefulness were not a lucky occurrence, but they are the daily normal.

Ashtanga Yoga is translated to “The Eight Limbs of Yoga” Ashta= Eight, Anga=Limb, Yoga=Union and often described as the limbs of a tree. The goal of Ashtanga, like every tree in the forest, is to reach toward the light. The growth is steady and gradual, and each individual will have a different pace and approach; yet the goal remains the same. Through practice we become more aware of how we interact with those around us, and how we treat and nurture

ourselves. As we begin to find the physical practice, we become more focused and we breathe as a way to calm the body and mind, which leads to a calmer and happier version of ourselves. This is the practice. A practice that will change day to day, but for those who put the work in, they will receive all the joys of life.

Every Ashtanga Yoga class, no matter where in the world we are, starts and ends with a mantra. This is a way to detach from the outside world and bring our awareness to the ancient practice. It is a tradition passed down from teacher to student, honoring those who came before us. Each Ashtanga class follows a set sequence of asanas, held for 5 breaths each. It takes many years to “master” each series, but mastering is not the goal. The goal is to grow physically and emotionally stronger and softer. To be better to ourselves and others each day.

Join Kristi Paul for a 6 week Ashtanga Series introduction and practice: Saturdays 8-10am, January 5th thru February 9th. Questions? kristi.telluride@gmail.com, 812-325-9582.

Kristi teaches ongoing classes that incorporate movement, breath, and time for reflection.: Wednesdays 5:30pm, Sundays at 9am and 11am at Moab Yoga 37E Center St. www.moabyoga.com 435-259-2455.

Nowhere in our society is the inequality of women on greater display than in the bedroom. Female sexuality has taken a back seat since the beginning of recorded history. This was only made worse by the approval of Viagra™ for men with erectile dysfunction in 1998. Now, men have at least three pills to choose from, along with injections, creams, external pumps, internal pumps, the Priapus shot® (“P shot®” for short), and acoustic soundwave therapy.

For the longest time, women who had lost their ability to fully enjoy this most intimate experience with their partners were left in the cold. As a result, a stunningly-high percentage of women do no more than tolerate intercourse in order to please their partners and get on with the rest of their business. Sex has become just another chore for far too many women. Worse, it becomes a source of resentment because most women, as a result of long-ago experience, know what they’re missing. They feel cheated.

But there’s more. A woman’s difficulty with (or absence of) orgasm affects her devoted partner as well. The man whose partner is unable to climax not only feels bad for her, but feels inadequate in himself. After all, he should be able to bring her consummate pleasure. When he can’t, his own climax is, well, anticlimactic. And he feels like less of a man.
This all changed when Dr. Charles Runels, inventor of the popular “P shot®” for men, invented the Orgasm Shot® (“O shot®” for short) for women. 

Naturally, the first word that comes to your mind is “Ouch!” Surprisingly, that’s not what women say. For most, it’s no worse than getting a Pap smear. And, while the procedure takes only a few minutes, the benefits can last years.

Some experience the orgasms they’ve never had before. Others welcome the return of the pleasure they enjoyed at the beginning of their marriage. Side effects often include increased lubrication, increased pleasurable genital sensitivity, heightened desire for intimacy, reduced pain with intercourse, and reduced urinary incontinence. Women discover that better sex leads to increased self-esteem, more energy, more creativity, less depression, increased confidence, enhanced marital satisfaction, and improved overall health.

Just as important, there is no surgery from which to recover, no downtime, no pill to take an hour before intercourse, no having to schedule intimacy on the calendar, nothing to practice or remember. The ability is always there, ready when you need it. Because there’s no ridiculously-expensive pill to take, you don’t have to think about the amount of money you swallow every time you want to be intimate. This also means there’s no limit to the number or frequency of your orgasms. It’s up to you and your partner.

How is the “O Shot®” Performed?
First, some blood is drawn from your arm. The blood is then spun down using a special device to concentrate the platelets. The treatment areas are numbed and then two small injections of platelets made. 

That’s it. You can have intercourse as soon as you get home, if you want. Over the coming days, you will notice it gets better and better as the growth factors released from the platelets rejuvenate the affected tissues and stimulate growth of new blood vessels.

Can the “O Shot®” Help Me?
Passionate about helping men and women transform their lives, Dr. Andrew sought out and trained personally with Dr. Runels to learn his life-changing techniques for sexual health regeneration in both men and women. Thanks to these techniques, men and women can finally be equal…at least in the bedroom.

Call Prestige Wellness Institute today to see if this procedure is right for you. You take care of everyone else. Isn’t it about time you take care of yourself? It’s not just a matter of pleasure. It’s a matter of feeling like a “whole” woman, complete, satisfied, fulfilled. As such, you are then better able to face your own challenges with confidence, and to look after other’s needs with increased love and patience. You can do this. We will help you. Call us at (435) 259-4008 for an appointment or for a free copy of Dr. Runels’ book, Activate The Female Orgasm System: The Story of O Shot®.