Many people – yogis and non-yogis alike – have heard of the piriformis muscle, usually in the context of trouble it is causing. A tight piriformis can cause hip pain, deep in the back of the buttock, or it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve where it passes through the buttock. Pinching of the sciatic nerve can cause serious problems like numbness, pain and weakness going down the leg, even mimicking low back disc problems.
In this course, physical therapist and yoga teacher Julie Gudmestad will look at how yoga poses can help keep the piriformis flexible and healthy, and less likely to contribute to hip pain and sciatic nerve problems. We’ll also address pirifomis’ less known function, which is to help stabilize the hip and knee while weight bearing. A weak piriformis (and other associated deep hip rotators) can contribute to chronic knee problems and instability in standing poses, but it is easy to strengthen with careful attention to alignment in those same standing poses.
Like any muscle, it’s important to keep piriformis both flexible and strong, and in this class and suggested practice, we’ll make sure you’re addressing both to keep your piriformis and friends healthy and well-balanced.
This Course Also Includes:
- Yoga Practice: Enjoy a guided yoga practice that Julie created especially for this course.
- Recordings of All Webinar Sessions: It’s generally acknowledged that many people only retain 10-20 percent of what they learn in a workshop. You will get access to the recordings of both webinar sessions (both MP3 – downloadable and MP4 – streaming online), enabling you to go back and listen to the workshop as many times as you like.
- Transcripts of Both Sessions: Ever wanted to refer to a certain part of a course? Even the best note takers miss a point every so often. With the transcripts of the sessions, you can go back and refer to particularly important passages or clarify sections you were in doubt about.
This course qualifies for 2.5 CEs with Yoga Alliance.
