In fact, some of the stretches and exercises taught in our sciatica relief program are ones you might see in your local yoga class. So we think that there is definitely some benefit to yoga.

But there is one MAJOR problem with yoga classes. Your in a class where you’re given a generic specific set of exercises and stretches, that in many cases, can make your piriformis syndrome worse! And BECAUSE you’re in a class setting, most likely you feel pressured to follow along, even if it’s causing you pain.

I know because I was like that too. Although I really enjoyed my  yoga and pilates classes, I noticed some of the exercises were causing piriformis pain the next day. So I told myself, okay, I won’t do the back bend stretches. 

But my personality is that whenever I do something, I want to do it really well. I have a tendency to push myself – sometimes too far.

I was able to avoid doing back bends for a few weeks, but then my confidence came back. “Surely I can do them now.” But more often than not, the pain returned. 

In the end, I just felt so compelled to do all the exercises and stretches that they were doing in my class, that I could not NOT follow along! So the best thing for me to do, I decided, was to stop going altogether and just do my stretches and exercises at home that I know corrected my piriformis-syndrome-causing muscle imbalances, and AVOID the ones that caused me pain.

I know for some people, who like myself, had been doing yoga and pilates for years. I’m not saying you have to stop. Instead, using the information in our program, develop your own home-based yoga program. Create a personal program that corrects your muscle imbalances, but still gives you the meditative relaxation that only yoga and breathing techniques can give you.

Give it a try. Who knows, maybe I’ll buy YOUR yoga video and watch it every morning!