I have been sleeping on my stomach or side for basically my whole life and am trying to swtich to my back to implement this method.
What are the best recommendations to do this? I have difficulty going to sleep on my back, usually just lay there for hours.
Thanks
Nick
6 years 3 months ago
11/15/2012 - 12:51pm
Hi Nick,
I noticed in a previous post that you are reading "8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back" and experiencing modest success. It is important that you practice each step carefully and that you proceed slowly, backing off if you have any discomfort. You don't mention why it is that you have difficulty sleeping on your back. Most often it is due to a tight psoas muscle that causes tension at the lumbar spine. You end up with a swayed back and a stiff, sore back in the morning, or end up tossing and turning all night. Have you tried the stretchlying exercise with pillows under your knees? If pillows relieve the tension, you have a tight psoas. Try stretchlying for 5 minutes at a time initially to get used to this routine. Look at the back of the book for exercises to strengthen and lengthen the psoas, and take note that glidewalking, covered in a later chapter, is really the key to developing that muscle.
You mentioned sleeping on your side. Chapter Four covers stretchlying on your side. Again, be sure that you are proceeding through each chapter in order, as one principle builds upon the other.
Hopefully this will give you a starting place. We also have a DVD for the visual learners and would recommend that you take the Foundations Course if possible.
Norm Brekke, Gokhale Methods Teacher, Minneapolis, MN