Yes - It’s almost here! Alison and I are finishing up the final edits on our book – Back to Life. A yoga program designed specifically to help people with back pain relieve their symptoms and get back to the life they love.
Here’s the forward I wrote, pulled directly from the manual, so that you can get a sneak peak at what this book is all about.
Forward
Sometimes, an event that at the time seems negative can change the entire course of your life for the better. Such an event happened in my life during the summer of 2009.
I was an overworked, stressed out business owner. I had built a successful cleaning business at the age of 24, although I had also accumulated the stress and work load most people don’t find themselves dealing with until they’re in their 40’s. One of my employees called in sick, which left me to unload a heavy pressure washer out of a truck bed by myself.
My unwavering determination got the best of me as I tried to lift the heavy machine out of the truck. I lifted, turned and heard a terrible POP come from my lower back. I instantly knew something was wrong. My next two weeks would be spent mostly in bed. I couldn’t lift anything and bending over at the waist was extremely painful.
Over the next several months the pain got better, but didn’t go away. I ignored it, thinking that it would eventually get better. It didn’t. My back pain was making everyday living difficult. Every time I bent over my back hurt. I could not ride my bike, surf or run without back pain. It felt as if my life had been put on hold.
After about a year of this I decided it was time to get some help. I went to chiropractors, massage therapist, physical therapist and doctors. All did little to help the situation. Some helped the pain go away temporarily, however it always came back. I was starting to get very frustrated. The search continued to find a way to fix myself and start enjoying life again.
After some reluctance, a friend convinced me to try yoga. I thought yoga was for house wives and monks! Little did I know, with that first yoga class, a door was opened that would forever change my life and start me on the journey to end back pain forever!
I started to go to Yoga three or four times a week. It was challenging at first, but after some time, a miracle started to happen… My back pain was starting to disappear! I couldn’t believe it, all these funny poses and breathing exercises were really working! Other parts of me were changing too. I had a new found connection between my mind and body. I started to appreciate my body more. I started to take better care of it.
Yoga taught me about posture and how to keep my back safe. The yoga was strengthening my core muscles to keep my back healthy and supported. All of a sudden, I found myself eating better and learning about nutrition. My health sky rocketed even more. Yoga was an escalator taking me to vibrant health beyond my wildest dreams.
After two years of practicing yoga, my back was 75% better. I still had a few pains once in a while and I still couldn’t participate in my favorite activity – cycling. It had seemed that I reached a plateau. This was a little discouraging but I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I met Alison in 2010 and we instantly hit it off. Alison, being a professional yoga teacher, catapulted me even deeper into the world of yoga and the connection between the mind and body. As I started to understand more about the physical side of the pain, I also began to explore the underlying emotional issues. It turned out that there was more to the pain than just an injured back.
Alison and I put together a sequence of yoga postures that I practiced everyday with amazing success. These postures later became a part of Back to Life – the book you’re reading now. My back pain was 90% gone and I felt better than ever. I was now ready to vanquish the pain completely.
Along with Yoga, I started to meditate daily. This increased the connection between the mind and body that I was learning in Yoga. I also learned about the possibility that my remaining back pain could be due to repressed emotions in my subconscious. I began to explore these emotions through a meditation routine. That meditation routine is the same one described in this book.
As if by magic, my back pain started to disappear completely. I started to forget I even had back pain for long periods of time. Three years of hard work and experimentation was finally paying off. Through the yoga series and meditation – I was 100% pain free! I had never been so happy in my life! I could now enjoy cycling and all my other sports again with no fear or pain. Not only was I pain free, I was also 30 lbs lighter. The yoga had encouraged me to change my diet and lifestyle. I could now ride my bike uphill faster than ever!
Alison and I knew that we had something really special that was desperately needed in the US. Back pain is an epidemic in the western world. It’s estimated that 80% of the population has had to deal with some form of this painful disorder. It is the first cause of worker absenteeism and ranks second behind respiratory infections as the reason why people go to see a doctor. We knew that our powerful program could help the millions of people suffering from back pain.
In 2011, Alison and I launched Back to Life – a complete manual to help others reap the benefits of our system. Not only will this book help alleviate the pain you have now, it will also serve as a tool to maintain your new pain free life.
I look back now at the entire journey and I’m left with a deep feeling of gratitude for all the events that occurred, including my injury. Without the back injury I never would have discovered this life changing practice. I never would have discovered the amazing benefits of proper nutrition. I also probably would have never met my partner – Alison. I now get to experience the unimaginable joy of being able to help others feel better and enjoy life again as my career.
So when you’re frustrated and stressed out about your pain or injury and everything it makes you go through, please consider that it may all be happening for a greater purpose. Realize that true freedom and happiness may be right around the corner. Imagine living the life of your dreams – all because of an injury. Life is magical. Pain is a great teacher. It is my pleasure to get you started on this journey of recovery and living the life you’ve always dreamed of.
To your health,
Chris King
