Rachel is the Founder of Five Rivers Yoga Therapy and creator of The RE/ST Method for Pain Recovery™. She is a Body-Mind Yoga Therapist, meditation teacher, counselor, health educator, and specialist in back pain relief. She lives in San Fransisco, California.
What to ask a new client with chronic back pain
How working developmentally helps clients with back pain
Where to begin with spondylolisthesis and back pain
Where to begin with scoliosis and back pain
EXAMPLE OF RACHEL’S SHORT INTAKE FORM FOR STUDENTS WITH LOWER BACK PAIN >
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Part 1: What questions to ask about lower back discomfort
In this video, Rachel explains why looking at the student’s posture, gait, movement habits, asymmetries, overall proprioception, capacity to rest, breathing patterns, and lifestyle choices are essential in the therapeutic assessment of lower back pain.
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Part 2: Using small movements and postural awareness to relieve pain and increase confidence
In this video, Rachel explains how small movements, grounding belly breathing, and postural awareness helped her student with spondylolisthesis gain a better understanding of what it means to support himself from the inside and to build his confidence.
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Part 3. Using chakra exploration and bija mantra to strengthen from the ground up
In this video, Rachel describes how her student combined asymmetrical standing poses, chakra exploration, and connection to the natural world to “find the roots of his tree” and learn strategies to manage his back pain.
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Part 4: Using restorative poses, asymmetrical movement, and directed breathing to heal physically and physiologically
In this video, Rachel shares how she helped her student with scoliosis “yogafy” the recommendations of her doctor, work with the “ouch factor” of anticipating pain, and create an environment to rest and repair physically and physiologically.
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Part 5. Commonalities and differences in cases of lower back pain
In this video, Rachel summarizes the key themes that emerged in her work with students with lower back pain. She emphasizes the psycho-emotional component of confidence and stabilization that was present in all her case studies and how it could be addressed through a variety of yogic tools.
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How to help your students take the load off their back: A conversation with Rachel Lanzerotti
Check out the highlights from the talk, including ideas on where to start your work and how to navigate conflicting recommendations.
