tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33260975.post4627441585322721975..comments2008-11-17T12:28:23.056-05:00Healthlinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00214540427594649163noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33260975.post-85473591848694701702008-11-17T03:49:00.000-05:002008-11-17T03:49:00.000-05:00Dr. Bookspan,<BR/><BR/>Like many here, I&#39;ve been spiraling down the back pain / neck pain / shoulder &amp; hip stiffness and popping toilet for a number of years, and I finally got fed up with the ineffectiveness of cortisone injections and physical therapy. I&#39;m only 29 years old, but my back has been an increasingly upsetting problem for 5+ years now. I&#39;m going to try like heck to start moving and standing and sitting correctly. From reading your articles, you&#39;ve described my problem to a tee, so I&#39;m pretty confident my problems are posture related. I&#39;d go absolutely nuts throughout the sedentary office work day if I don&#39;t get some daily exercise though (a run, a swim, or some time on an elliptical machine?). The way you encourage folks to get out of the gyms and be more active in their daily lives certainly resonates with me, but at the same time, I find a group Yoga class with a good instructor can do wonders for the mind and body. And I feel like my mind needs some work too. All the back pain and related hopelessness can take its tole and get me a bit depressed. Regarding the yoga, I would like to know if you have any recommendations for Yoga instructors in Berkeley, CA or SF Bay Area. I see that you provide some Yoga teacher training, and recommend against certain poses. I would like to take a class from somebody who follows your guidance. Also, while you describe the stretches and strengthening as things to incorporate into your daily lives, and not as something to do &quot;10 reps of&quot;, I&#39;m curious about upper and lower back extension. These seem like things that one should do a &quot;certain number of,&quot; and only hold for a &quot;certain amount of time, and what about the stretches that you recommend. How long do you recommend holding them? I&#39;ve just purchased a number of your books and am hoping to swiftly retrain myself and escape this downward spiral! I hope to be in contact soon with a terrific success story to add to your collection!hupjackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14756723365697646954noreply@blogger.com