Happy Back Yoga with Rachel

04/26/2026

Chest Openers with a Chair – Part 4 (Final Pose)**

We’ve made it to the final pose in this series—and this one goes deep.

Think of it as a *self-adjustment* for your thoracic spine. If your upper back feels stiff, compressed, or just tired from long hours of sitting, this can feel incredibly relieving.

✨ This pose helps:
• Improve mobility in the upper back (thoracic spine)
• Counteract slouching and desk posture
• Open the chest and shoulders
• Create that “I can finally breathe again” feeling

⚠️ A note: this is *not* a beginner pose. It requires full shoulder range of motion and good body awareness. Move slowly, listen to your body, and never force the position.

💡 Tip: focus on length first, then gentle opening—don’t collapse into the lower back. Let the movement come from the upper spine.

This is where everything we’ve built in Parts 1–3 comes together.

Have you tried the full series yet? I’d love to hear how your body feels after 🙌

04/25/2026

**Ready to take your teaching to the next level?**

If you’re a yoga teacher who feels unsure when students come to you with **injuries, pain, or neurological conditions**…
If you find yourself thinking *“I don’t really know what to do here”*…
If you’re craving **more tools, deeper knowledge, and a true understanding of the body**…

This training is for you.

**Yoga Therapy Training Program**
🗓 Starts: **October 11, 2026**
📚 **395 hours** (including practicum)
📍 One-year immersive training

In this program, you will learn how to:
• Assess the body with clarity and confidence
• Understand orthopedic & neurological conditions
• Develop intelligent, personalized, and holistic sequences
• Bridge the gap between yoga and healthcare

This is more than a training.
It’s a **professional and personal transformation**.

✨ **Elevate your teaching. Deepen your impact.**
Begin your journey to becoming a **Yoga Therapist**.

🔗 https://www.rachelkrentzman.com/general-8

04/23/2026

Chest Openers on a Chair – Part 3

This variation of *Setu Bandha* (Bridge Pose) uses the chair to safely target the thoracic spine—the area that is often stiff and restricted.

When the thoracic spine lacks mobility, the neck and shoulders tend to compensate… which is where pain and tension begin.

With the support of the chair, we can:
• Encourage extension through the mid-back
• Reduce overload in the neck and shoulders
• Create more efficient, easeful breathing

The key here isn’t how far you go—it’s where the movement happens.

Slow down, breathe, and invite the opening into the places that usually stay stuck.

04/17/2026

Chest Openers with a Chair – Part 2

In this second variation, we build on foundational support to safely mobilize the thoracic spine and open the anterior shoulder girdle.

Using a chair allows for:
• Reduced load on the lumbar spine
• Improved alignment and control
• Gradual, sustained opening through the chest and shoulders

This is especially helpful for individuals with:
– Neck and shoulder pain
– Postural strain from prolonged sitting
– Restricted breathing patterns

Focus on slow, steady breathing as you ease into the position. The goal is not intensity, but creating space—both structurally and in the breath.

Accessible, effective, and adaptable—this is how we make therapeutic work sustainable.

04/13/2026

Restricted chest mobility and shoulder tension can directly impact breathing mechanics and contribute to neck and upper back pain.

In this new video series, I present **chair-supported chest opening practices** designed to safely mobilize the thoracic spine, reduce shoulder girdle tension, and support more efficient breathing patterns.

These adaptations are particularly beneficial for individuals with:
• Postural strain from prolonged sitting
• Shoulder and neck pain
• Limited mobility or pain
• Breathing restrictions

Using a chair provides external support, allowing the body to release unnecessary muscular effort and access more effective alignment.

This is a **yoga therapy–based approach** focused on function, accessibility, and long-term change—not force or stretching for its own sake.

Appropriate for both personal practice and clinical application.

04/12/2026

This podcast just dropped...another interview about my recent memoir and how the body holds trauma.

Send us Fan Mail (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2293608/fan_mail/new) In this conversation, we explore religion, trauma, and how we can heal—not by fixing ourse...

04/08/2026

When your lower back “goes out”… your instinct might be to fix it.

Stretch it. Strengthen it. Correct it.

But here’s the truth 👇
**An acute flare-up is not the time for corrective exercise.**

In that moment, your body is in protection mode.
The muscles around your spine are in **spasm**—trying to guard and stabilize.

Pushing into stretching or “fixing” can actually make it worse.

✨ What *does* help?
• Rest
• Supportive positioning
• Letting the nervous system settle

And most importantly…

🫁 **Breathing**

Your breath is the safest, most powerful place to start.

When you learn how to breathe in a way that supports your spine, you:
✔️ Reduce muscle guarding
✔️ Calm the nervous system
✔️ Create space without forcing movement

This is the foundation of all therapeutic yoga for back pain.

And the best part?
If you can breathe—you can begin.

In this video, I’ll guide you through simple, essential breathwork that you can use even in the middle of pain.

No forcing. No fixing. Just the first step toward healing. 💜

04/03/2026

After quite a long time… I’m finally teaching this training *live* again in the USA—and it feels really meaningful to share this with you 💜
This summer, I’ll be coming to the beautiful Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY—one of the most inspiring retreat centers for holistic studies—to offer a **5-day Happy Back Yoga Training**.
🗓 **August 30 – September 4, 2026**
This training is deeply rooted in my work as a physiotherapist and yoga therapist, and is designed for:
• Yoga teachers
• Therapists & healthcare professionals
• Anyone wanting to understand the spine more deeply and learn how to work safely and effectively with back pain
We’ll explore how to:
✨ Understand anatomy of the spine and why things go wrong
✨ Relieve and prevent back pain
✨ Work with Lower Back Conditions, SI Joint, Scoliosis and Neck Pain
✨ Refine cueing and alignment in a way that truly supports healing
✨Learn specific sequences from Purna Yoga for therapeutic benefit
And honestly… there’s something special about learning this work immersed in nature, in a space that invites both depth and restoration.
If you’ve been waiting for a chance to study with me in person—this is it.
👉 Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/4bj3Kqf]
Would love to see some familiar (and new!) faces there.

Discover how mindful, alignment-based yoga can restore freedom, balance, and vitality to your spine with Happy Back Yoga founder Rachel Krentzman.

03/31/2026

If you have a reversed cervical curve or disc issues in your neck… you already know—poses like headstand (Sirsasana) aren’t always your friend.

For me, they were a wake-up call. Pushing into compression only made things worse. What actually helped? Learning how to decompress, stabilize, and support my neck in a smarter way.

Nerve compression in the cervical spine doesn’t need more force—it needs space, awareness, and the right kind of activation.

✨ This is one of the practices I come back to again and again. It gently:

• Relieves pressure from the discs
• Supports the natural curve of the neck
• Reduces pain, tingling, and stiffness

I do this regularly, and it’s been a game changer for managing symptoms from disc bulges and herniations.
If you’re dealing with neck pain, don’t just “push through” your practice—learn how to work with your body.

💻 I created a mini-course to guide you step-by-step, and I’m currently offering a special bonus: a full 1-hour practice for the upper back, neck, and shoulders.

👉 Sign up here: (only $29 for a limited time!) https://happy-back-yoga.teachable.com/.../cervical-spine...

Your neck deserves support, not strain. 💜


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03/27/2026

Spinal traction… using your door 🚪✨**

If you’re dealing with back pain, disc issues, or nerve compression — this simple technique can be a game changer.

Using just a basic yoga prop, you can:
• Create **space in the spine**
• Gently **decompress the discs**
• Take **pressure off irritated nerves**
• Feel **instant relief** (for many people)

And the best part?
It’s **easy, safe, and accessible at home**.

This is one of my favorite go-to techniques when the lower back feels compressed or “stuck.”

✨ Small, consistent actions like this can make a big difference over time.

In my **Happy Back Yoga Professional Training**, I teach many more therapeutic techniques like this — combining alignment, awareness, and real clinical application.

If you’re curious to learn more,
👉 just comment **“Happy Back”** and I’ll send you the details 💜

03/22/2026

Join us this Tuesday for a powerful and inspiring conversation in our Yoga Therapy Book Club 📚
We’re honored to host **Michelle Fury**, speaking about her groundbreaking book *Yoga Therapy for Complex Trauma*, in conversation with **Louise Goldberg**.
This is a unique opportunity to:
🌀 Explore how yoga therapy supports healing from complex trauma
🌀 Hear directly from one of the pioneers in the field
🌀 Deepen your understanding of the mind-body connection in therapeutic work
💬 And the best part?
You don’t need to have read the book — just come with curiosity and an open mind.
Whether you’re a yoga teacher, therapist, healthcare professional, or simply passionate about healing, this space is for you.
🎟️ Free to join
🔗 Save your spot here: [https://happy-back-yoga.teachable.com/.../the-yoga...]
Come learn, connect, and be part of this growing community of yoga therapy practitioners and seekers 💜

03/20/2026

Are you doing this in downward facing dog?
Rolling the shoulders outward (external rotation) is a common instruction in yoga, especially in this pose, but is it actually correct?

Join me for a FREE webinar on Healing Shoulder Pain with Yoga Therapy on Sunday, March 22, 2026 and learn why you could be hurting yourself instead of healing in your yoga practice and teaching. REGISTRATION CLOSES TOMORROW!

Register here: https://forms.fillout.com/t/7T4mCxiecNus