Our Stories

 We both know first hand how serious back pain can be.  We have had debiliating back injuries that threatened to keep us from doing what we love to do in our daily lives.  Our journey back to a pain free life has been an exciting learning experience.  Our determination to get better is what kept us going.  Although our paths led in different directions, they both came back to the same destination - A life full of pleasure doing all the activites that we love to do with absolutely no pain or fear of injury!

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Alison's Story

I teach yoga because I have discovered how radically it can shift your experience of life. Yoga creates freedom, vitality, and rejuvenation in your body.  I have witnessed miraculous transformations in myself and others. And when I hurt my back, my yoga practice became more valuable than ever.

I hurt my back teaching. I was assisting a student and ended up holding all their weight while in a compromised position. That was all it took, a single moment of misalignment, and I was in the most intense pain of my life.

I had subluxated a disk which pinched a nerve, so the intense pain in my back radiated down my leg. I had never experienced such debilitating pain and I spent over a week in bed where every movement was painful. I became terrified that I was going to be a prisoner in my own body,  guarded by pain, forever looking through the bars at the freedom, activities, and life I once knew.

I went to physical therapists, received massage, and explored different healing methods. But after a few weeks, I found myself back on my yoga mat, trusting in my practice. The yoga brought me back to life. The healing I experienced was miraculous - easier, faster, and more complete than anyone could believe.  

The practice and knowledge contained in the Back to Life programs is what I gathered during my time of healing. It has worked for me, my students, clients, and friends. And it will work for you.

The source of your back pain may be different, but the necessary alignment for your back to heal is universal. You can feel great without medication, and you can heal your back without surgery. And this is the tool for you to get there. Dive in, wholeheartedly, with dedication and an open-minded, and you too will experience the miracle of Yoga to bring you back to life and better than ever.

Chris' Story

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.  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.

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.

Finally, with the urging of a friend, I tried Yoga. I started going three or four times a week. It was challenging at first, but after some time, a miracle happened... My back pain was disappearing! I couldn't believe it, all these funny poses and breathing exercises were really working! 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.

Other parts of me were changing too. I found a new connection between my mind and body. I started to appreciate my body more. I started to take better care of it. I was eating better and learning about nutrition. My health sky rocketed. Yoga was an escalator taking me to vibrant health beyond my wildest dreams.

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 my mind and body. 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.

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. I opened to the possibility that my lingering back pain could be due to repressed emotions in my subconscious. I began to release these emotions through a meditation practice.  That meditation practice 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 modern society.  Back pain is an epidemic in the western world.  It’s estimated that 80% of the population experiences some form of chronic back pain or a back injury. 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 feeling of deep 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 experience the unimaginable joy of helping others feel better and enjoy life again.

   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.