Anna Pesce was one of the many people who have resigned to live with age-related pain and health problems. She had been living with scoliosis, herniated disc, and osteoporosis for decades, so this 85-year old granny had a very noticeable hunchback.
In 2014, while visiting her children, she collapsed trying to climb several stairs.
Ana told the New York Post about the horrible pain she felt, and how she had to spend the rest of her stay in a wheelchair. Anna felt like she suffered enough.
She visited a chiropractor and tried acupuncture to no avail, but now she decided to ask help from 28-year old Rachel Jesien, a certified yoga instructor.
As Jesien specializes in back care, it was the perfect option for Anna. The two met once a week. Ana was learning restorative poses like the chair savasana and the child’s pose.
Incredibly but true, the 85-year old grandmother could walk again within a month.
Jesien said that after 2 months, Anna knew what poses were effective for her pain, so whenever they strike she knew what to do.
For example, when she was experiencing hip pain, she would do an ankle-to-knee pose while sitting on a chair.
This old grandmother wasn’t able to walk on her own, but now, after 4 months of practicing yoga, she could do a modified headstand. As Jasien explains, with certified instruction and proper guidance, yoga can strengthen muscles, increase bone density, and relieve back pain.
Jasien suffers from scoliosis, although you wouldn’t guess that for sure. So she herself felt the yoga benefits for back pain. She had tried all kinds of scoliosis treatment recommended by her doctor, but only when she learned about the back care benefits from yoga in 2010, did she gain a long-term solution for her problem.
Jasien and Anna work together for over 2 years, and they still continue their yoga classes on a weekly basis.
The New York Times video below features Jasien and Anna’s story.
Via David Wolfe | New York Post | NY Post | Yoga Journal | Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life