"Yoga Union Center for Backcare & Scoliosis has created a community for people with scoliosis like me. Deborah and Alison share their teachings joyfully. Through them I have gained a new awareness for me and my students."
Anna Agostino
"I was diagnosed with a herniated/bulging disk as well as a mild case of scoliosis in June, 2007. As a 23 year old male, this was difficult news as scoliosis had never been mentioned to me during any previous examinations in school or by my family physician, and I could not help but feel like I was damaged goods, bound to the sidelines as a spectator while many of the physical activities I once loved went on without me. I experienced escalating discomfort for years, eventually leading to daily, intense pain during the several months prior to my diagnosis. My orthopedist prescribed a muscle relaxer and suggested I begin habitual yoga practice. Not knowing what to expect, I began my search and quickly came across Yoga Union where I was carefully examined by the instructors and started in a vigorous treatment regimen. Classes varied in volume of attendees and targeted objectives from one session to another, but were always personalized to each student's unique curvature (in my case, left-lumbar, right-thoracic) and full of lively energy which were moderated and led by the wonderful teachers there. Since attending sessions with Alison West regularly, I have been completely pain free, have had absolutely no need for any sort of anti-inflammatory, and have moved on to my next level of improvement: asymmetries. My experiences with Yoga Union thus far have been uplifting and motivating, not only in my struggle with back pain, but in my perceptive view of what I am capable of when I focus my concentration on a goal; Yoga Union provides me with the tools necessary to benchmark my progress and constantly adjust and improve my objectives and results in physical health."
Kurt Fredericks
"I have had severe back pain related to kidney deficiency. Deborah Wolk's class has helped me tremendously. I have experienced dramatically reduced pain after taking Deborah's back care classes. In fact, I would rate her as the most caring and educated yoga teacher in New York City. "
A.F.
New York
24 years old
Alison West's precision, brilliance, and compassion are unparalled. My 11 year old daughter with scoliosis now stands taller in body and spirit with lifelong gifts of health awareness and poise."
S.K.S.
"Yoga has helped me to stay in tune with my body. I have learned a lot about my body since I started taking yoga with Deborah and Alison. Whenever I do yoga it makes me feel calmer. I know it is helping my scoliosis, and it makes me feel less scared about having scoliosis."
Ava
12 years old
My 13 year old daughter has been dealing with scoliosis for the past 6 years. At present, her curves are 66T/45L and she is braced. Alison West has been working with my daughter for the past year. Her open-mindedness, warmth, and intuition have been an incredibly positive influence on my daughter. Alison helps to take the fear out of scoliosis, influences my daughter to accept her body and to treat it well, ...and continually looks for ways to perfect her work to accommodate my daughter's curves. Alison knows the body and the confusing intricacies of scoliosis extremely well, and my daughter and I trust her abilities 100%. ...My daughter has gained strength and flexibility, but most importantly she has gained a sense of control over her body and her scoliosis. Alison will continue to play an important part in my daughter's ongoing therapy, and I highly recommend her to anyone dealing with scoliosis or pain.
Brooke
"Yoga is helping me to achieve my full potential as a performing artist. Deborah and Alison's back care classes have particularly opened up a new world of well being for me."
C.L., New York City
Left lumbar curve, Age: 42
Our daughter, Lisa, was 11
when she was diagnosed with scoliosis. Her curve was measured at 27
degrees and the orthopedic surgeon advised us to brace her 23 out of
24 hours per day. Although we casted her for the brace, fortunately,
Lisa never had to wear it. Initially, we sought the help of a physical
therapist who worked with Lisa to bring the curve down to 17 degrees.
As a result, the surgeon told us that Lisa’s curve only needed monitoring
and no brace was necessary. Over the next few years, as Lisa developed,
her curve continued to increase. At the age of 15, her curve returned
to 27 degrees. After researching different alternative treatments, we
found Deborah Wolk and the Yoga Union Center for Backcare and Scoliosis.
In the year and a half that Lisa has been working with Deborah, her
curve is just below 17 degrees. At her last doctor’s appointment,
she was told that such an improvement was virtually unheard of in the
scientific literature. He went on to tell Lisa that her improvement
was so much more significant at her age (16) because her body had finished
growing. Now at 17, Lisa continues to work with Deborah and practices
yoga at home on a regular basis. In additiona to Lisa’s significant
physical improvement, working with Deborah has positively influenced
Lisa’s personal growth. Her plans for the future are toward helping
others with Scoliosis through yoga. Thank you, Deborah, for your extensive
knowledge in this field, and more so for the significant influences
you have made in Lisa’s life.
Jules & Virginia, Amityville, NY
I've been doing Iyengar yoga for years, but have gotten such a great understanding of my specific body's issues and such great support from Alison and the Yoga Union studio that I pretty much only go to classes there now. I appreciate the classes so much, which can be tailored to each person's needs and we all seem to learn from each other as well. There is always more to learn about oneself both physically and mentally and with Alison's patient teaching style there is a lot of room to grow. A good sense of humor helps too! Thanks so much for all you're help Alison, I've learned so much and look forward to much more.
Alanna Barrett
"I am 63 years old and have severe scoliosis. Doctors have told me there is nothing I can do short of having back surgery and have suggested that I will have more problems with it as I age. I began yoga classes with Deborah about two years ago and they have made a profound difference with my expectations and hope for the future. I have less back and shoulder pain since I started going to Deborah. More importantly, I have learned that through yoga, I can prevent my scoliosis from getting worse. Deborah has an amazing eye for the subtle (and not so subtle) twists and turns my body takes as a result of my scoliosis and she knows exactly what I need to do to correct these problems. I can see that if I continue with the yoga poses that Deborah teaches me, it will definitely have an impact on the progression of my scoliosis. People have already commented that I am standing straighter. Deborah is a wonderful, dedicated and compassionate teacher with an incredible knowledge of the body and of how yoga can effect changes for the better and she
imparts this knowledge in a gentle and effective way.
Ellen
53 degree Right thoracic curve
Age 63
For over 10 years following a severely ruptured L5 disk, I’ve worked with countless trainers and physical therapists, and worked out at many gyms only to discover that despite whatever lessons and benefits were gleaned, the routine inevitably led to more discomfort, causing me to slow down and eventually give up. When I recently decided to investigate yoga, a friend recommended Alison West because of her expertise in this area. I forced myself to try it -- admittedly with little optimism --but with the hope that at least it wouldn’t be damaging. With about one month of individual sessions under my belt now, there is now a welcome crack in my pessimism which I attribute to two crucial traits that come with Alison’s professional style. First, she is precise. Second, she has a plan. The precision is reflected in her attention to the details – every wrinkle in my workout top was a clue, every trajectory of every bend was scrutinized for strength, symmetry, tension, fluidity, discomfort. Each assessment was translated into an action that will ultimately aid the healing process: how to fold my blanket, where to position my block, and how to prepare my body for the next step to ensure success. Although my 14 year old son who is a jiu jitsu fanatic likes to say I’m going to my “fake sport” appointment each week, Alison provides a solid and reassuringly cautious exercise regimen that I believe will lead to a permanent lifestyle change.
J., student and medical professional
The calming effects of practicing Yoga saved my life. I mean this literally. Yoga has been an oasis of peace and stability for me through the past several years. Yoga gives me the strength to deal with each day as it comes. I don't think I would have been able to endure the stress and grief of losing my wife Laura to cancer two years ago had I not been taking Yoga classes on a regular basis. It's no small irony that Laura introduced me to Yoga at a time when she was undergoing chemotherapy. This was a great gift she gave to me. She practiced Yoga to help her deal with the stress of cancer, and to help manage her own anxiety. I have no idea how or why Yoga works, but I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to inject some rhythm into the chaos of life. Oh yeah, one more thing I don't want to forget to mention - Deborah's classes are really fun!
Ed Rath
As one who has been attending classes at Yoga Union Center for Backcare and Scoliosis since May of 2007, I can attest to the excellent quality of the instruction, which has brought about a noticeable improvement in my posture and my general condition. My asymmetry is already less acute, and as a result I have experienced a diminution of the pain in my neck and shoulders as well as a sense of greater relaxation and comfort in the entire torso. I have been especially impressed by the expertise of my instructor, Alison West, and by the time and effort she devotes to individual attention. Each member of the class can be confident that the particularities of his or her condition will be fully addressed in every session. I would recommend the classes to anyone who needs help with backcare issues.
Eugene Moretta
I have practiced yoga for more than twenty years, usually when class finished, I felt better than when I entered a class but most of the time i was still in pain. Two years ago , I lucked out and was walking on 5thAvenue in Brooklyn and I saw a sign advertising a Yoga & Scoliosis Workshop. I found a teacher who has an unbelievable knowledge and calling to help people who have scoliosis. Well, I have been studying with Deborah for the best three years and what a difference it has made for me to live with my scoliosis. Certainly, the pain is so much less, I walk straighter and have clear knowledge on how the body compensates for scoliosis
Helen
"I came to Yoga Union two years ago after having consulted physical therapists, medical massage therapists, and numerous orthopedists for my scoliosis. Without doubt, my practice with Alison has been the only means of relief for my back pain and fatigue. Being a medical student, I am continuously astonished by Alison's knowledge of anatomy, and the way in which she integrates that knowledge with her profound understanding of yoga. She has a remarkable passion for teaching and devotes a great deal of personalized attention to every student. After demonstrating each pose, she ensures that individual adjustments are made for students' specific conditions so that everyone can use the pose to help find release. I end each session feeling stronger and having more insight into my back and how it relates to the rest of my body. Alison's teaching remains with me outside of class as I have become much more aware of my alignment and posture. She is warm, witty, patient, and an absolute pleasure to work with. Thank you!"
Inna Kleyman
I was diagnosed with two herniated discs in my cervical spine last Spring and was in terrible pain. I was bed-ridden for months, after which I had limited mobility in my neck and shoulders and pain in my hands and arms. All of the things I had been doing to stay fit (walking, running, weight training, Pilates) were causing me acute discomfort. Iyengar (style) yoga was the only type of program that I could do without causing me more pain; the instructors modified the asanas and set up the props to make the most of what little I could accomplish. Now, after a year, I am almost fully recovered and live largely pain-free. My mobility has increased and I no longer identify myself as an "injured person" and I believe that this is due in a large part to my yoga practice.
Jennifer
"I have lived with chronic muscle and joint pain for a number of years. The best thing I have done to find relief has been practicing yoga with Deborah. The
practice itself is therapeutic, and Deborah's enthusiasm and thorough understanding of yoga's relationship to the body is extremely motivating and encouraging."
KF
Brooklyn
Left Lumbar Curve
age 30
"Yoga has liberated me from daily debilitating back pain !"
M A A
Boston
50 degree right lumbar,left thoracic curve
Age 62
"I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was a teenager 25 years ago and wore a back brace for 3 1/2 years though the doctors recommended surgery
to install a rod. I have a 'thoraco-lumbar curve' which is 50 degrees in the thoracic region and 42 degrees in the lumbar. As I had gotten older and despite being pretty active, I began experiencing increasing back pain which was limiting my mobility as the curves progressed. Despite a recommendation to once again go through back surgery, I decided to try yoga instead and discovered Deborah Wolk. I've now been practicing yoga for nearly two years and my back pain is non-existent, and my mobility and strength have improved. Deborah is a knowledgeable and effective instructor. Though not a 'cure', yoga has provided relief from the pain of scoliosis and given me a greater sense of mastery over my body."
Michelle de la Uz
With a complex S-curve it was difficult finding the right balance of exercise and back therapy. With yoga and Deborah's guidance I found a way to increase my flexibility and decrease the aches and pains throughout my body.
Paula
Brooklyn, NY
Age 43
Hi Alison:
I'm always amazed at your knowledge - every one of your classes provides an opportunity to learn something new. Thanks for being such an intelligent and caring instructor.
Mark
I have severe scoliosis-left lumbar-although I hadn't remembered the childhood diagnosis until I studied with Deborah. All I knew was that my 'exercise' attempts of 30 years were always unsuccessful and gave me pain. Now that I know what the problem is, I know some solutions, and I can live in my body. This work has really changed my life. Thank you,
R., age 54
I am a teacher that took Deborah's Workshop for Scoliosis. To date, is it the most valuable workshop I have taken to further my knowledge of the spine relative to yoga. Deborah teaches you to see the spine in a way that allows you to make informed decisions about skeletal alignment. Her knowledge is both intuitive and academic. She provides a well rounded approach to identifying and creating a yoga regimen that targets specific lateral shifts in the spinal column. Her teaching is hands on and experiential. She empowers the practitioner with the knowledge to accurately approach his or her alignment challenges. Her work is a must for anyone serious about integrating their yoga practice with respect to the spine, even beyond the parameters of scoliosis.
Alexander Gish
Dancer
Yoga Instructor
Attending Deborah Wolk’s Yoga for Scoliosis workshop was a very empowering experience for me. As someone who had spinal fusion surgery as a teenager, finding opportunities to do yoga in a safe way with a knowledgeable and nonjudgmental teacher is invaluable. In Deborah’s workshop, I learned more about my body, how to adapt yoga poses for my scoliosis, and how I can do these poses at home. Yoga is so great for scoliosis and I would recommend anyone with this issue – those who’ve had fusions and those who haven’t - to attend one of Deborah’s workshops.
Jill Schneiderman
Just wanted to thank Deborah for the Scoliosis workshop on Saturday. It was an afternoon of epiphanies for me. I learned more about my scoliosis in those four hours than in the 24 years since my diagnosis. Very inspiring and informative. I'm so grateful to have found both you and Alison.
Thanks again,
Cassandra Anderson
Since I am in my mid-fifties and new to Yoga, I was a little nervous about the workshop... but you made it easy to understand and balanced the breadth of expertise in the room from newbies like me to seasoned teachers of Yoga.
Again, thank you so much... I feel fortunate that you and Karin Stephan are helping spread education around this important aspect of health.
Colleen C. Gentry
50 degree Left lumbar curve with a right Thoraco-lumbar compensating curve.
"Deborah's workshops have helped me to better see the tendencies that exacerbate scoliosis in my students and helped me to make suggestions for corrective measures in practice."
A.L.
NYC
Age 40
“As a yoga teacher, attending Deborah’s workshops has helped me to move toward students with a greater understanding of spinal issues that may be affecting their yoga practice. I have gained detailed and usable knowledge that enriches both my personal practice and my professional approach to teaching. She handles the subject matter in a concise common sense way that also reflects her deep understanding and compassion for people who are dealing with spinal conditions.”
Kitty B
Deborah, thank you, first of all, for what you do. My daughter came away from your workshop, as did her Dad and I and many others, if not all, feeling "normal." I was shocked at how many people attended and it reminded each and every one of us that we are not alone. Afterwards, my daughter even said that she didn't feel so embarrassed or concerned that she had scoliosis. Through your workshop, she has become aware that she needed to learn more about her condition and what she could do to reduce her pain--a great achievement given all the times we were told that nothing would help. It was a first for us to receive promising and specific information about scoliosis, and the spine in general, so thank you. I am grateful to have found you and wish you all the success you deserve in your new studio.
Warmly,
Teagin
"I am very happy to share my experience of Deborah Wolks’ yoga classes. Deborah is an outstanding teacher. I began taking her classes when I was in my late 30’s though I do not have scoliosis, I do have a laundry list of old injuries from badly damaged toes and knees to whiplash related neck issues and carpal tunnel syndrome. I was once turned away from an Iyengar based workshop because they felt I just had too many “issues”, and the folks at the desk didn’t even know that I am “flexibly impaired”! Not only has Deborah welcomed me into her mixed level classes but she has consistently helped me to deepen my practice.
"Yoga has spread into my work life as well. I have been very fortunate to be able to hire Deborah to lead professional development workshops for Teaching Artists and volunteers. In my opinion, yoga helps to make all of my staff better at what they do. I can see how the agile high school intern finds stability and focus through his practice; the extraordinarily flexible 30ish staff member becomes stronger and begins to heal old shoulder injuries, while a veteran teacher works on tendonitis and wrist strengthening. But there’s even more to it -- for my team yoga is an amazing tool on many levels. Deborah has guided us on methods for threading yoga throughout our artmaking workshops as a form of classroom management and has helped all of us to find ways to refresh ourselves for the important and demanding work we do.
"As a teacher and teacher trainer I have nothing but the highest regard for Deborah Wolk's classroom methods. As a participant in her class I am delighted to report that she has a terrific sense of humor, a direct and no nonsense approach and a genuine compassion for her students. Now if Yoga Union Backcare would open a branch in Brooklyn, I’d be set!"
Meridith McNeal
Brooklyn, NY
I have scoliosis, a herniated disk at L6 and Multiple Sclerosis – the perfect trifecta. While I did little about my spine, I felt I had to be more aggressive with my MS. I have progressive MS, which means it never gets better and only gets worse. My main disability is a weakness in one leg, which affects my balance and makes walking very difficult. Since there is no reliable medical treatment for my condition, no injection or pill to make me better, I needed something else to try and make my condition the best it could possibly be.
Thirteen years ago I started on a course of physical therapy and yoga. While my neurologist recommended physical therapy, my friend and the many web pages I dutifully consulted about my condition, recommended yoga. Now, thirteen years later, my condition is worse (as expected), but my outlook is far better. Of the two, physical therapy and yoga, it has been yoga that has had a transformative effect upon me. I believe that my condition would be much worse if I hadn’t started my yoga practice. Through the poses, the breathing and the meditation, I not only feel that I am doing something positive for my various conditions, I believe that I am doing something positive for my sense of self. Yoga has not become a ‘way-of-life’ for me as much as a ‘way-for-life’.
Physical therapy deals with the body. The therapist instructs you or helps you move your body to strengthen your muscles and help your balance. Your attention is focused on the various body parts your therapist and you are working on at that moment. In contrast, yoga engages both the mind and the body. Yoga allows your mind to inform your body and your body to inform the mind. Perhaps the conduit between the two is the breath. One learns in yoga that the breath can be ‘directed’ by the mind. The breath allows the body to respond in ways that fuse the will, the thought, to the bone and muscle. The breath, you learn, must be precise, it must be controlled and directed to those body parts that form a pose, As you practice and practice, you learn how to not only direct the breath, you also learn how the breath, once directed, makes your pose more perfected. In turn, as your pose improves, you find the breath flows more easily; you also start to discover how much it helps you achieve a better balance within yourself. As this process continues you start to feel more energized, more in touch with your self -- your body and your mind. No matter how bent you are, how much pain you are in, how disabled you might be, you start to develop an inner strength that tells you that you are in control, not your disease, your disability. You also learn that, no matter what fate has dealt you, you have the capacity to change things for the better.
When my yoga teacher leaves me, I still have scoliosis, a herniated disk and MS. Yoga does not work miracles. There is a miracle, however, in discovering that you are capable of doing so much more that you ever thought possible. The true miracle is coming to learn that yoga is all about means and not about ends. It is the process that counts, the continual challenge to focus your mind and body on behalf of a greater good within yourself. You realize that your teacher is also trying to perfect the same pose you are doing and that your teacher’s teacher is doing the same. It is a process that is continuous and the only valid comparison is to yourself.
I have been very fortunate in my yoga practice. I have had two teachers who have been able to understand my physical limitations and turn them to my advantage through yoga. Compassionate to my physical failings, but single-minded in their understanding of how yoga might and will help me, they never allowed me the empty luxury of feeling sorry for myself. My current teacher (as the one before), Deborah Wolk, treats me as a yoga student who comes to each practice to do yoga. In doing so, I learn to help my condition and myself. Her expertise in dealing with persons like myself makes each session a valuable session, each session an occasion where I can improve and make my disability the least defining thing about me.
I could go on, but let me end by saying that I came to yoga out of hope and fear. Hope that yoga would work some magic on my condition and fear that it would not. In my years of practicing yoga I discovered that yoga was indifferent to my plight. The difference that yoga made for me was what I brought to yoga, how much I was willing to extend myself to make myself feel and actually be better. Under the guidance of dedicated teachers I am able to keep moving in the right direction. I urge you to take control of your situation, to open yourself up to the possibility that you have it within yourself to improve.
Bruce Meyers