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Back pain is the #1 reason people come to yoga - and the #1 thing we often get wrong.
Back pain students deserve better than recycled cues from yoga magazines. This course gives you the tools to understand the spine, correct harmful myths, and teach in a way that truly helps.
Do you ever feel like this?
🟠 You want to help students with back pain - but you’re not sure if your cues actually make anatomical sense.
🟤 You repeat modifications you’ve picked up in classes or magazines - but deep down, you worry they could cause more harm than good.
🟠 You can guide a flow - but when a student with back pain looks to you for real answers, you feel stuck.
🟤 You know you should understand the spine and its supporting muscles - yet the information out there feels overwhelming, conflicting, or too medical.
🟠 You want to support all the different types of back pain students who walk into your class - but instead, you cross your fingers and hope your sequences are “safe enough.”
Here’s the truth:
You don’t need a PhD to help students with back pain.
What you do need is a clear, simplified understanding - one that’s rooted in science, stripped of myths, and easy to apply from the very next class you teach.
"Once you understand the myths and the shockingly inaccurate information available on back pain (on yoga websites and even Ai) - your teaching will never be the same again".
Are you ready to cut through the noise and finally make sense of back pain in Yoga?
"I (Zahir) have been doing this and studying back pain (and anatomy) for over 25 years!. I will help you make sense of this right away. After one lesson, I promise you will have clarity."
After just a few lessons, you will…
🟠 Understand why the lumbar spine (lower back) is so vulnerable to pain and why so many students walk into yoga with back issues.
🟤 Recognise the different types of lower back pain and spot the red flags that require careful teaching.
🟠 Give modifications that make anatomical sense - not recycled cues from magazines or Ai.
🟤 Clear up the biggest myths about back pain - the ones students read online (from chat-GPT or even hear from well-intentioned teachers) that actually put students at risk.
🟠 Know which poses are safe and which are dangerous - depending on each student’s individual condition.
🟤 Teach students as individuals, not as a class of clones - so you can stop making back pain worse and start building real trust with your students.
What our students say about Zahir's teaching -
Maria Longman
Erin Dalton
Nick Osuji
"Zahir proved how even Ai platforms can get information on back pain WRONG. This is not a knowledge dump, you are getting 25 years of expertise in this course" - Marta, Advanced Yoga Therapist
The internet is drowning in poorly researched and often false information on lower back pain - especially in regards to Yoga. Are you ready to set things straight?
Hundreds of teachers have gone from hesitant to empowered - all by breaking down the myths and being guided by science.
JOIN THE
The Back Pain Clarity Method™
A course for teachers who want to cut through online myths and outdated, dangerous cues and finally learn to teach back pain with science and clarity.
Most yoga teachers were never taught how to work with back pain properly or how dangerous some of the common cues can actually be.
This course bridges that gap.
You’ll finally understand why the lumbar spine is so vulnerable, how to recognise different types of back pain, and how to adapt yoga safely with science-led guidance (not magazine myths). You’ll know which poses help, which harm, and how to protect your students with confidence.
Whether you’re new to teaching or experienced but unsure, this method gives you the tools to teach lower-back care responsibly - so you stop guessing and start making a real difference from the very first class.
Sample Learning
The following videos from our Instagram account will give you a glimpse of what you can expect to learn in this course with Zahir.
MEET YOUR TUTOR
I’m Zahir - dad, husband, yoga teacher, and exercise physiologist.
Om Yoga Magazine - Yoga Teacher of the Year 2024
I’ve dedicated half my life to understanding what makes us who - and what - we are.
My studies have taken me from anatomy to philosophy - from the Greeks, who first dissected the human body, to the yogis who say we are not the body. This journey has led me from my parents' birthplace in Kashmir, to the bustling streets of Calcutta, and the serene landscapes of Nepal. I’ve broken down and dissected everything, from the mechanics of breathing to the intricacies of Bandhas.
I’ve had a complex relationship with yoga (and in particular breathing). I’ve loved it, critiqued it, fallen out of love with it, had enough of it - and yet, I keep coming back. My understanding of yoga isn’t just a collection of other people’s words or theories. It’s a tapestry woven from my own experiences, filled with moments of doubt, rediscovery, and personal growth.
Yoga has given me the strength to forge my own path, and that’s exactly what I hope to share with you. As the Sufis say, “In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.”
This course isn’t about rigid rules or seeking absolute truths. It’s about finding what feels true and right for you, with a heart-centered approach to learning.
ZAHIR AKRAM
What does the course cover?
This course isn't just a knowledge dump - it's a carefully designed progression.
You'll start with an understanding of why our spines are the way they are (spoiler: evolution didn't design us for desk jobs or downward dogs). From there, we strip away the myths about "perfect posture" and "safe alignment" and rebuild a complete understanding of the lower back from the inside out.
You'll learn the anatomy that actually matters - not the stuff that overwhelms, but the parts that help you understand why backs hurt and how to help. Then we'll take that knowledge straight into the poses, so you can teach with confidence and keep your students pain-free.
The Myths
What if the "perfect" spine doesn't exist?
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Evolution: Why our spine wasn't designed for modern life
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The myth of the static ideal - why there's no one "correct" posture
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Human variation: understanding YOUR unique anatomy
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How outdated cueing has created unnecessary fear around back pain
🟠 You'll stop chasing an impossible ideal and start working with your body's natural design.
The Mechanics
Does the pelvis control the spine, or does the spine control the pelvis? 🧠
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Understanding pelvic tilt and its role in back pain
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Movements of the spine: what actually causes pain
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Back pain based on anatomical movements - the real culprits
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Demand vs tolerance: why timing matters (especially early morning yoga)
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The brace/corset: when to engage, when to release
🔵 You'll finally understand why - and how to teach students about their backs with confidence and clarity.
The Anatomy
What's actually happening in your lower back? And why do so few yoga teachers really understand it?
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Break down the spine in plain, teachable language
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All about the psoas muscle - the most misunderstood muscle in yoga
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Muscles as "guy wires": how tension creates stability
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The spinous processes: what they tell us about movement
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Elongation and contraction: simplified
🟣 You'll gain the tools to explain back anatomy in a way that makes sense - to you and your students - without sounding overly clinical or confusing.
The Poses
Ready to revolutionize how you teach backbends, twists, and forward folds?
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The science behind Mountain Pose - it all starts here
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The cause for caution: which poses need special attention
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Cat/Cow pose: what it's really doing
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Twisting and the revolved triangle: what you need to know
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Bracing and spacing: the key to safe practice
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Putting it all together: practical modifications for real students with real backs
🟡 You'll walk away with concrete modifications and cues that keep your students safe - and pain-free.
"Zahir’s has taught me how to modify my own practice and in doing so, I have been able to help so many others. A life changing course. It should be on the NHS."
Nick
THE FULL PROGRAM
The Back Pain Clarity Method™
Designed for students and teachers who only want to manage their own pain in yoga - but go on to help and inspire others with lower back pain.
