Working with Chronic Low Back Pain: Live Client Observation
With Robin Rothenberg, C-IAYT
Wed May 13th, 1-3pm PT
Virtual, Live
Investment: $35
If you've ever wondered how to truly help students suffering from chronic low back pain—or if you're navigating your own back challenges as a teacher—this workshop offers something rare: a front-row seat to watch Robin Rothenberg work with a real client experiencing chronic low back pain.
Join Robin Rothenberg, C-IAYT, founder of Essential Yoga Therapy, for an intimate 2-hour live observation that reveals exactly how functional anatomy, therapeutic sequencing, and personalized practice come together to address one of the most common conditions in yoga studios today.
Robin's approach is grounded in a landmark NIH-funded study that changed how we understand and treat chronic low back pain—research that demonstrated yoga's effectiveness in reducing pain and improving function. This isn't guesswork or generic stretching. It's evidence-based therapeutic yoga in action.
What You'll Witness
Over the course of this session, you'll observe Robin work one-on-one with a client experiencing chronic low back pain. You'll see:
Initial Assessment in Action – Watch how Robin evaluates functional movement, identifies hypo- or hypermobility patterns, assesses pelvic alignment, and determines the root cause of dysfunction
Therapeutic Tools Applied in Real Time – Observe how breath work, core stabilization, and targeted movement are sequenced and adapted for this individual's specific low back condition
The Difference Between Group Teaching and Therapeutic Work – Understand what it means to work with precision, safety, and therapeutic intention when low back pain is present
Live Q&A with Robin – Ask your questions about assessment techniques, adaptations, contraindications, and how to bring this work into your teaching
Who Should Attend
This workshop is designed for:
Yoga Teachers working with students who have low back pain—or teachers dealing with their own chronic back issues
Yoga Teachers considering the Essential Low Back Teacher Training or Foundations of Yoga Therapy and wanting to see Robin's approach in action
Yoga Therapists seeking to refine their skills in working with low back dysfunction
Whether you've been teaching for years or are just beginning to explore therapeutic applications of yoga, this workshop will deepen your understanding of how to work safely and effectively with one of the most prevalent conditions you'll encounter.
Why This Matters
Low back pain affects nearly 80% of adults at some point in their lives. As yoga teachers, we encounter it often—in ourselves, in our students, and in the questions we're asked after class. Yet many of us feel underprepared to address it with confidence.
Robin's work is backed by rigorous research. She co-developed the protocol and taught the classes for the landmark NIH study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that demonstrated yoga's effectiveness for chronic low back pain—shifting the conversation from whether yoga works to how to apply it therapeutically and safely.
This observation gives you insight into:
How to identify whether a student's back is hypermobile, hypomobile, or dealing with SI dysfunction or disc issues
What questions to ask and what to look for in movement patterns
How to sequence practices that stabilize rather than destabilize
The critical relationship between functional breathing and core support
When to modify, when to strengthen, and when to refer out
You'll leave with a clearer understanding of how yoga therapy approaches chronic low back pain—and practical knowledge you can apply immediately in your teaching.
Important Details
Duration: 2 hours (90-minute client session + 30-minute Q&A)
Format: Live virtual event (join from anywhere)
Date & Time: Wed May 13th, 1-3pm PT
Investment: $35
Note: This session will not be recorded to protect client privacy and maintain the authenticity of the therapeutic relationship
Wed May 13th, 1-3pm PT
Virtual, Live
Beyond This Workshop: The Essential Low Back Teacher Training
If this observation sparks your curiosity about working more deeply with low back conditions, the Essential Low Back Teacher Training offers comprehensive, immersive education on this vital topic.
This acclaimed 7-day residential intensive takes place July 6–12, 2026 at Aldermarsh Retreat Center on Whidbey Island, Washington. Based on the same landmark NIH study that established yoga as an evidence-based intervention for chronic low back pain, the training provides yoga teachers and therapists with the anatomical knowledge, assessment skills, and therapeutic tools to safely and effectively address the full spectrum of low back dysfunction—from hypomobility and SI destabilization to disc conditions and scoliosis.
Tuition includes the ELBP practicum, lodging, all meals, and certification upon completion.
Early Bird tuition: $2,500 (register by May 1, 2026) | Regular tuition: $2,800
Click here to learn more and register for the Essential Low Back Teacher Training
Ready to See Therapeutic Yoga in Action?
This live observation is your opportunity to witness what therapeutic yoga looks like when applied to chronic low back pain—no placeholders, no theory. Just real work with a real person. Questions? Contact Robin at robin@essentialyogatherapy.com