Sometimes it is not until you experience neck strain that you realize the importance of maintaining healthy neck muscles. The neck allows the gaze to turn up, down, left and right. Full mobility in the neck lets your view of the world remain open. Neck exercises are incorporated in yoga poses that stretch and lengthen the neck muscles to preserve their movability.
Cat
The Cat Pose is a basic kneeling posture that increases spine flexibility. It gently massages the spine and stretches the neck and back. It is done on all fours in a "tabletop" position. On an exhale, the spine rounds toward the ceiling into cat pose.
Cow
A counterbalance to the Cat Pose, the Cow Pose stretches the neck and front torso, relaxes the lower back and mobilizes the lower back and sacrum. Done in the same "tabletop" position, the belly sinks toward the floor as the spine curves into Cow Pose.
Supported Headstand
The Supported Headstand is an intermediate inverted arm support posture. The arms and crown of the head support the pose, but the spine and legs are fully engaged to keep the body balanced. The deep neck muscles are strengthened, especially the longus colli, a front of the neck muscle responsible for bending the neck forward and back.
Belly Twist
The Belly Twist is a basic twist done lying on the back. The knees draw into the chest and fall to one side as the chest remains facing the ceiling. The neck gazes over the opposite side of the bent knees and stretches the scalenes, a group of neck muscles that rotate the neck from side to side.
Triangle
The Triangle Pose is a hip-opening pose that stretches the sartorius, a muscle at the back of the leg that flexes, pulls in and externally rotates the thigh, hips, spine, groin and hamstrings. A posture that relieves backache, triangle pose is a therapeutic posture for neck pain.
Half Lord of the Fishes
The Half Lord of the Fishes Pose is a basic seated spinal twist that enlivens the spine and stretches the shoulders, hips and neck. Specifically, the splenius capitis, a straplike back of the neck muscle that bridges the head to the vertebrae, is stretched and the sternocleidomastoid strap, a neck muscle that curves over the neck bones to tilt the head to one side is worked.
Upward Plank
The Upward Plank Pose is a basic arm support posture that stretches the shoulders and opens the chest. The head is released which tones the platysma, the front of the neck muscle that controls the front of the throat, works the corners of the mouth down and prevents wrinkly neck skin.
References
- "Yoga Anatomy;" Leslie Kaminoff; 2007
- Deep Tissue
- Deep Tissue
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