Poor posture and holding stress in the shoulders can lead to tension in the neck, headaches, pinched nerves and shoulder pain. Yoga helps to release neck tension by bringing awareness to posture, strengthening abdominal muscles to improve body alignment, and relaxing tight muscles throughout the neck and shoulders.
Posture Awareness
Sit on the floor in a cross-legged position, or in a chair if the floor is not comfortable for you. Extend your spine up toward the sky. Drop your shoulders back and down, tucking in the shoulder blades. Gently tuck your tailbone toward the floor, engaging your lower abdominal muscles. Gently draw your chin toward the throat, stacking the head over the neck, and lifting the spine as you do so.
Neck Flexion
On an exhaling breath, lower your chin toward your chest, allowing it to hang forward gently. With your inhale, lift your head up and back. Repeat twice. Only lift to an upright position if you have any concerns with pinched nerves or numbness.
Lateral Neck Stretch
As you exhale, lower the right ear over the right shoulder. Draw the right shoulder back and down, tucking in the shoulder blade. Breath into the left side of the neck, allowing the muscles to soften and ease with each breath. Keep the spine lifted even though the head is tilted by keeping the lower abdominal muscles engaged and expanding the ribs to the sides as you breathe. After several breaths, gently lift the head back to the center on an inhale. Repeat on the other side.
Neck Rotation
On your inhale lift the spine tall. As you exhale turn your chin over your right shoulder. Inhale to the center and exhale the chin over the left shoulder. Repeat on each side.
Shoulder Shrug
Inhale and scrunch your shoulders up by your ears, pressing them into the back of your head. Exhale and press the shoulders back and down while lifting the spine tall. Repeat two more times.
Tension Release
Interlace the fingers and inhale your arms up over your head, palms facing the ceiling. As you exhale, lower your chin toward your chest and press your palms up and back. Hold and breathe. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and wring out any tension across the base of the neck. On an inhaling breath, lift your chin and lower your hands to the top of your head. As you exhale float your hands down toward the floor.
Upper Back Release
Extend the arms out in front of you, crossing the right over the left. Bend at the elbows and hold with the hands back to back or the left hand wrapped around the right wrist. Lift the elbows to shoulder height and lower the shoulders away from the ears. Gently squeeze the arms together, feeling the stretch across the upper back, around the shoulders, and through the back of the neck. After several breaths, gently release and repeat with the left arm over the right.
References
- "Structural Yoga Therapy"; Mukunda Stiles; 2000
- "Keep it Simple Series: Guide to Yoga"; Shakta Kaur Khalsa; 2001
- Yoga Journal: Forbidden Territory
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