If you think stiff muscles might prevent you from doing yoga, think again. According to yoga instructor Rodney Yee and Nina Zolotow, authors of “Yoga: The Poetry of the Body,” yoga is for everyone—kids and adults of all flexibility levels. Use yoga as a balm for aching muscles, working within the level of your flexibility until your body adapts naturally, granting you greater freedom and ease of movement.
Physical Benefits of Yoga
Dr. Terry A. Rondberg writes in the Chiropractic Journal that bad posture, stress, flabby muscle and bad breathing habits can all exacerbate common chiropractic ailments, including stiff shoulders and neck muscles. Yoga, with its emphasis on posture, stretching and proper breathing, can help each of these conditions. In fact, he says, practicing yoga can help solve and prevent many chiropractic problems—so much so that many chiropractic doctors advise patients to take up yoga as part of their treatment.
Poses for Neck Pain
When your neck aches, try poses such as Cow Pose and Cat Pose. Both poses put you on your hands and knees in the basic tabletop position with varying degrees of arch in the back during the pose. In Cow Pose, you lift your chest and sit bones toward the ceiling while looking straight ahead, stretching the neck and torso. In Cat Pose, you round your spine and let your head fall naturally toward the floor, stretching your aching neck muscles and massaging the spine. Yoga Journal recommends beginning with Cat Pose and following up with Cow Pose.
Poses for Shoulder Pain
To stretch tight shoulders, try Camel Pose and Bow Pose. Both strengthen your back muscles, fight backaches and work the spine, shoulders and neck. Camel Pose begins as you kneel on the floor, shins and feet down, and move your hands from a position on the back of your pelvis to the bottoms of your feet. Bow Pose takes the positioning of Camel Pose and places you on your stomach instead of your shins. While lying on the floor, you bring your heels up to your rear and grab your ankles, lifting your torso and head for a deep stretch. Yoga Journal recommends beginning with Bow Pose and following up with Camel Pose.
What to Wear
If you’re a stranger to the world of yoga, you don’t need much to begin. Yee and Zolotow say all you need is clothing that lets you move. They advise you to stay away from overly baggy clothes such as sweats and big T-shirts—these can fall in your face when doing beginner poses such as Downward-Facing Dog. Stick with bare feet and clothes such as bike shorts, tank tops, sports bras and leotards.
Useful Accessories
Yee and Zolotow urge all practitioners to use a yoga mat. These sticky mats grip your floor surface and keep you from sliding around. As a beginner, you don’t need much else to get started. When you get into more advanced poses, you may want to add props such as a yoga block, yoga belt, blankets, round bolster pillow, flat pillow and an eye pillow.
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