Yoga Exercises For Neck & Shoulder Pain

In good posture, the head should naturally sit on top of the spine. "Almost every task we do, working on the computer, driving, picking up our children, cooking, rounds us forward," says author and yoga therapist Carol Krucoff. This rounding forward creates an awkward posture that puts undue pressure on your neck and shoulders. Certain yoga exercises may help realign your posture and relieve your neck and shoulder pain.

Postural Awareness

Shallow breathing results in contraction of the neck and shoulder muscles. A postural awareness pose helps you to breathe properly, relieving tension in your neck and shoulders. Sit in a chair, keeping your back upright and your feet flat on the floor, with your hips slightly higher than your knees. Place your palms on your belly and breathe in deeply through your nose. Draw the air deep into your lungs and feel your belly rise. Slowly release your breath through your mouth and nose, feeling your belly fall. Be aware of your neck and shoulders expanding as you breathe in and your shoulders relaxing downward, rather than inward, as you release your breath. Repeat this exercise 10 times. Doing this awareness pose several times a day will heighten your sense of posture, causing you to correct the rounding-forward effect.

Bridge Pose

The bridge pose lengthens your spine, pulling your neck and shoulders back into natural alignment. Lie on a soft surface such as a yoga mat with your back flat on the floor. Place a rolled towel or blanket beneath your neck. The back of your head should be touching the mat, as should your shoulders and hips. Keep your arms close to your body. Bend your knees, bringing your heels close to your buttocks. Your fingertips should touch your heels. Inhale and raise your buttocks, allowing your upper arms and lower legs to carry the weight. Move your knees slightly forward and feel the stretch in your spine. Exhale and slowly lower your buttocks.

Passive Backbend

This pose stretches the entire body and puts you into a relaxed state. Place two folded blankets on the floor or yoga mat. Sit on one end of the blankets. With your knees bent, inhale and lie down, supporting your buttocks and back on the blankets. Allow your shoulders to hang over the edge of the blankets. Exhale and bring your arms up and then down onto the floor to either side of your head while relaxing your legs. Your heels should be resting on the floor, your lower legs inclining upward slightly, and your buttocks and back on the blankets. Your head and shoulders are on the floor and your arms stretched upward with the upper arms resting close to your ears. Hold this pose for 30 seconds, breathing deeply. Slowly raise your arms while inhaling, and lift your body off the blankets. Bend your knees and raise yourself upward.