1. Rock and Roll
Close your eyes and relax. Make slow, deliberate moves, touching your chin to your chest and then each ear to each shoulder without lifting your shoulder. Tilt your head back, raising your chin up, and then move it back where you're facing forward. Push your neck straight out, and then push it back as far as comfortably possible, sort of like a chicken. Roll your shoulders back gently, squeezing them together, then roll them forward. This shouldn't be a workout, but a warm up or relaxing exercise. Shoulder circles also help reduce the tension through out those muscles. Do each of the above movement four times, increasing as you feel comfortable.
2. Is it Really a Roll?
Many yogis believe that while doing neck rolls, the neck should not move clockwise and then counterclockwise because it may harm the side joints of the neck, causing inflammation. Instead of "rolling" the neck, you should stretch it from side to side and not actually roll it. When you're doing neck rolls, you should feel the muscles in the neck pull slightly. This should never be painful, and if you feel discomfort, ease up on the distance of the roll. Never force your neck in a position that isn't comfortable.
3. Carrying the Weight of the World on Your Shoulders
Most of us carry a lot of tension in our necks and shoulders. This type of tension can cause headaches, which is one of the leading reasons people miss work. Stress is a major source of neck tension, and emotional stress could also contribute to other illness. By doing neck rolls, you can ease some of the tension in your neck. Neck rolls are also a great warm up for your yoga practice. You can do yoga neck rolls while you're sitting at your desk, in the bleachers at your child's soccer game or at home watching television. Not only are you reducing your tension, you're gaining flexibility in your neck.
4. Don't Contribute to Your Pain in the Neck
Be sure and talk to your healthcare provider if you have or have had a bulging disc or any other kind of cervical injury. Neck rolls may aggravate your condition. Your chiropractor or physical therapist can show you some tension relieving exercises that will not aggravate your condition.
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