Healing Through Yoga—RELIEVING Neck Pain
“Oh my aching neck” is a lament that I hear too often from a first-time student. Usually I see 2 recognizable neck misalignments: the head is pulled back & the neck is too straight or the head is thrust forward, the chin is stiff & the back of the neck is improperly curved & compressed.
Many times neck pain is directly related to shoulder posture which I wrote about last week. Here’s a quick review to proper alignment. Take a big inhale from your belly through your nose. Bring your breath underneath your ribs to the top of your sternum as your arm bones move back. Feel the shoulder blades together & flat on your back. Exhale in the back of your heart while you keep your arm bones gently back. Visualize the expanse of your back body!
Preparation for Bridge pose relieves most neck pain as it broadens the back body & extends the spine. Lie on your back & gently press the occipital bone on the back of your skull into the floor. This action opens the throat bringing the hyoid bone back & aligns the top of your brain to your pelvic floor or sitting bones. Bend your knees, feet parallel with the 4 corners on the floor. Please maintain a curve in your lumbar spine. Now bring your arm bones back so the shoulder blades are flat. Bend your elbows with palms up so your arms are in a cactus pose. Relax & Breathe. Let your exhalation massage the neck pain until it releases. It will!
