Neck and shoulder pain, often resulting out of stressful situations or just from everyday hunching over at deskbound jobs, can get pretty bad and even sway you into skipping your workout. While it could get challenging to move through a day with the pain spreading along spinally, you still must dare to get down on your yoga mat and give spinally vitalizing postures a try with caution.
Cat-Cow or Marjaryasana-Bitilasana
Gliding through Cat-Cow can deal with multiple points of pain in the neck all the while providing a sharp stretch and extension of the spine. The practice on an everyday basis can compensate for the strain caused in the neck ligaments due to the weight of the head withheld for long hours of deskbound work, hanging at the cranium looking at mobile phone screens at a stretch or studying a hand-held book.
- Come down on the mat on your hand and knees, with the wrists under your shoulders and the knees placed under your hips.
- Let your chest sink towards the mat as you flow into the Cow posture with a deep inhalation. Direct your gaze towards the ceiling with the lift of your chin and chest.
- Widen your shoulder blades as you draw them away from your ears.
- Switch next to the Cat Pose. To the beat of a sharp exhalation, draw your belly closer to your spine. Form your body into the shape of a cat stretching its back, the back formed into a concave curvature.
- Inhale and draw back into the Cow pose, return to the Cat with the exhalation.
- Repeat thus, switching in and out from the Cat to the Cow for 20 times, as you feel your neck muscles relax.
Heart Melting Posture or Anahatasana
This posture is for creating a supple backbend. Be cautious to maintain your hips to be placed right above the knees and arms reaching along the width of the shoulders. The posture effectively does away with the symptoms of a stiff back by providing the spinal meridian with a fresh burst of pranic energy flow. As a bonus, you also feel the calmness traveling to your lower lack, muscles of the chest, and thoracic spine.
- Be seated in the Vajrasana, the hands to be rested upon your thighs.
- Bring your head touching to the earth-ground, as the hands are extended upon the floor in front. Move your hands overhead with the palms facing downwards and touching the ground.
- With a raising the hips, arch back just a little to the back as you maintain your thighs at 90 degrees, thus creating a deep spinal arch.
- Keep your upper chest touched to the floor, breathe naturally and remain this way for as long as it suits your temperament.
- Lower the hips and fold into Balasana to rest for a while. Take a few deep breaths and keep slow.
Fish Pose or Matsyasana
The Fish Pose is effective for neutralizing pressure in the neck and shoulders, as well as for providing strength in the throat, chest, and intercostal muscles between the ribs. This one could be alternated for the more strenuous Shoulder Stand or Supported Shoulder Stand Posture during your suffering from neck pain. You will be wise to perform this posture with yoga blocks and pillows to cushion your back. Extend the minutes of rest in the final phase as your head nestles in the softness of the extra support and let calming thoughts gather as you lie.
- Spread out on your back with your head kept on the pillow and a harder yoga block to support your mid-spinal area.
- Press down your forearms and elbow onto the mat and slightly lift your chest as an arch is created in your upper back. Slowly, start lifting your torso off the floor and throw back your head so that it touches the floor.
- Let some pressure be felt in your hands and forearms as you press down and be cautious not to transfer some of it into the head.
- Also, press to the outside with your heels and feel the energy running through your thighs.
- Live the slow current of energy running through your body as you hold out this part. Touch up your chin and tilt your head back more towards the floor to see how your neck eases.
Have a happy session of yoga poses for neck pain to wake up feeling lighter!
To know about these wonderful yoga poses in further detail, explore our Yoga Teacher Training In India.
