3
Nov
2019
YOGA FOR NECK AND UPPER BACK TENSION-SHARE YOUR OPINION!
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Comments7
How does this series feel? Ask questions and share comments about the course.
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Thank you once again, Olga, for these practice sequences. Both the neck and upper back and the lower back and sacrum series have been very beneficial for me. I found this one-course 5 of the neck course- very challenging in parts, particularly the sequence bending forward with hand on the chair. I found keeping the pelvis stationary to be difficult during the upper body twisting. However, no matter how I am able to practice these sessions, I always am left feeling great afterwards. Looking forward to continuing with your valuable instructions. Warm regards, Mindy
So great to hear that Mindy! One quick note – be careful with keeping the pelvis stationary when you twist – theoretically, this is our goal, but we do not want to lock anything in place either. If there is a little give in the direction of the twist, it’s OK. We do not want to leverage the lower body so much that it creates torque in the spine/sacrum area. As always, we want to work WITH the body, instead of against it, so if the pelvis really wants to come along, just limit the degree of rotation, don’t twist… Read more »
I just returned from an 8 hr. drive through fog, rain and snow. My neck and shoulders were so tight! I just completed the week 1 class and it really was helpful with my body’s stiffness. The eye movement exercise was very interesting. I don’t know if it relieved my neck tension but I felt it really cleared my head. Can you explain why you included this in a neck/upper back practice? I just want to understand why we do these moves. They are always so helpful. Thanks and keep it coming1
Jude
Hi Jude! Glad to hear that you made it safely through extreme weather conditions. As far as eye exercises, there are two main reasons I included those. First, eye strain can lead to tension in suboccipital muscles at the back of the head, so relieving eye strain with eye movements should help with neck tension, as well. I wrote about it here. Another, more subtle reason, is that the cranial nerves that innervate the eyes are closely linked to the vagus nerve, which is responsible for the whole parasympathetic system activation (rest-and-digest mode). So theoretically, this kind of eye movement… Read more »
I just finished week 3 and I’m enjoying this program. Weeks 1 and 2 really helped with tension and alignment. Week 3 aggravated my neck and upper body though. My head feels like it is pushed forward and my levator scapular and traps on both sides, but especially my right, are tight and swollen. What could be causing this?
Hi Liza, thank you for your comment and sorry to hear about your latest experience. Week 3 definitely works with your upper back and all the muscles around your scapulae, so your response tells us that those areas are either very sensitive, or tight, or weak for you. We have to respect that and approach with caution. I would recommend that you let your body settle for about a week and go back to practices 1 and 2 during that time. Then you can try practice 3 again but exclude #10, #11 and #12. See how the abbreviated version feels.… Read more »
Great suggestions! Thank you! My scapulae are weak and my shoulders are rounded forward from years of computer work.
Would you ever create a dedicated shoulder and scap program as a companion to the neck program? I would benefit from it and I’m sure others would, too.