neck

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poses to release and banish the tension that
produces neck, shoulder, and back pain
11
[ 2 [
By the time Tatiana Makoukhina came to my workshop last spring on easing
tension in the neck, shoulders, and upper back, shed been sufering from
chronic pain Ior more than a decade. In the early s, as a single mom newly
arrived Irom Russia, Tatiana worried constantly about whether she could
make a new liIe in America with her daughter. She put in long hours as a hotel
cleanerthe only job she could fndand felt she could never relax, never
stop working and planning. Her back and neck were constantly rigid with
tension, she sufered severe migraines, and then she herniated a disk in her
lower back liIting a heavy mattress.
Lespite her persistent discomIort, Tatiana worked hard to manage her pain
and improve her health. Athletic in her childhoodshe had loved gymnastics,
volleyball, and dancingshe began running and exercising again. Surgery for
her disk injury helped with her lower back pain, and her migraines eased once
she began practicing yoga regularly in . Still, nothing seemed to banish
the tightness, aches, and occasional stabbing pain in her shoulders and neck.
Tatiana certainly isnt unique: We all live in a world flled with anxiety. We race
through hectic days and fall into bed exhausted; we fret over our bills, our
kids, our jobs and the state oI the planet, too. It doesnt help that many oI us
have lives skewed toward the sedentary, with too many hours spent hunkered
down behind a computer or steering wheel. Our stress oIten winds up stored in
clenched necks, shoulders, and backswhich eventually weakens our muscles,
strains our joints, and limits our range oI motion. The tension hangs heavy on
our necks and shoulders, as unwelcome as a winter coat on a summer day.
It doesnt have to be this way, oI course. The shoulder girdle is designed so your
arms, neck, and shoulders can move Ireely and easily. Lven iI you have a history
of injuries or have sufered from chronic tension for years, the approach Ive
developed can help you learn to soIten your neck and shoulder muscles and
restore ease and Ireedom.
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>> Dy Barbara Benagh >> huturuhy Dy Debra McClinton
Tanslun cun Da u uln ln tha nack.
Mustar thasa antla nuvas tu create lasting ease.
[ 3 [
Neck Blanket Stretch
Rull u Dlunkat lntu u Irn, avan cyllndar lura anuuh tu wada Datwaan
tha Dusa uI yuur skull und tha tus uI yuur shuuldar Dludas. Lla Duck uvar
tha rull su lt antly stratchas yuur nack, tha rull shuuld wada just undar tha
ucclltul rlda ut tha Duck uI yuur skull und suurt yuur nack und yuur Irst
Iaw uar Duck vartaDrua. Kaaln yuur knaas Dant, luca Duth ulns un
yuur Iurahaud, Inars ulntln tuwurd tha cruwn uI yuur haud, und Drln
yuur alDuws clusa tu auch uthar. Clusa yuur ayas und tuna ln tu yuur Drauth,
Iaalln huw lts rhythn crautas suDtla nuvanant. Nutlca uraus ln yuur
nack, shuuldars, und uar Duck thut saan dansa, dull, und raslstunt tu tha
Drauths wuvallka uctlun, und lnvlta than tu ralux uulnst tha Dlunkat rull. As
yuur nusclas Daln tu ralausa, sllda yuur shuuldar Dludas uwuy Irun yuur
skull, yuu nuy wunt tu raaut thls nuvanant savarul tlnas us yuur nusclas
cuntlnua tu ralux. Ranuln un tha rull Iur u tu Iva nlnutas, than ranuva lt
und cuntlnua tu lla un yuur Duck Iur u Iaw Drauths, tunln ln tu tha sansutluns
ln yuur nack, shuuldars, und uar Duck.
\hen I ran into Tatiana a Iew weeks aIter the workshop, she was thrilled with
her progress. ot only had the workshop taken away her pain but, even better,
shed been able to stay pain-free by including 5 to 10 minutes of my exercises
in her daily hour oI yoga. Her back, shoulders, and neck were Ieeling more
relaxed than shed ever imagined possible.
>>Du Dy Unduln
I developed my approach to relieving neck and shoulder tension the hard way.
At , I was a passenger in a dramatic car wreck. My sister had cajoled and
pleaded until I agreed to go on a double date with a boy I had absolutely no
usas tu ralausa und Dunlsh tha tanslun thut
ruducas nack, shuuldar, und Duck uln
[ 4 [
interest in. So I was pouting when I got in the car, and my date responded by
speeding down the gravel road and missing a curve. I was thrown out oI the car
and vividly remember clinging to the Volkswagens window frame as we fipped
through the air. Fortunately, I lost my grip on the car and a bush broke my Iall.
I recovered Irom the concussion, lacerations, and broken bones within a Iew
months, but I ended up with a shortened leIt collarbone. Over time, that
structural imbalance pulled my leIt shoulder Iorward, compressing my neck
and eventually causing two oI my neck vertebrae to Iuse.
In my early 20s I began studying yoga, hoping to regain some of the ftness
Id enjoyed before my accident. I loved yoga immediately, but as my expertise
grew and I progressed toward more demanding poses, my neck and shoulder
problems restricted me and made me vulnerable to injury. My teachers noticed
my imbalances, and with their help my alignment improved. But I still got
hurt Irequently, and much oI the time my neck and upper back muscles were
tense, achy, and tired.
I soon realized that my chronically tight muscles Ielt at their best right aIter a
massage relaxed and free of their accustomed tension. I began to think that
iI massage could release my patterns oI chronic contraction, I should be able
to fnd a way to practice yoga that could give me the same relief.
Fortunately, my search quickly led me to Angela Farmer, a teacher whose
approach to yoga was much more internally Iocused, intuitive, and
patient than what Id been taught. I came to think oI her style as the undoing
process undoing not just because it undid tension, but also because it
Iocused less on actively changing your body than on establishing a compassion
ate dialogue with it, inviting health and ease into it and then watching, waiting,
and allowing change to come.
Savoring how light and calm I Ielt aIter this kind oI practice, I decided to
experiment with ways to refne the undoing process. I discovered that long
holds oI passive reclining poses, oIten with blankets, bolsters, or other props,
were key to releasing my tension. As I learned to relax in these poses, I began
making the exercises more active, using muscular action to increase traction
on one stif area while maintaining an overall focus on release and relaxation.
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[ 5 [
Arm-under-Back Stretch
Lla un yuur Duck wlth yuur knaas Dant und Iaat un tha Iuur, yuu cun usa
tha nack rull ur lat yuur haud rast un tha Iuur. Sllda yuur rlht urn, uln-
duwn, undar yuur luwar Duck su tha Inartls ura vlslDla un yuur laIt slda.
(lI yuu Iaal uln ur tlnlln ln yuur rlht shuuldar, dunt sllda tha hund su
Iur tu tha laIt.) Thls usltlun hals ralausa tanslun thut ruunds yuur shuul-
dars und Dlnds yuur uar urn und shuuldar lrdla tu yuur rlD cua. At Irst,
just ralux, lat tha nuvanant uI yuur Drauth ln tha rlht slda uI yuur uar
chast Daln tu crauta ralausa ln yuur shuuldar nusclas. As yuur shuuldar
raluxas, axarlnant wlth slldln tha shuuldar Dluda u und duwn yuur Duck,
cuurdlnutln tha nuvanant wlth yuur Drauth, yuu cun lncrausa tha stratch
Dy druwln tha shuuldar Dluda duwn yuur Duck und antly rassln lt lntu tha
Iuur. Huld Iur u tu 5 nlnutas, than raaut un tha uthar slda.
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Finally, I worked to integrate these Ieelings oI Ireedom and ease into my whole
yoga practice; in every pose, I focused on practicing with the least tension and
efort and the greatest comfort possible. This three-step approach is the core
oI my program Ior releasing tension in the neck, shoulders, and upper back.
>> Laurn tu Lat Cu
Passive relaxation exercises are the core of my program. Just about anyone can
beneft from them, even those whove never done a single asana. These poses give
you a taste of ease and comfort, a touchstone experience you can refer to again
and again as you progress into more active exercises and challenging yoga poses.
Relaxing deeply is a sanctuary, yet few of us allow ourselves to enter it. It feels
so good that youd think it would come easily, but many oI us are so accustomed
to tension that we have to relearn the natural process oI letting go.
usas tu ralausa und Dunlsh tha tanslun thut
ruducas nack, shuuldar, und Duck uln
[ [
The frst step is simply lying down on your back on a frm, comfortable surface
and letting yourselI rest. Almost certainly, youll Ieel your muscles naturally
releasing tension because they no longer have to work to hold you upright.
You may notice you spontaneously let out a sigh oI relieI.
To relax more deeply, though, you have to consciously build on these natural
responses. The secret to doing this is to Iocus on the movement oI the breath
in your body, using it to uncover and melt away tension.
Begin by tuning in to your breath. Pick up its rhythm, letting your muscles
relax into and move with its gentle rise and fall. Throughout your practice, let
this rhythm hold your attention. Feel how your breath creates an efortless
expansion and contraction. Also notice any places in your body that seem tense
or immobile or unresponsive to the ebb and fow of your breathing. To help
them release, imagine saturating these tight, dull areas with the easy rhythm oI
your breath; if that doesnt work, imagine your breath originating deep within
your tense places.
Bringing your attention to your contracted spots will probably help them
release. But iI youre like most people, youll also discover tension thats
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Standing Childs Pose >>
Stund wlth yuur Iaat hl-wldth uurt
und urullal. Band yuur knaas anuuh
su yuu cun hlna Iurwurd ut yuur hls
und rast yuur tursu un yuur thlhs.
Lat yuur cullurDunas und shuuldar
Dludas sllda uvar tha rlDs, nuch us
ln tha Arn-Acruss-Chast Stratch. Ra-
lux tha nusclas ulun yuur slna tuu,
und wult utlantly Iur than tu ralausa.
Whan yuu rull u tu un urlht usl-
tlun, yuu shuuld Iaal Duth llhtar und
nura ruundad.
[ 7 [
Arm-Across-Chest Stretch
Lla un yuur laIt slda wlth yuur knaas Dant, rastln yuur haud un tha Dlunkat
rull. Wlth yuur laIt uar urn und alDuw un tha Iuur ut shuuldar laval, rus
yuur rlht wrlst wlth yuur laIt hund. Kaa yuur rlht urn strulht und yuur
rlht shuuldar raluxad. Exhulln, usa yuur laIt hund tu ull yuur rlht urn
ucruss yuur chast untll yuu Iaal raslstunca uruund yuur rlht shuuldar. Puusa
thara, nulntulnln tructlun und raluxln tha rlht shuuldar untll tha rasls-
tunca aDDs, than lncrausa tha ull uI yuur laIt hund un yuur rlht urn. (Thls
uctlun nuy rull yuur chast clusar tu tha Iuur.) Lat yuur rlht cullurDuna und
rlht shuuldar Dluda llda Iraaly, us thuuh auch wara saurutad Irun tha
rlDs Dy u tlny ulr uckat. Whan yuura raudy tu nuva daaar, crauta u cuun-
tarsln Dy rullln yuur Dally tu tha rlht, Drlnln yuur rlht knaa u tuwurd
tha callln und lucln yuur Iuut un tha Iuur. Fur nura stratch, Drln yuur laIt
knaa u us wall und luca yuur laIt Iuut un tha Iuur. Huld Iur thraa nlnutas,
than ralausa, sluwly axtandln yuur rlht urn tu tha rlht ut shuuldar laval.
Raaut un tha uthar slda.
usas tu ralausa und Dunlsh tha tanslun thut
ruducas nack, shuuldar, und Duck uln
stubbornly resistant to letting go. \hen that happens, remember to be
patient and curious.
Chronically clenched muscles can Ieel tender, sore, rock hard, numbor some
combination oI these sensations. Let your awareness drop deeper and deeper
into each tight area, getting to know its specifc character. With your breath,
ask your muscles to slowly shiIt Irom tension to release, Irom density to
expansion, from hard to soft.
[ 8 [
Easy Neck Release
Stund ln u strun Dut suIt Tudusunu (Muuntuln Pusa),
Iaat hl-wldth uurt. Cruund Irnly lntu ull Iuur
curnars uI auch Iuut, und crauta lanth ln yuur slna,
antly druwln yuur tullDuna tuwurd tha Iuur und
tha tu uI yuur haud tuwurd tha callln.
Mulntulnln thut sansa uI lanth, rauch
uvarhaud wlth yuur laIt hund und huld
undar yuur rlht aur ut tha nutch
just Dahlnd yuur juw, us yuur haud
tllts sllhtly tu tha laIt, nuka sura
yuu dunt tl lt Duck und jut yuur
chln tuwurd tha callln. Rast
yuur rlht hund un yuur rlht
shuuldar, Inars ulntln tuwurd
yuur nack. Tuka Iull, daa, Dut
unIurcad Drauths Iur u nlnuta,
lattln yuur nusclas ralux und
axund lntu thut antla rlsa und Iull.
Than daaan tha stratch Dy antly ullln
yuur haud tu tha laIt und yuur rlht shuul-
dar duwn, uwuy Irun tha aur. Pull rlht u
tu tha ada uI dlscunIurt, than uusa
und ralux lntu tha stratch Iur unuthar
nlnuta DaIura raautln un tha
uthar slda.
Once youve experimented with this undoing process, apply it in some simple
reclining positions like the eck Blanket Stretch see page and the Arm
underBack Stretch see page . These positions use body weight, position, and
basic props to create gentle traction on classic neck and shoulder hot spots.
As you explore these passive exercises, dont expect your tensions to melt away
instantly. To undo your chronic patterns oI holding, you have to learn to Iocus
completely on letting go, and that takes time. Your undoing skills will mature
with practice. The more often and more deeply you relax, the deeper your
breath will penetrate, and the more subtle your awareness will become.
By starting the undoing process, youve begun a conversation with the residue
your past has leIt behind in your body. ot only can the prcess lead you to
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[ [
Heart Like a Wheel
Thls axarclsa hals yuu
laurn tu twlst wlthuut
crautln unnacassury tanslun
ln yuur uar Duck, shuuldars, ur nack.
Stund wlth yuur Iaat uDuut Iuur Iaat uurt
und urullal, und yuur urns stratchad uut tu
tha sldas ut shuuldar halht. Lat yuur Drauth
crauta u sansa uI sucluusnass ln yuur chast.
Than, kaaln yuur alvls squurad tu tha Irunt,
rututa yuur uar slna tu tha rlht. lnulna
yuur haurt us tha huD uI u whaal wlth sukas
axtandln Irun lt thruuh yuur shuuldar Dludas,
cullurDunas, und urns. Kaa yuur rlht urn
ln llna wlth tha luna uI tha rututlun uI yuur
shuuldars, lI yuu nuva tha urn Iurthar uruund,
yuull cunrass tha shuuldar julnt. Alluw yuur
Drauth tu crauta Iraadun, naltln tha tanslun
thut Dlnds tha shuuldar lrdla tu tha rlD cua su
yuu cun turn Iurthar, und suItanln uny tanslun
thut urlsas ln yuur luwar Duck. Huld Iur 15 tu 20
Drauths. Raaut tu tha laIt.
Revolved Wide-Legged
Standing Forward Bend
Stund wlth yuur Iaat uDuut Iuur Iaat uurt und
urullal. Lat yuur snuuth, Iull Drauthln crauta
lanth ln yuur slna. Mulntulnln thut lanth,
Drautha uut tu hlna Iurwurd Irun yuur hls untll
yuur tursu ls ruuhly urullal tu tha Iuur. Pluca
yuur laIt Inartls un tha Iuur (ur un u Dluck) ln
llna wlth tha shuuldar, alDuw strulht, und
luca yuur rlht hund un yuur sucrun.
Kaaln yuur hls laval, rass duwn thruuh
yuur laIt urn und Iaal huw thut crautas u raDuund-
ln nuvanant thut llIts yuur chast. Pull yuur rlht
shuuldar Duck tu uwukan tha nusclas uruund yuur
cullurDunas, shuuldar Dludas, und uar Duck, than
rututa yuur uar slna und shuuldars tu yuur rlht,
just us yuu dld ln Haurt llka u Whaal, und rauch yuur
rlht urn u ln llna wlth tha luna uI yuur shuuldars.
Huld Iur 10 tu 15 Drauths, than Drln Duth hunds tu
yuur hls und ralausa yuur tursu tuwurd tha Iuur
Iur u Iaw Drauths DaIura duln tha sacund slda.
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usas tu ralausa und Dunlsh tha tanslun thut
ruducas nack, shuuldar, und Duck uln
[ 10 [
much greater comIort, but it can also be proIoundly contemplative and rich
with insight. As you relax, you may discover emotions and memories that seem
to have been locked within your tension. Years aIter my accident, I uncovered
a surprising amount oI anger at my sister Ior pushing me to go on that IateIul
date. The undoing process has led me to unexpected stores of positive feelings,
too; when I began to practice again after a nearly fatal asthma attack, I found
myself fooded with joy and gratitude.
As you continue to release chronic muscular holding, youll sense that contraction
creates subtle vibrations oI mental unease, and as these dissipate, youll discover
that easing tension Irom your neck and shoulders calms your mind, too.
>>Tame Tension with Traction
Just as I did at frst, you need to give yourself plenty of time to become familiar
with the undoing process in the simple passive poses. Then begin to explore
the more active exercises I call Arm-Across-Chest Stretch (see page 7), Stand
ing Childs Pose see page , and Lasy eck Release see page . In these
exercises, you use a little muscular energy to create a bit more traction than you
can achieve in the passive poses. But you should infuse these exercises with the
same intention that informs the passive ones: Undo tension by fnding fuid
movement guided by your breath.
In these more active exercises, challenge your concentration by stretching
right to the edge oI discomIort and then use your undoing skills to release
your muscles resistance. Move slowly and gently, giving your muscles time
to assimilate the stretch. II you work too hard or move too quickly, you can
create more contraction or strain your muscles. But iI youre patient and let
yourselI be guided by your breath, you can usually trust your intuition about
how intense a stretch you can handle.
All three oI these poses help you learn to separate and isolate the movements
oI your head, neck, shoulders, arms, and ribs instead oI moving them as one
stif unit. In each exercise, explore how your exhalations can ease away your
tension. Lvery Iew breaths, you may Ieel an urge to make a small adjustment
in your position to create greater ease, expansion, and vitality. Be sure to
make these changes consciously and slowly. This gentle, mindIul work
will prepare you Ior continuing to release tension even as you move into
increasingly challenging asanas.
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[ 11 [
Kneeling Dog
Thls axarclsa hals yuu DuckDand wlthuut crautln axcass tanslun ln yuur
uar Duck. Cuna untu ull Iuurs, hls dlractly uvar yuur knaas, und hunds
dlractly undar yuur shuuldars. Than, stlll kaaln yuur hls uvar yuur knaas, wulk
yuur hunds Iurwurd, Drlnln yuur chast clusar und clusar tu tha Iuur. Extand
strunly Irun yuur Dally thruuh yuur rlDs und undarurns und uut thruuh yuur
Inartls. (lI yuu cunt strulhtan yuur urns Iully wlth yuur hunds shuuldar-wldth
uurt, sauruta than untll yuu cun.) Kaaln yuur urns uctlva, ralausa tanslun
Irun tha nusclas uruund yuur uar slna und ausa clusar tu tha Iuur. Rast yuur
Iurahaud un tha Iuur ur, lI yuura vary IaxlDla, antly urch yuur nack und Drln
yuur chln tu tha Iuur. Huld thls usltlun Iur 10 tu 15 Drauths.
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Sphinx Pose
Tu trunsltlun lntu Shlnx Irun Knaalln Du, rass yuur ulns Irnly lntu
tha Iuur. Ruund yuur Duck tuwurd tha callln, shlIt yuur walht Iurwurd,
und lat yuur alvls nuva Iurwurd und tu tha Iuur, uuln crautln un urchad
slna us yuur alDuws cuna tu tha Iuur und yuu urrlva ln Shlnx. Tu su-
urt yuur luwar Duck, rauch Duck strunly thruuh yuur Iaat und rass than
duwn, druw yuur tullDuna tuwurd tha Iuur, und antly llIt yuur luwar uDdunan
tuwurd yuur slna. Plunt yuur hunds und Iuraurns Irnly, lanthan tha Ducks
uI yuur urns Irun yuur shuuldars tu yuur alDuws und, wlthuut nuvln yuur
alDuws, lnulna druln than Duck tuwurd yuur tursu. Lat auch axhulu-
tlun curry u wuva uI ralausa duwn yuur uar
slna, thls uctlun ulluws yuu tu crauta nura
suca Datwaan yuur rlDs und tu llIt tha
slda und tu uI yuur rlD cua und yuur
cullurDunas wlthuut crautln tanslun ln
yuur thruut. Huld Iur 8 tu 10 Drauths.
usas tu ralausa und Dunlsh tha tanslun thut
ruducas nack, shuuldar, und Duck uln
[ 12 [
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Cobra Pose
Lla Iuca-duwn wlth yuur hunds uln-duwn ut yuur shuuldars, und yuur alDuws
ln tuwurd yuur sldas. (lI yuu tand tu axarlanca dlscunIurt ln yuur luwar Duck
ln DuckDands, usltlun yuur hunds u Dlt Iurthar Iurwurd.) As yuu lnhula, curl
yuur uar slna uwuy Irun tha Iuur, stuln wlth yuur alDuws stlll sllhtly
Dant. As yuu axhula, druw yuur luwar uDdunan ln und u tu suurt yuur
luwar Duck und hal nuva yuur DuckDand Iurthar u yuur slna. lnhula uuln,
un yuur axhulutlun, druw yuur shuuldar Dludas duwn und snu uulnst yuur
Duck rlDs Dy alunutln thruuh tha Duck uI yuur urns, wlthuut nuvln yuur
hunds, rass lntu than und ull than tuwurd yuur tursu. As ln Shlnx, llIt yuur
rlD cua Iurwurd und u tu llIt yuur cullurDunas, und lnvlta yuur uar slna
Iurwurd, daa lntu yuur chast. Strulhtan yuur urns Iully, lnulnln yuur haurt
Daln llItad Dy yuur shuuldar Dludas. Wlth auch lnhulutlun, sraud yuur cullur-
Dunas, wlth auch axhulutlun, ralausa tanslun duwn yuur slna. Ranuln ln tha
usa unly us lun us yuu cun Iaal yuur slna nuvln Iraaly wlth avary Drauth.
Than, nuvln sluwly und wlth cuntrul, luwar tu tha Iuur un un axhulutlun.
>>Work Hard, Stay Soft
When I began exploring the undoing process, I found that upper body tension
usually sneaked back into my practice as soon as I attempted a complex or
difcult asana. Im sure you know what Im talking about. When we try chal
lenging poses, we oIten engage not only the muscles that need to work hard,
but also others that dont contribute to the pose at all. II you struggle to liIt
into an arm balance like Bakasana (Crane Pose), you may fnd yourself tight
ening your throat and grunting and straining. II backbends challenge you,
its easy to end up hunching your shoulders and compressing your neck. But
[ 13 [
Upward-Facing Dog Pose
LlIt lntu CuDru Pusa. Than turn yuur tuas undar, usa than tu ush Iurwurd, und
lnulna yuur haurt Daln ullad Iurwurd us yuu ush duwn thruuh tha Duck
uI yuur urns, druw yuur shuuldars Duck, swaa yuur slda rlDs u Datwaan
yuur urns, rull untu tha tus uI yuur Iaat, und llIt yuur knaas uII tha Iuur.
Ruthar thun ruundln Iurwurd und rlln yuur shuuldars und uar Duck
und lattln tha usa hun Irun than, Iaal yuur haurt llIt yuu lntu tha usa
Irun tha suurt uI tha Duttun tls uI yuur shuuldar Dludas. Flnully, druw yuur
haud Duck, kaaln tha Duck uI yuur nack lun und lnltlutln tha nuvanant uI
yuur haud Irun tha llIt uI yuur shuuldar Dludas und haurt. lI tukln yuur haud
Duck hurts yuur nack ur nukas yuu ruund yuur shuuldars, kaa lt urlht. Tu
cuna uut uI tha usa, llIt yuur hls und slt Duck untu yuur haals ln Bulusunu
(Chllds Pusa), chast un yuur thlhs und haud un tha ruund.
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engaging muscles that dont need to work never helps a pose. The excess tension
only tires you, stifes the free fow of breath and energy, and makes you more
vulnerable to injury.
Yet paradoxically, poses in which its difcult to maintain ease in your upper
torso musclestwists and backbends, for examplecan be the ones that
eventually bring the most openness and Ireedom to your neck, shoulders, and
upper back. The secret to making these poses your allies is the same mindIul
approach you used in the passive and mildly active poses: Move slowly and
patiently, making the fuid rhythm of your breath your focus and relying on
your awareness of sensation to recognize and undo the excess tension.
usas tu ralausa und Dunlsh tha tanslun thut
ruducas nack, shuuldar, und Duck uln
[ 14 [
Twists like Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana Revolved \ideLegged Standing
Forward Bend; see page 9) and Heart like a Wheel (see page 9) and backbends
like Kneeling Dog (see page 11, Sphinx Pose (see page 11), Bhujangasana
(Cobra Pose; see page 12), and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog
Pose, see page require strong muscle action in your upper torso, so you
need to keep soItness in your muscles even as they work hard. SoItness isnt
weakness; if your muscles are hard, youre sacrifcing the subtle breath-driven
movement that helps you distinguish between strong engagement and strain.
Your active muscles need to be soIt enough to allow these movements as well
as the subtle ripples that reverberate through you as other muscles release.
As you explore more active poses, allow the large peripheral muscles to soften
enough that you Ieel your support coming Irom deeper within. Imagine that
youre a fower being opened by your breath. Staying in touch with your breaths
inner rhythm lets sensation guide you to areas that are stuck or in pain. \hen
you fnd such a place, modify the outer form of your pose so you can focus on
its inner essence. II your shoulder Ieels contorted and contracted when you try
to reach Ior the sky in a standing pose like Parivrtta Prasarita, Ior instance, rest
your hand on your hip instead. II your neck hurts when you try to turn your
head, let your head hang a bit, experimenting with diferent positions until you
fnd one that allows you to release the pain and tension. You can slowly work
your way toward the full expression of any pose if youre patient and grant
the same value to the inner expansiveness of a posefrom which comfort is
bornthat you give the poses outer structure.
Practicing with this inner Iocus can make painIul neck, shoulder, and upper back
tension a thing oI the past. Tightness in your upper body may return Irom time
to timewith my shortened leIt collarbone and Iused vertebrae, Im still prone
to itbut with these tools you can loosen it beIore it becomes debilitating.
Moreover, the undoing process can transIorm your yoga. AIter this kind oI
practice, youll not only feel as though youve gotten great exercise, but also as
though youve had a good massage. \sing this approach, you can move toward
any pose in a way that leaves you feeling relaxed, light, energized, and radiant.
Barbara Benagh hus tuuht yuu Iur 30 yaurs. Sha llvas ln Bustun und cuIuundad
tha CunDrlda studlu Yuu 301. Har waDslta ls www.yuustudlu.ur.
neck&
shoulders
yoga Ior