Nurture The Neck

Nurture The Neck

alignment

NURTURE THE NECK

The neck is not often the shining star of our yoga practice, yet it is an integral part.  Too often, we may only offer more attention if we’re feeling pain in a particular posture.  It’s important however, for us to be proactive in how we work with the neck (cervical spine) in our yoga practice, both for our healing and prevention of any possible pain and/or limitation with rotation or overall mobility.

Throughout each day, a great number of us find ourselves in a postural position that’s not quite favourable to encourage the maintenance of healthy alignment, movement, and rotation in the neck.  

Matt offers a pathway of understanding first through anatomy, and then how we can best apply specific techniques and actions that will strengthen, minimize injury or pain and encourage mobility.

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ANATOMY

In order to offset the frontal position we often find ourselves in from daily habits, Matt stresses that we must attend to the back neck muscles.  The Splenius Capitis muscles are diagonally oriented from the middle of the back, up to the neck.  They create lateral flexion, spinal extension, and for rotation.  The Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles work in conjunction with the Splenius Capitis muscles.  The SCM is situated in the front of the neck that attaches to the collarbone.  It also connects at the sternum in the front and the mastoid process (at the back side of the skull).  In rotation, the right SCM will shorten and turn our head to the left and the left Splenius Capitis participates by also turning our head to the left.  Understanding this means that we must be intentional about our positioning, alignment, and actions within that alignment.  There are other muscles that participate, however being able to palpate these larger tissues is helpful in being closer to knowing if we feel a change in sensation within the area of the neck.

WATCH THE VIDEO

NURTURE THE NECK: TECHNIQUES TO ACTIVATE & ROTATE

ALIGNMENT CHECK

Just because we may have more “optimal positions” for the neck, it doesn’t mean that we should or will be in those positions all of the time.  This is why we must be intentional.  We should be consistently mindful to nurture the neck by exploring a position where the skull sits more “on top” of the spine more often in daily lives and on the yoga mat.  Implementing this habit along with techniques will remind us to be in these more “optimal positions” more often.  By just pulling the head back alone, it will take some of the stress off of the SCM and start to wake up the Splenius Capitis muscles in the back of the neck. 

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TAKE THESE ACTIONS

Now, there’s more than just pulling the head back alone.  That’s just one of the 2 key actions.  For rotation of course, we are turning our heads.  Knowing the anatomy will of course help us to know if we are “doing it properly”, which means when in this position, it feels strong and supportive.  The muscles will be activated, therefore working to strengthen.  Keep in mind, the SCM may always feel as though it is working, but just because it feels taut, doesn’t mean that it is strong.  The SCM may be activated, but taking the actions to create a more equilateral distribution of work and activation will support our quest to actually strengthen the neck to reduce the chances of pain or injury.

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    POSTURE OPPORTUNITIES

    Warrior II

    Warrior II is a great place to start.  He demonstrates how to use a supportive hand behind the skull like a “self adjustment” in order to get automatic feedback about how we are aligning.  We learn to consistently lift and lengthen through the back of the neck.

    Against The Wall

    This drill takes those 2 actions (lift and lengthen) to the wall.  This time, our whole back body is pressed against the wall, providing even more feedback and information about where we are in space when we come away from this support.

    Half Moon

    There’s more at stake in Half Moon pose, because we are now adding the element of balance.  It tests our ability to maintain the alignment and actions in a new plane

    Incorporating techniques like this will undoubtedly over time, work to adjust our daily habits.  This can ultimately help to mitigate pain and hopefully keep more serious injury at bay.

    Matt’s upcoming 10 class online immersion Therapeutics will do a deeper dive into techniques that will enhance our ability to move with more ease.

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    Video Extracted From: Twists & Folds Immersion

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    Neck Alignment

    Neck Alignment

    Techniques to Find More Ease in Headstand

    sirsasana

    NECK ALIGNMENT FOR INVERSIONS

    Yoga postures typically start “from the feet up.” The same is true when it comes to inversions—it’s just flipped upside down. The positioning of the head and neck sets the foundation, so finding balance can be quite challenging.  

    Inversions can be scary stuff, and there’s plenty of legitimate fear to go around. With inversions, the neck becomes “the feet” of the posture, and neck alignment will directly inform your experience. Proper alignment, along with the technique of “pressing your head back,” will strengthen your neck muscles and provide you with the stability required for this posture. In today’s video, Matt breaks down how this technique will provide you with confidence and help you overcome your fears in Headstand.

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    PRESS YOUR HEAD BACK

    The fear of going upside down and placing weight on your neck can be enough to put you off of the posture all together, but the technique of pressing your head back can restore your faith in your ability to execute Headstand with assurance. One of the best ways to practice this technique is upright. Before you consider the strength, consider the neck alignment. Pulling your skull up and back will bring your head more in line with your spinal column and pelvis. Matt explains that this will place your cervical spine into a more concave shape, rather than the common convex shape that occurs due to a frequently forward carriage of the head. At the beginning of the video, you’ll see that the next step is to press your head into your thumbs. These steps are important to explore before you place any weight on your head in inversions.  

    WATCH THE VIDEO

    NECK ALIGNMENT: TECHNIQUES TO FIND MORE EASE IN HEADSTAND

    HEADSTAND PREPARATION

    Once you feel more comfortable with the neck alignment cues, moving on to the next step in Headstand preparation means exploring those cues in Dolphin Pose. What also needs to be discussed here are the options you have in terms of the amount of weight you opt to place on your head.  

    At the initial stages of the setup, creating protraction and elevation in the shoulders will help you find more length in the back of your neck and also assist in keeping your head off of the ground. This will make the shift towards taking the back of your head away from your elbows and closer to your hands much easier. The key step, however, is the plantar flexion of your feet in order to make this shift. Next, pressing your head into your hands (more specifically your thumbs) will assist in strengthening your neck muscles.

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    • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
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    HEADSTAND WITH BLOCKS

    You now know that pointing your toes will assist in stacking the pelvis over the shoulders, but hamstring flexibility is also required. Gaining the appropriate amount of hamstring flexibility will not happen overnight. This is where elevating your feet on blocks is extremely helpful. Using blocks creates a shorter distance for you to create the stacking you need in order to lift your legs. If you’re not ready to take flight in this way, then practice the stacking by moving back and forth between plantar flexion and dorsiflexion at the ankle joint. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of where your body needs to be in space.  

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    UP AGAINST THE WALL

    Not knowing where your body is in space is a reason you might choose to practice up against a wall, and this is a great decision, especially when you want to send your legs up in the air.  

    You may, however, feel like you are up against a figurative wall when trying to “crack the code” for Headstands. It is possible to start depending on the wall for security, which is why implementing the technique of pressing your head into your hands can completely transform your experience. Once you do that, you can feel everything else fall into place: The action encourages the bottom ribs to knit back, which can then send the pelvis over the shoulders. The beauty of using the wall is that you have time to more deeply understand the cues while it acts as your personal spotter.

    Register for Matt’s Alignment Immersion to learn all of the cues that help you to safely practice Headstand.

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    Tight Hips

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    THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

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    • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
    • exclusive online course discounts
    • exclusive blogs and videos
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    BLACK FRIDAY SALE! Congratulations, your 30% discount code has been applied and will be reflected at the very bottom of the checkout page. All Immersions & Immersion Bundles are included in this sale. To get more info on each immersion click on the photo. On Demand and Lifetime Access To all

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