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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    Article by Trish Curling

    Video Extracted From: Twists & Folds Immersion

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    • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
    • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
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    • Release aches and pains
    • Learn how to avoid common injuries
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    Continue Learning

    Nurture The Neck

    Nurture The Neck

    Nurture The NeckalignmentNURTURE 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...

    read more
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    3 Ways To Stretch & Strengthen Your Neck

    3 Ways to Stretch and Strengthen Your Neck

    Home In on the Awareness of Your Posture

    NECK MOBILITY

    STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN YOUR NECK

    A common postural tendency or pattern for so many is slouching, which includes forward head posture due to the amount of time spent at a work desk or on a variety of digital devices. Functioning in this way may seem unavoidable due to work/life responsibilities, but welcoming in a level of awareness and actions you can take to shift this pattern will ultimately contribute to greater wellness. 

    If you’re holding tension in your neck and upper back, the techniques Matt offers in today’s video will help stretch and strengthen the appropriate muscles in your neck. It also means that you’ll find more freedom of movement, which may also lead to less tension. The key component is the awareness that you’ll nurture throughout the process. There isn’t any “fix” without awareness. This part of the equation must also be implemented.

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    SVADHYAYA AND AWARENESS

    If you want to transform your experience, you must first be aware of your state of being. In my previous blog, Take Action in Flying Pigeon, we touched on the area of understanding the 5 Powers of Consciousness, which Matt explores further in his immersion The Power of Bliss and delves into in greater detail in his 300 Hr. Teacher Training. In Chromatic Yoga, Matt draws on the original teachings of the Yoga Sutras and beyond. He stresses that the key aspect is self-inquiry, Svadhyaya in the Yoga Sutras. This relates back to the first power in the 5 Powers of Consciousness from the Tantik perspective, which is Cit Śakti (the power of awareness itself). The power of awareness leads to the journey of Svadhyaya and therefore the discernment you need to take the right actions.

    WATCH THE VIDEO

    3 WAYS TO STRETCH & STRENGTHEN YOUR NECK: HONE IN ON THE AWARENESS OF YOUR NECK

    TECHNIQUES FOR THE NECK

    When you’re experiencing neck tension, it can be quite challenging to shift your awareness from discomfort or pain to the possibility of ease. Part of the formula to create ease is to stretch and strengthen your neck. This is important because the muscles of the neck can become shortened, weak, and tight from constant poor positioning such as forward head posture. Pulling your chin in and your head back and up, without puffing your chest out, can help to stretch the sternocleidomastoid muscle. On each side of the neck, this muscle attaches to both the sternum and the clavicle and then to the mastoid process towards the rear side of your skull.

    Adding in rotation can also promote strength and flexibility in your neck. These may be “simple” actions, but it’s imperative to be aware of the execution of these techniques within a given posture.

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    • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

    3 POSTURES FOR THE NECK

    It can be easy to remain on autopilot in any given yoga posture, especially if you’ve executed the posture many times before. Matt outlines how to stretch and strengthen your neck in 3 “basic” yoga postures.

    In Warrior II, you’ll see how Matt pulls his head up and back before initiating the next step, the rotation. When the rotation is added, along with the awareness to shorten one side and lengthen the other, what you achieve is an engagement of the sternocleidomastoid on the front side and a lengthening on the back side. What’s even more effective is the self-adjustment of pressing your head into your hand in order to get more in touch with the positioning and sensation. When exploring Pyramid Pose and High Lunge, the experience in both of these postures is changed by adding the same techniques (without the rotation). 

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    MAKE THE SHIFT

    If you shift your awareness within a yoga posture, you’ll transform your awareness in your everyday posture. Once you have incorporated these techniques on the mat, how many times can you incorporate them into your everyday life? This is part of Svadhyaya, the practice of self-inquiry, on the physical level. Of course Svadhyaya goes beyond this aspect only.  

    Matt emphasizes that it’s not about staying in this position all the time but about training yourself to stretch and strengthen your neck muscles more often. Like anything else, these repetitive actions will stimulate the muscles to respond and ultimately make the shift to more freedom.

    Register for Matt’s November immersion, The Power of Bliss, to go deeper into the awareness of your body and mind. 

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    Article by Trish Curling

    Videos Extracted From: Chromatic Yoga 15-Hour Immersion

    lotus pose online yoga classes

    ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

    • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
    • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
    • Appropriate for both teachers and students
    • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
    • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
    • Release aches and pains
    • Learn how to avoid common injuries
    • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
    • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
    • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
    • Lifetime access

    Continue Learning

    Nurture The Neck

    Nurture The Neck

    Nurture The NeckalignmentNURTURE 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...

    read more
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    read more
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    read more
    Inversion Success

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    read more

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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 & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

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    • Learn foundational class structures and templates
    • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
    • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
    • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

    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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    300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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    Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

    • Get 500 hour certified
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    • Expand your teaching skills
    • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
    • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
    • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

    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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    Article by Trish Curling

    Video Extracted From: Alignment Immersion

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    Nurture The Neck

    Nurture The Neck

    Nurture The NeckalignmentNURTURE 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...

    read more
    Reduce Hip Injuries

    Reduce Hip Injuries

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    read more
    Flying Pigeon Variations

    Flying Pigeon Variations

    Flying Pigeon Variationseka pada galavasanaFLYING PIGEON VARIATIONS When we think of different variations of postures, it’s easy to think that we should practice either “this on, or that one”.  What we may not entertain is the magnitude of focus we must place on the...

    read more
    Crow Pose Drills

    Crow Pose Drills

    Crow Pose DrillsbakasanaCROW POSE DRILLS If we’re attempting to balance in a posture like Crow pose, then the understanding of the way in which we balance our weight is crucial.  When we achieve this, not only will we find more confidence and comfort in executing the...

    read more
    Inversion Journey

    Inversion Journey

    Inversion Journeyadho mukha vrksasanaINVERSION JOURNEY In the previous blog, Inversion Success: Alignment, Drills & Preparation,  I talked about how Matt provides the education and keys to building a solid foundation to execute handstands.  What we must understand...

    read more
    Inversion Success

    Inversion Success

    Inversion SuccesshandstandINVERSION SUCCESS We all have different definitions of success.  Success in our yoga practice could look anything like effortlessly engaging in inversions, being able to participate in breathwork techniques, and/or simply showing up for a...

    read more

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    Headstand: Neck Relief

    Headstand: Neck Relief

    No More "Pain in the Neck"

     

    Intentional Practice

    For many years I split my yoga asana practice into two parts. On one side I dedicated my learning to the therapeutic qualities and on the other side advancing my practice. It was a while before I realized that they were one and the same and it took longer to realize that “advanced” transition could lead to greater ease and freedom. This video is born out of my understanding of what I used to consider to be just an advanced transition.

    Let’s touch briefly on the neck in headstand. I think we all know that putting our entire weight on our neck could obviously have its dangers. There are also many claimed benefits from it, some of which I agree with from my own experience. Headstand can be extremely empowering and freeing on an emotional level, and beyond that, it is a platform to build more strength and stability for the neck. In addition, going upside down in general can increase our proprioception (knowing where our body is in space). To be sure we are gaining all the benefits and not dealing with the potential downfalls of having all our weight on our neck, I find it beneficial to learn how to do headstand with our head off the ground. Some would call this forearm stand, some would argue it’s still headstand arms so it’s headstand…what you call it is not important, but having the strength and awareness definitely is beneficial.

    There are two main anatomical actions that I go over in this video:
    Elevation of the Scapula: Shoulder blades raise up toward the ears
    Extension at the Elbow Joint: The Elbow straightening.

    Elevation of the scapula is the main action in relieving neck pressure because when executed with enough strength, the head will lift off of the ground. Once you have the strength and control over the muscles that create elevation (mainly the upper fibers of the trapezius muscles) you will then have the choice of how much weight you place on your head. Trying to extend at the elbow joint can help maintain stability and balance as you elevate your scapula and can assist in rising away from the ground.

    The Actions

    In the video you will be provided with a visual demonstration of elevating the scapula with headstand arms. While you are reading this you can try elevating your scapula by shrugging your shoulders up by your ears. This action is remarkably easier when the arms are by your side in a resting position than when they are over head and bearing the weight of your body, but awareness of the action makes it a lot easier to attempt once you enter the position. Many yoga teachers will shun the idea of your shoulders rising up by the ears simply because it tends to be an unconscious pattern. Remember this pattern is not necessarily bad or good, it’s the unconscious part that is the problem. Another way to look at it is if we hold an equal and opposite pattern of elevated scapula then our shoulders would be balanced and relaxed. If you are someone whose shoulders rise toward your ears on a daily basis here are some things to consider.
    Your stress levels: If your shoulders are tensed up it could be an indication that your emotional body/nervous system is more often in the state of panic and your nervous system is sending signals to your muscles to hold tension because “something bad is going to happen.” There is no short answer for what to do but one-on-one coaching could help. I am happy to connect for a free Skype session to discuss some options with you.
    Strengthen the opposite muscles: In this case, do pull-ups and work on strengthening the muscles of depression.
    Strengthen to Release: It may sound strange but usually a muscle holding tension is not tense because it is strong, more likely because it is weak. Strengthening it can actually relax it. In this case, elevating your scapula will help strengthen the upper fibers of the trapezius muscles, and therefore could lead to releasing your neck tension!

    How to Strengthen

    There are multiple ways to strengthen the muscles that elevate the scapula and extend the elbow. In the video I offer a way to do so while approaching the pose. Dolphin pose (Down Dog on Forearms) is a great start for the more beginner practitioner. Check out the video and try the actions to feel it in your body. If you find it helpful and you are looking for more ways to strengthen your inversion practice Click Here to check out my top exercises for the arms, shoulders, wrists, and core!

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    1. Elevate Your Scapula

    Before going upside down and bearing weight, ensure that you have the range of motion in your shoulders to elevate your scapula with headstand arms – clasped fingers, bent elbows, arms overhead. Lift and lower your shoulders toward and away from your ears several times with your breath to awaken your trapezius and serratus anterior muscles. If this proves to be challenging it could be due to weakness in these muscles or tightness in the opposing muscles.  You could do some down dogs, or do the classic swimmers warm-up of windmilling one arm and then the other, backstroke is my preference. Also, check out the Handstand Training video for strength and mobility exercises for the shoulders.  

    3. Dolphin

    Take the next step by getting down into dolphin pose and working on elevating your scapula and depressing them a few times. It’s helpful to record yourself to see if you are accurately performing the action. This posture is great to work on tricep engagement. Press the outer wrists down into the ground until your feel the back of your arms tone up.

    2. Elbow Extension

    Extension of the elbow is seemingly easy when you look at it, and even when you do it without weight-bearing. However it’s not strength that usually stands in the way, but rather the ability to use the muscles for balance. This requires rapid reactivity, and the ability to feel when the body has fallen backward. The triceps in this type of headstand (less weight bearing on the neck) and forearm stand are equivalent to the fingers in a handstand, they are “the breaks” that stop you from falling. Try putting your forearm on a wall like a forearm plank, then push into the wall with the outer edge of your hand and wrist to activate the triceps. Increase the weight by walking your feet back and leaning your body more toward the wall.

    4. Tuck Headstand or Prep

    If you are confident in balancing a headstand you could then try these actions in a tuck headstand which keeps your center of gravity lower making it easier to maintain balance as you explore new techniques. Please use a wall or teacher for safety – elevating the scapula typically sends people overboard. If you aren’t yet balancing headstand, try the prep with feet on the ground shown above.

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    Neck Relief.

    There are two main reasons why elevating the scapula can help relieve the neck in a headstand. It can provide less compression on the cervical (neck) vertebrae, and it can allow for some of the stabilizer neck muscles to relax. That being said there can be benefits to strengthening the stabilizers of the neck, so doing a headstand with less elevation of the scapula isn’t inherently wrong or bad unless you are experience pain or discomfort when doing so.

    The approach to headstand relies heavily on the strength of the upper fibers of your trapezius muscles which tend to be tense but also weak in many people. The common question that arises is, “my shoulders are always up by my ears, shouldn’t I relax them?” Of course the answer is yes but there is a time and place for everything. Spend the majority of your day learning to let go of unconscious tension, and a small amount of time you spend in headstand, handstand, or forearm stand focusing on the intentional engagement of these muscles. A healthy trapezius is actually less likely to hold tension. More often than not we hold tension in muscles that we don’t have much awareness of. Tension in the way I am using the word right now is more likely the result of emotional stress than it is of too much strength or activity.

    Thank you for stopping by, I hope these tips help. If you have questions, requests, or something you would like to share about your headstand journey please submit a comment.

    -Matt

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