Yoga for neck pain relief: A sure guide to living pain-free

The fast pace of life today creates stress and tension that takes a toll on our health - mental, physical and emotional.

The neck is the tender most part of the body. Lifestyle and professions revolving around technology require us to sit crouching before a television, laptop or desktop for long durations, causing strain in our neck muscles causing Cervicalgia, as neck pain is better known in medical terms. When the causes of neck pain are simple, why not the cure?

That’s the point! To do away with the ‘pain in the neck’, we bring to you Six Simple Steps (asanas or yoga postures) that are easy-to-do and won’t eat into your daily busy schedule. The best part of yoga is that it has been into existence for more than five thousand years and it’s still going strong.

Yoga Asanas for Neck Pain Relief

1. Balasana or Child Pose
2. Natrajasana or Reclining Twist
3. Marjari Asana or Cat Pose
4. Viparita Karani Asana or Legs-up-the-wall Pose
5. Utthita Trikonasana or Extended Triangle Pose
6. Savasana or Corpse Pose

Now let us see the simple step-by-step Yoga asanas that can relieve you of neck pain. Make sure you do them only after consulting your doctor, and, also, learn them only from a qualified Sri Sri Yoga teacher. Also, do only as much as your body is comfortable with.

1. Balasana or Child pose

• Sit on your heels. Resting your hips on the heels, bend forward, and lower your forehead to the floor.
• Keep your arms alongside your body with hands on the floor, palms facing up.
• Gently press your chest on your thighs and hold the position for a few minutes.
• Slowly come up to sit on your heels, uncurling vertebra by vertebra, and relax.

Benefits:

• Deeply relaxing for the back and
• Relieves constipation.
• Calms down the nervous system.

Avoid doing this asana:

• In case of serious back or knee injuries
• Pregnant women should avoid doing this pose.
• If you are suffering from or had recently suffered from diarrhea.

2. Natarajasana or Reclining Twist

• Lie on your back with arms horizontally stretched out by your side.
• Bend your knees and bring your feet close to your hips. The soles of the feet are fully on the ground.
• Swing the knees to the left until the left knee touches the ground. Turn the head to the right and look at your right palm.
• Shoulder blades must touch the ground. With each exhalation, relax deeper into the pose and observe the places where the body is feeling the stretch.
• After a few minutes, mirror the pose on the other side.
• This is also like the dancing pose of Shiva.​

Benefits:

• Releases stress and calms the mind
• Improves posture

Avoid doing this asana:

• Pregnant women should avoid doing this pose.

3. Marjariasana or Cat Stretch

• Come onto all fours. Become a table, your back forms the table top and your hands and feet form the legs of the table.
• Your knees are hip-width apart.
• Inhale, raise your chin and tilt your head back, push your navel down towards the floor and raise your tailbone.
• Take long, deep breaths.
• Exhale, drop your chin to your chest and arch your back up as much as you can.
• Hold this pose for a few seconds before you return to the initial table-like stage.
• Continue five or six rounds taking long deep breaths before you come out of this yoga posture.

Benefits of the Marjariasana

• Makes the spine flexible
• Strengthens wrists and shoulders
• Massages the digestive organs and improves digestion
• Tones the abdomen
• Relaxes the mind
• Improves blood circulation

Avoid doing Marjariasana

• If you have back or neck-related problems.

4. Viparita Karani Asana or Legs-up-the-wall pose

• Lie on your back close to a wall. Buttocks touching the wall. Lift your legs straight up against the wall.
• Feet are parallel to the ceiling and your legs are touching the wall.
• Rest with your arms next to the body with the palms facing upward.
• Take long deep breaths. Gradually come down, bringing the knees first. Then turn to your left and gently sit up.

Benefits of the Viparita Karani Asana

• Relieves mild backache and eases fatigue.
• Helps in avoiding cramps in the legs.

Avoid doing Viparita Karani Asana

• If you have back or neck-related problems.

5. Utthita Trikonasana or Extended Triangle Pose

• Come into standing position. Spread your legs as wide as you can.
• With your back straight, extend your hands sideward.
• Inhale and slowly bend towards the right side, with your right hand touching your ankle and your left hand directed upwards.
• Look at your left hand while you are in this posture.
• Take a few breathes, observe the body and mind settling down. Take a few breaths and gently lift your torso and come into a standing position.
• Now repeat the sequence on the left side of the body.

Benefits of the Utthita Trikonasana

• Relieves mild backache even during pregnancy
• Relieves stress.
• Spine is stretched.

Avoid doing Utthita Trikonasana

• If you have a heart condition.
• If you have a headache.
• If you have diarrhea
• If you have low blood pressure

6. Savasana or Corpse Pose

• Lie on your back and close your eyes, legs comfortably apart and let your feet and knees relax completely.
• Place arms alongside, palms facing upwards.
• Now take your attention to different body parts one by one. Begin with bringing your awareness to the right foot, move on to the right knee (as you complete one leg, move your attention on to the other leg), and so on, and slowly move upwards to your head, relaxing each and every part of the body.
• Keep breathing gently, deeply and allow your breath to relax you more and more.
• After about 10-20 minutes, keeping your eyes closed, slowly roll onto your right side.
• Lie in that position for a minute or so. Then, taking the support of your right hand, gently sit up.
• Take a few deep breaths. When you feel complete, gently open your eyes.

You can bid your neck pain goodbye by following these simple yoga poses and live a relaxed, stress-free life But, do remember, you need to do these with consistency and commitment to see results.

Yoga practice helps develop the body and mind bringing a lot of health benefits, but is not a substitute for medicine.

It is important to learn and practice yoga postures under the supervision of a trained Sri Sri Yoga teacher. All asanas have contraindications.

In case of any medical condition, practice yoga postures after consulting a doctor and a Sri Sri Yoga teacher.

Find an Sri Sri Yoga course at an Art of Living Centre near you.