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Don’t try to stretch it out. Neck muscles sometimes spasm because they are overstretched!
Ouch, you can’t move your neck. What to do?
Stiff Neck Massage Tip:
- Put your neck and upper shoulder muscles on slack. To do this, lean on a counter or table. Shrug your shoulder towards your ear and slump your ear towards your shoulder. Now your shoulder/neck muscles are scrunched and if you touch them, they should be soft.
- Use the fingers of your opposite hand to move and manipulate these muscles, squeeze them between your fingers, squish and soften them. Even though there is less space in your neck/shoulder area than usual because of your shrugged position, you can effect some change in the muscles – without stretching them.
It usually takes a few days for a neck spasm to dissipate. While you wait – avoid testing and stretching it. But do try the gentle massage idea.
For the record, stretching your neck is okay, just not when you are experiencing a stiff neck from something like having “slept wrong”.
Next Blog: 3 Common Must Avoid Positions for Stiff Neck Sufferers
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The curve of the neck develops after birth as we lift our head up to look around us and for some milk to drink. This desire for sustenance and connection begins the development of our neck curve.
Throughout our life, we are constantly looking ahead – still searching for sustenance and connection with others. Our neck muscles tighten to support the head in its too far forward position.
Or conversely we flatten the curve of the neck in a military style attempt at good posture. Sometimes this can result in reversing the natural curve of the neck. That was my problem years ago – trying too hard to be straight!
A neutral curve of the neck should include:
- Soft, supple muscles between the skull and top vertebrae. (See my most recent blog – Bobble-Headed Bunny Move, to figure this).
- A natural curve that moves toward the Adam’s Apple
Glide gracefully like a swan.
*Thank you Joan Arnold and Tina Goldstein for the “neck option” photos
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Subway Series Photo Shoot: July 21, 2010
On any sweltering summer day, practicing yoga provides its own challenges. On an unusually hot Wednesday morning in late July, Gina and I descended into what one can only consider the least likely and most challenging environment to practice yoga—the NYC subway.
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AcroYogis, Deven Sisler and Sam Miller guided our workshop group through a very short, simple warm up. Their plank partnering taught us about holding our own weight and they shared the best standing core exercise ever – The Hollow Body! We all played around taking turns trying things out, with lots of assistance from Deven and Sam. When ithe workshop was over, the Sams and Deven took off into flight.
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This was originally posted by Jennifer on Hip Slope Mama (www.HipSlopeMama.blogspot.com).
Oh the joys of new Motherhood—so much excitement and so much caretaking to do for the new child. And if the new baby is not the first baby in the family, the other little ones still need our complete attention, not to mention the spouse that needs our attention as well. Whether we work either in or out of our homes, juggling it all can be quite a challenge. How are we supposed to fit in all the things we need to do – including our own fitness? (more…)
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This was originally posted by Jennifer on Hip Slope Mama (www.HipSlopeMama.blogspot.com).
Have you ever watched a dog get up from a nap and do a beautiful Downward Facing Dog followed by a graceful stretch into Upward Facing Dog? My dog Baxter, who is quite familiar with waking from naps, stretches his legs to the back like a dancer. (And when he gets wet he looks like he is wearing black spandex tights with his skinny legs all sleek and shiny.) (more…)
