BENGALURU: Here are some neck loosening exercises:
Preparation: Warm up your body with a five-minute walk /jog. Loosen your arms and shoulders. Sit on the floor or on a chair with your back held upright. Keep the back of your neck straight and bring your chin in the neutral position – neither too raised nor too low. Finish a few relaxed breathing cycles.
1. Inhale at the neck neutral position and drop your chin to your chest to a slow count of 4. Exhale. Hold for 4 counts (breathe normal). Inhale and bring your chin up to the neutral level for 4 counts and take your chin up to face the ceiling for 4 slow counts. (Total 8 counts). Exhale. Look at the ceiling and hold for another 4 counts all the while breathing normal as you hold. After an inhalation move your chin slowly down to your chest (8 counts) and exhale. Witness all the tightness in the back of your neck dissolve. Feel relaxed.
Repeat the sequence for one round if required.
2. Place your neck in the neutral position. Inhale and drop your chin to your chest. Exhale and hold for 4 counts. Next inhale and move your chin across the collarbone and take the chin to the right shoulder. Your chin should make an attempt to touch the right shoulder. Exhale. Hold for 4 counts. Return the chin to the chest in the center. Inhale and move the chin to the left shoulder. Exhale and hold for 4 counts while breathing normal. This completes a half circle. Witness all the tightness on the side of your neck dissolve. Feel relaxed. Repeat the sequence for one round if required.
Contraindications: People who suffer from chronic spondylosis must get a go-ahead from their doctor before commencing yoga. If you have work/posture related neck pain you may not be able to perform the full range of motion of the neck but with practice the neck will slowly recover. Avoid making full circle with your neck when suffering from spondylosis.
3. Starting from the neck neutral position, inhale and bend your neck to the right so that your right ear touches (or almost touches) your right shoulder to a slow count of 4, exhale. Hold for 4 counts while breathing normal. Slowly release the neck, inhale as you return to the neutral position for 4 counts. Inhale again and bend your neck to the left so that your left ear touches (or almost touches) your left shoulder for a slow count of 4. Hold for 4 counts while breathing normal. Inhale as you return to the neutral position. Witness all the tightness on the side of your neck dissolve. Feel relaxed.
Anshu Vyas Seetharaman is a yoga and fitness trainer at Sri Aurobindo Society, Bengaluru Email: bodysculpting.yogatherapy@gmail.com