Neck preparatory exercises for beginners

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Which asanas would help in lengthening and strengthening the neck muscles in preparation for sarvangasana and matsayasana? I have been to asana classes where both are taught from the very beginning and it can cause considerable neck tension. I have read that the bridge is useful for preparation, would love any suggestions/experiences.

Also sarvangasana with or without support under the shoulders? Again without support has caused tension in my neck but i notice many systems don’t mention support at all. :-o

#2

In reverse order of your asking…

What is required in the human body in order to do Sarvangasana flat on the floor is not present in most human beings. Therefore the pose is done with props levelized across the shoulders such that the 7th cervical vertebra is supported in the full pose.

Typically it is not the neck that needs to be addressed in preparation for the pose. It is the opening in the deltoids, rhomboids, and pectoralis major/minor. There are several ways of breaking down this work in asana but they are preps and not poses that you can google. Setu Bandha is a way of getting some of the benefits without much of the risk. I tend to use it as a substitute rather than a prep (for Sarvangasana).

Other poses that would be helpful would be:

Garudasana (in Virasana)
Gomukhasana " "
Parvatasana
Marjarasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Sarpasana
Bhujangasana
Virasana I & II
Trikonasana
Parsvokonasana
Parsvottanasana
Makarasana
Salabhasana

Gordon

#3

Thanks Gordon,
Very much appreciated.

#4

Another pose that is very helpful in aligning and strengthening the neck could be thought of as a combination between bridge pose and fish pose.

Lay on your back as if preparing for bridge. Bend your elbows and keep them on the ground as your fingers point straight up. Scoot your elbows as close to your body as you possibly can. Keeping the sides of your body long, draw your shoulder blades towards each other on your back, again as in bridge.

Rather than lifting your hips for bridge, keep your hips down and arch just your back away from the ground as you continue pressing your shoulders down. Lift your chin slightly away from your chest so that neither the front nor the back of the neck feel compressed. Press the back of your head into the ground in such a way that the neck muscles tone and your neck curves slightly away from the ground.

Hold this for several breaths and then relax. If it does not strain your neck, you may begin pressing more strongly into the back of your head. Your shoulders may lift off the ground, but continue the action of pressing them back down by using your elbows pressing down… Eventually, it may feel naturally to roll more weight towards the top of your head (like in fish pose). Please work toward this progressively to avoid straining your neck.

This pose is fantastic for improving posture as well and gentle enough in it’s beginning stages for almost anyone to do safely.

love,
mado

#5

you also can start with simple neck bends : back, forward, sides, but do it slowly exploring any tension and let try to work with the breath