Three Yoga Poses for Neck Pain

Due to stress and bad posture, the movements that we tend to perform in our daily actions can lead to annoying neck pain. Poor movements can be anything from sleeping or sitting badly. Thanks to certain yoga positions, we can relieve these discomforts in a relaxing and positive way.

Neck pain is becoming more and more common and this is due to our daily habits: we work a lot, we sleep very little and we spend hours looking at our phones. The good news is that thanks to certain yoga positions to fight neck pain we can make it disappear. Would you like to know which ones are they?

How are yoga poses used to beat neck pain?

Pains in the neck are much more frequent than you may think. Discomfort in the neck can be caused by sudden movements, a sedentary lifestyle or certain daily habits, such as looking down to check email or social networks on your phone.

If we add stress, economic problems, lack of rest and inadequate pillows, it is understandable that our necks hurt so much. When left untreated it can become a very painful chronic problem, accompanied by headaches, dizziness, tingling or numbness of the hands, weakening of the shoulders and arms.

The practice of yoga can be a good option to treat, and at the same time avoid, neck pain, among other benefits on a physical and emotional level. This millennial discipline gives us flexibility, strengthening of muscles and joints, tranquility and harmony.

Yoga will give you the serenity that you need in the busy life that you lead. In the classes there is no rush, there are no clocks and there are no problems. Everything is slow, thorough and balanced.

The three best yoga poses for neck pain

As a first step, you should identify what is causing the pain in your neck. It’s not always a habit, but sometimes it can be due to accumulating emotional tensions, things that you don’t talk about or unresolved problems.

Fear, mental blocks, injustice, and shame are all feelings and causes of neck pain, and they aren’t always talked about. Neck pain isn’t always as a result of spending eight hours in front of the computer.

Yoga poses can help you to relieve tensions, but it’s very important that you also work on what hurts you or overcomes you too. If you plan to do a class at home, we propose these three exercises to reduce neck pain:

1. Child’s pose

It’s one of the best-known poses and has dozens of benefits, such as fully stretching the back, shoulders, and neck. Begin by kneeling on the mat and slightly spreading the knees.

This position is extremely positive for relieving back pain, besides being very relaxing.
Breathe deeply while raising your arms (well extended) and descending the torso. The idea is that the hands touch the mat and that the head rests between the shoulders. If you can, rest your forehead on the ground. Take several deep breaths and close your eyes.

2. Sitting twisting pose

This position is also perfect for stretching the back and neck. You should sit down and cross your legs, raise your right leg and twist so that your foot is ‘stuck’ to the outside of your left thigh.

Hold the raised leg with the right arm. The right hand is supported on the mat. Slightly rotate the torso to the right, just like the head. It exerts some pressure with the left shoulder.

3. Cat pose

Thanks to this pose you can eliminate not only neck pain but also back pain. Stand facing down on the mat first, and then support the palms of your hands, knees, and insteps.

Arch your spine slightly at the same time as you inhale and bring your head back a little, opening your chest wide. After a few seconds, exhale the air and form an arc (contrary to the previous pose), that is, with the back ‘up’. Rest the chin on the neck. Repeat these movements several times, up and down.

If in addition to yoga, you can modify some habits and add others such as enjoying a massage every week, immersion baths or stretching in the office, you’ll see how, little by little, you can reduce your neck pain.