Healing Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain Book

Foreword ix

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction: Healing “Pain in the Neck”—and Shoulders, Upper Back, Jaw, & Head, Too 1

Chapter 1 The Science of Neck Pain & How Yoga Can Help 5

Chapter 2 The Inside Story: Anatomy, Posture, & Pain 25

Chapter 3 The Emotional Connection: The Role of Stress & the Energetic Body in Neck & Shoulder Pain 41

Chapter 4 Putting Your Head On Straight: Posture Guidelines for Daily Life 57

Chacter 5 Healing Yoga Practice to Prevent & Relieve Neck & Shoulder Pain 71

1 Centering 83

2 Breath Awareness 84

3 Body Scan 85

4 Exhaling Tension 85

5 Deep Abdominal Breath 86

6 Neck Release 88

7 Neck Stretch 89

8 Upper Back and Shoulder Stretch 90

9 Single-Knee-to-Chest Pose with Ankle Circles 92

10 Leg Stretch 93

11 Both-Knees-to-Chest Pose 94

12 Cat Pose and Dog Tilt 96

13 Spinal Balance 98

14 Child's Pose 100

15 Mountain Pose 102

16 Standing Salutation 104

17 Mountain Pose Variation—Arm Up/Head Turn 106

18 Tree Pose 108

19 Puppy Dog 110

20 Gentle Twist 111

21 Seated Mountain Pose 112

22 Shoulder Shrugs 114

23 Shoulder Clock 116

24 Hug Arms 118

25 Angel Wings 120

26 Angel-Wing Circles 121

27 Seated Back Bend 122

28 Head Turn 123

29 Ear to Shoulder 124

30 Bobblehead 126

31 Wrist, Arm, and Side Stretch 126

32 Cow's-Face Arms 128

33 Lion's Face 129

34 Crocodile Pose 130

35 Modified Locust Pose 131

36 Baby Cobra 132

37 Bridge Pose 134

38 Savasana 136

Chapter 6 Neck Check: Eight Essential Self-Care Strategies for Lasting Relief 141

Resources 151

References 157