All these take its toll on our neck and upper back muscles.

When we don’t use our neck and upper back muscles as much as they are meant to be used (Our ancestors spent most of their time hunting, walking, and gathering.), these muscles weaken and shorten. This shortening of the back muscles causes the muscles to tighten, allowing less blood to circulate. In time, this tightening manifests itself in pain and discomfort around the neck and upper back area.

The usual causes of neck and upper back pains are muscle strain from overuse, poor posture, and lack of or too much exercise.

For athletic people, neck and upper back pains from overuse and too much exercise may be a common discomfort they live through. But if left unchecked, this may lead to more serious injuries.

In most cases, however, pain in the neck and upper back results from awkward postures and poor work or study habits. If you position your head just a few centimeters the wrong way and sustain it, this may cause unbalanced stress on your muscles which always work in pairs. Needless to say, pain and soreness arise from stressing the muscles unduly.

So much unease can be avoided and so much time and resources can be maximized if you can assume a better posture, adopt a better working habit, and be more aware of the natural balances of your body.

Here, Yoga has much to offer. These are the Yoga Poses which can help you achieve toned Neck and Back Muscles, making them less susceptible to injuries. These poses will also help in the rehabilitation of chronic neck and upper back pain.

Easy Pose (Sukhasana) This is one of the classic Meditative Poses and is usually performed after doing the Corpse Pose. The Easy Pose helps in straightening the spine, slowing down metabolism, promoting inner tranquility, and keeping your mind still. Single Leg Raises This Yoga Pose is performed in order to prepare the body for other exercises. It benefits the legs, lower back muscles, and abdominal area. In practicing the Single Leg Raise, one leg is raised while the other one stays on the floor. Shoulder Stretches Shoulder Stretches are great in relieving stress and tension on your shoulders, as well as your entire upper back. Practice them daily for several weeks and notice the changes. Learn some basic stretches for the shoulders in this section. Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) The Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar is a Yoga Pose which limbers up the whole body in preparation for the Yoga Asanas. It is a graceful sequence of twelve Yoga positions performed as one continuous exercise. Learn how to practice Sun Salutation in this section. Half Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) If done properly, the Half Spinal Twist lengthens and strengthens the spine. It is also beneficial for your liver, kidneys, as well as adrenal glands. Practice this Yoga Pose under the supervision of a Yoga instructor. In this section, learn how to perform the Half Spinal Twist. Wind Relieving Pose (Pavanamuktasana) The term Pavanamuktasana comes from the Sanskrit word ‘pavana’ which means air or wind and ‘mukta’ which means freedom or release. The Wind Relieving Pose works mainly on the digestive system. specifically, it helps in eliminating excess gas in the stomach. Relaxation Pose The first step in Yoga practice is to learn how to relax your body and mind. In this section, know why relaxation is essential in practicing Yoga and learn how to do the Corpse Pose and other techniques for physical, mental, as well as spiritual relaxation.

Give these Yoga Poses a try. Adopt a moderate working habit and you may well be to a better posture, a better outlook, and a Neck and Upper Back pain-free life.

In this section, we present the technique of relaxation, that is an essential part of your yoga practice. There are three parts to proper relaxation – physical, mental and spiritual relaxation. To relax the body, you lie down in the Corpse Pose (see below) and first tense then relax each part of the body in turn, working from up your feet to your head. This alternate tensing then relaxing is necessary because it is only by knowing how tension feels that you can be sure that you have achieved relaxation. Then just as in normal life your mind instructs the muscles to tense and contract, you now use autosuggestion to send the muscles a message to relax. With practice you will gradually learn to use your subconscious mind to extend this control to the involuntary muscles of the heart, the digestive systems and other organs too.

The Corpse Pose

The Front Corpse Pose
Lie down on your front, legs slightly apart, toes touching, and allow your heels to fall out to the sides. Make a pillow with your hands. Lengthen the body, tense and relax the muscles. Feel your body sinking into the floor as you exhale. Use this pose after any asana performed on the abdomen (such as the Cobra or Bow), alternating on which side you place your head.

The Corpse Pose
Lie on your back, feel spread about 18 inches apart, and hands about 6 inches from your sides, palms up. Ease yourself into the pose, making sure the body is symmetrical. Let your thighs, knees and toes turn outward. Close your eyes and breathe deeply.

Abdominal Breathing

To check that you are breathing correctly, exhale and place your hands on your abdomen, fingers loosely interlocked.When you inhale, your abdomen should rise up, separating your hands.

The Corpse Pose or Savasana is the classic relaxation pose, practised before each, between asanas and in Final Relaxation (see furter below). It looks deceptively simple, but it is in fact one the most difficult asanas do well and one which changess and develops with practice. At the end of an asana session your Corpse Pose will be more complete than at the beginning because the other asanas will have progressively stretched and relaxed your muscles. When you first lie down, look to see that you are lying symetrically as symmetry provides proper space for all parts to relax. Now start to work in the pose. Rotate your legs in and out, then let them fall gently out to the sides. Do the same with your arms. Rotate the spine by turning your head from side to side to centre it. Then start stretching yourself out, as through someone were pulling your head away from your feet, your shoulders down and away from your neck, your legs down and away from your pelvis. Let gravity embrace you. Feel your weight pulling you deeper into relaxation, melting your body into the floor. Breathe deeply and slowly from the abdomen, riding up and down on the breath, sinking deeper with each exhalation. Feel how your abdomen swells and falls. Many physiological changes are taking places, reducing the body’s energy loss, removing stress, lowering your respiration and pulse rate, and resting the whole system. As you enter deep relaxation, you will feel your mind grow clear and detached.

Final Relaxation (Savasana)

Your yoga practice will help to be more in touch with your body, able to recognize tension and relaxation and thus to bring them under your conscious control. At the end of session of asanas, you should spend at least ten minutes in Final Relaxation. During this time, you relax each part of the body in turn. But in order to experience relaxation, you must first experience tension. Working up from the feet, as shown below, you first tense and lift each part, then drop (but don’t place) it down. Now let your mind travel throughout the body, commanding each part to relax. Let yourself go. Sink deep into the quiet pool of the mind. To bring your consciousness back to your body, gently move your fingers and toes, take a deep breath and as your exhale, sit up.

Feet and legs
Lift your right foot just an inch off the floor. Tense the leg, hold, then let it drop. Repeat on the other side.

Hands and Arms
Raise your right hand an inch off the floor. Make a fist, tense the arm, then let it drop. Repeat on the other side. Relax.

Buttocks
Clench your buttocks tightly together, lift the hips a little way off the floor and hold. Relax and drop them down

Chest
Tense and lift up the back and chest, keeping your hips and head on the floor. Relax and drop them down.

Shoulders
Lift your shoulders and hunch them up tight around your neck. Let them drop, relaxed. Now pull each arm, in turn, down alongside the body, and relax.

Head
Tuck in your chin slightly and roll the head gently from side to side. Find a comfortable position in the center for the head to lie, and then relax.

Autosuggestion

After practicing the sequence shown, visualize your body in your mind’s eye, and repeat this simple formula mentally: “I relax the toes, I relax the toes. The toes are relaxed. I relax the calves, I relax the calves. The calves are relaxed.” Continue on up the body, applying the formula to each part along the way – the stomach, lungs, heart, jaw, scalp, brain, and soon. Feel a wave of relaxation rising up your body as you guide your awareness through each part. Each time you inhale, feel a wave of Oxygen flowing down to your feet; each time you exhale, feel the tension flowing out of your body, leaving your mind like a deep, still lake, without a ripple. Now dive deep into the center of this lake, deep within yourself, and experience your true nature.

Source: www.cyberastro.com

	STEP 1: Lie on the Yoga Mat.
	STEP 2: Raise your left knee.
	STEP 3: Wrap your hands around your left knee.
	STEP 4: Raise your head towards your knee. Breathe, release. Repeat with the right leg. You can also do the rocking motion slowly with rhythm.

Remember that while practicing the Wind Relieving Pose, resist the tendency to raise the lower back or buttocks off the ground and try to keep the leg that is on the mat as straight as possible. Aside from releasing unwanted gases from the intestines and stomach, the exercise will also massage the abdominal organs and the rocking motion will get rid of the stiffness in your spine.

Source: http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/

	STEP 1: Kneel and sit on your feet with your heels pointing outward.
	STEP 2: Then sit to the right of your feet, as illustrated.
	STEP 3: Lift your left leg over your right, placing the foot against the outside of the right knee. Bring your right heel in close to your buttocks. Keep the spine erect.
	STEP 4: Stretch your arms out to the sides at shoulder level, and twist around to the left.
	STEP 5: Now bring the right arm down on the outside of the left knee and hold your left foot with your right hand, placing your left hand on the floor behind you. As you exhale, twist as far as possible to the left. Look over the left shoulder.

The Half-Spinal Twist or Ardha Matsyendrasana prepares the body for the full Yoga Posture. It is advisable to practice this pose under the supervision of a Yoga instructor.

Source: http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/

	STEP 1: Stand on your yoga mats and start with the Yoga Mountain Pose. Bring your palms together in prayer position. Exhale.
	STEP 2: As you inhale, raise your arms overhead, keeping your palms together.
	STEP 3: Exhale and then bend forward until your hands touch your feet.
	STEP 4: As you inhale, step the right leg back, arch back and lift your chin.
	STEP 5: Exhaling, step the left leg back into plank position. Keep your spine and legs in a straight line and support your weight on hands and feet.
	STEP 6: Retaining the breath, lower your knees, your chest and then your forehead, keeping your hips up and toes curled under.
	STEP 7: Inhaling, stretch forward and bend back. Keep your arms straight.
	STEP 8: Exhaling, curl your toes under, press down into your heels, and lift your hips.
	STEP 9: As you inhale, move your left leg back, with the top of the foot stretched out flat on the floor, and lift your chin.
	STEP 10: Exhale and then bend forward until your hands touch your feet.
	STEP 11: Inhaling, stretch your arms forward and over your head. Slowly bend backward from the waist.
	STEP 12: Exhaling, gently come back to Tadasana.

As with all other Yoga Exercises and poses, make sure to perform the Sun Salutation Pose correctly to achieve optimum results. To be safe, you can use yoga straps or your Yoga instructor for assistance so he or she will be able to tell you how to do it the right way.

This article was contributed by: www.cyberastro.com and www.movingintostillness.com.

In this series, one leg is raised while the other remains flat on the floor. At first you can push down with you hands to help lift your leg. Once your muscles are stronger, leave your hands palms up your sides. Keep both knees straight and press your lower back down to the floor to straighten the spine.

	STEP 1: Lie flat on your back, arms on your sides.
	STEP 2: As you inhale, raise the right leg as high as possible. Lower it as you exhale.
	STEP 3: Repeat with the left leg. Perform three times.
	STEP 4: As you inhale, raise the right leg then clasp it with both hands and pull it towards you, keeping your head down. Take a few breaths.
	STEP 5: Raise your chin to your shin and hold for one deep breath. Lower your head as you exhale. Take a few breaths.

This article was contributed by: www.cyberastro.com and www.movingintostillness.com.

1. Sit down on the floor or a Yoga Mat.
2. Cross your legs, placing your feet below your knees.
3. Clasp your hands around your knees.
4. Keep your head and body straight.

Beginners can try doing this pose with a thick cushion for added comfort.

Source: http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/