How to Protect the Neck During the Urdhva Mukha Svanasana Pose in Yoga
- 1). Begin with a simple range of motion exercise in Tadasana, or mountain pose. Stand with the feet hips-width distance, arms by your side, palms facing forward. Looking forward as if you were looking at the horizon at the beach, keep your chin level to the floor. Turn the head to the right as far as your neck allows and then look back forward and to the left and back to the center. Repeat 5 to 7 times. Rest.
- 2). Lengthen the muscles of the chest (pectorals), shoulders (deltoids) and upper back (latissisimus, trapezius and rhomboids) to support your neck in the final pose. Standing in Tadasana, lift the arms to the sides until your arms are at the height of your shoulders. Exhale, extend the arms overhead so the fingertips are pointing to the ceiling and your arms are perfectly straight. Lower the arms halfway down, pausing a moment before lowering the arms by your sides. Repeat 7 to 10 times. Rest.
- 3). Lie on the belly for a variation of Shalambasana to create strength in these same muscle groups and also long muscles that run on either side of the spine, erector spinae. Lying on your belly, bring your hands behind you, interlacing them. Anchor the tops of your feet on your mat, charging your legs energetically to extend the toes back straight. Inhale, peel the chest off the mat, pointing your chin towards your throat.
- 4). Draw the shoulder-heads back, widening the collarbones. Extend the chest forward as you highlight the inner thighs and draw them up towards the ceiling and draw your tailbone towards your heels. Remain remain for 5 to 8 breaths. Rest by stacking your hands under your face and resting your forehead on your hands.
- 5). Move to low cobra to build more endurance in these upper back muscles that tend to be weak if you sit a lot at a desk job. Place your hands flat by your side ribs so that each elbow is directly over its wrist. Hug your elbows to the sides. Using the same actions as in Shalambasana above, charge the legs, reaching them back as you lift the chest and draw the sternum forward. Remain for 5 to 8 breaths. Lower down and rest.
- 6). Progress into the final pose by placing your hands flat on your mat so that they are under your shoulders. Press into the palms to lift the chest, hips, and legs off the floor. As you work the hands by pressing them down into the floor, lift the chest and roll the shoulder-heads back. Charge the legs as you press all ten toes on the mat. Glance at your shoulders to see that they are still directly over your wrists.
- 7). Begin by looking forward at your imaginary horizon at the beach so your chin is level to the floor. If there is discomfort in the neck, lower your gaze (dristhi) to the floor so that the back of your neck is long and your chin is lowered towards, but not touching, the chest.
- 8). If the neck is pain-free, keeping the chest well lifted, slowly draw the chin in towards the throat until you have a small “double chin.” Pressing your hands firmly into the floor, slowly look up towards the ceiling. Do not let the chest sag or the legs rest on the floor. If you do not have the strength to keep your chest, hips and legs off the floor, do not look up. Instead, simply look forwards or towards the floor.
- 9). Exhale to move into Adho Mukha Svasana, or downward-facing dog, for 5 to 8 breaths. Press the hands into the floor as your draw the hips back. Rest by lowering the knees to the floor and sitting on your heels, forehead softly to the mat, arms by your sides in Balasana, or child’s pose.