Hello and welcome.
My name is Rebecca.
If your neck is tight and stiff this video is for you.
Muscles develop chronic contraction or tension because they feel unsupported,
Unstable,
Or they're overall weak.
So I like to build neck strengthening exercises right into the yoga practice because I'm a yoga therapist and I love yoga that much.
Let's start out on hands and knees.
Hands under the shoulders,
Knees under your hips.
Stepping into plank pose.
And we'll hold here just to integrate the body and develop some muscle awareness.
Keep your head lifted.
It may almost feel like you're pulling your head up as you tuck your chin.
All right,
Take one good breath here in and out through the nose.
Breathe in.
And as you breathe out,
Lower down to your belly.
Inhale lift to cobra Turn your head,
Look over the right shoulder.
Exhale,
Back to center.
Lower down,
Touch the forehead down,
Slide the shoulder blades back.
Going to the left this time.
Inhale.
Lift up to cobra.
Turn your head.
Look over the left shoulder.
Back to center,
Exhale down.
Inhale,
Lift to Cobra.
Turn and look right.
Back to center.
Exhale down.
Inhale cobra Turn,
Look left.
Back to center.
Exhale down.
One more each side.
Inhale,
Lift.
Look right.
Center.
Exhale down.
Inhale,
Lift.
Look left.
Center,
Exhale down.
Push back to all fours.
And we'll push back to downward facing dog.
Hips up and back.
You can slightly bend the knees here.
If you need to,
So you can push through the shoulders.
Fingers wide,
Press evenly through the hands,
Through the bottom edge of your hand from your pinky.
Down the outer and lower edges of your hand and through the thumb.
Let your head go.
Take a breath here.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Step the right foot forward between your hands.
Bring the left heel down to the floor.
As you rise up Clasp your hands behind your head,
Coming into a warrior one.
Lift your elbows up.
Pull them out,
Shoulder blades down.
Use your head to push back into your hands.
Tuck the chin slightly.
Four more breaths.
Breathe in.
Breathe out two.
Breathe in.
Breathe out three.
Breathe in.
Breathe out four.
Breathe in.
Read out five.
Straighten the right leg,
Release your arms down.
Shrog out your shoulders a little bit.
Turn your hips.
We're coming into triangle pose.
Turn your hips toward the left slightly.
Draw the right hip back toward the back of the mat.
Slide your right hand down to your shin,
Or if you have a block,
Use a block.
Or bring your hand to the floor.
Left hand to the left hip,
Option one,
Option two.
Left hand up to the ceiling.
Maybe bring it back behind you.
And rest it in the small of your back or hold the inside of the right thigh.
From here,
Look down over the right fingertips.
Inhale,
Turn your head,
Look up to the ceiling.
Exhale,
Turn your head,
Look down over the right fingertips.
A few more.
Inhale,
Looking up.
Exhale,
Look down.
Inhale,
Look up.
Exhale down.
Inhale up.
Exhale down.
Inhale up.
Exhale down.
Inhale,
Come up.
Turn and face the left side of your mat.
Bring the toes in and the heels out.
Slide your hands down to your shins.
Maybe grab onto your ankles.
Maybe the big toes.
Let your head go here.
That's your neck release.
Breathe in.
Breathe out one.
Breathe in.
Breathe out too.
Breathe in.
Breathe out three.
Breathe in.
Breathe out four.
Breathe in.
Breathe out five.
Release the pose.
Turn the right foot back to the front.
Walk your hands around to either side of the right foot.
Step back to plank.
And come back down to hands and knees.
From here,
Reach the right arm forward,
Left leg up and back.
Lift your head.
Look up over the right thumb.
Exhale,
Lower down.
Switch sides.
Right leg back,
Left arm forward.
Lift your chin.
Look forward.
Exhale down.
Push back to down dog.
Take a deep breath here.
Breathe in.
And breathe out.
Step your left foot to the front,
Right heel down.
Clasp your hands behind your head.
Lift your elbows up.
Pull them open,
Slide the shoulder blades back and down.
Breathe in.
Breathe out one.
Push your head into your hands.
Breathe in.
Breathe out two.
Breathe in.
Breathe out three.
Breathe in.
Breathe out four.
Breathe in.
Breathe out five.
Inhale,
Come up,
Adjusting the hips and right foot for triangle pose.
Grab your block if you used one or just bring your hand to your shin or the floor.
On an exhale,
Draw the left hip back toward the back edge of the mat.
Place your left hand to your ankle,
A block,
Or the floor.
Right hand to your right hip.
Or up to the ceiling or tuck it behind you.
For a half bind.
Look down over the left fingertips as you pull the right shoulder back.
Inhale,
Turn your head,
Look up towards the ceiling.
Exhale,
Turn your head,
Look down over the left fingertips.
Inhale looking up Exhale down.
Inhale up.
Exhale down.
Inhale up.
Exhale down.
Inhale up.
Exhale down.
Inhale,
Come up.
And turn and face the right side of your mat.
You can do the same variation of wide-legged forward fold that we did last time,
Or you can clasp your hands behind your back or maybe use a strap.
Inhale,
Lift up.
Exhale.
Toes in heels out hinge at the hips coming into your wide legged forward fold hands up to the ceiling or back behind you,
Or perhaps doing the same version we did the first time.
Breathe in.
Breathe out one.
Breathe in.
Breathe out too.
Breathe in.
Breathe out three.
Breathe in.
Breathe out four.
Breathe in.
Breathe out five.
Release the pose.
Turn your left foot back towards the front.
Hands to the floor and either side of the left foot.
Step back to plank.
Come back down to hands and knees.
From here,
We'll come into Child's Pose to finish up.
You can keep your knees together or knees apart for this one.
Bring your forehead down to the floor.
You can extend your arms up towards the top of the mat if that feels good,
Or bring your hands down alongside your feet.
Five breaths here.
Breathe in.
Breathe out one.
Breathe in.
Breathe out too.
Breathe in.
Breathe out three.
Breathe in.
Breathe out four.
Breathe in.
And breathe out five.
Inhale and come up.
Thank you for practicing with me.
I hope this practice helps.
Be well,
And I'll see you on the next one.
