YO GA

FOR
NEC K &
SHO ULDE R
PAIN
t h e ebo o k
 YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 1

table of contents relieve neck & shoulder pain

EBOOK BREAKDOWN

in 20 minutes
2

FORWARD HEAD POSTURE TEST 3

EXERCISES FOR NECK & SHOULDER SUPPORT

Seated Mountain Pose 5
Angel Wings with Circles
Ear to Shoulder Stretch
6
7 are you suffering from neck or shoulder pain?
Standing Stretch 8 While discomfort in these areas can be the result of injury, neck and shoulder
Standing Chest Opener 9
pain can also be caused by a physically demanding job or even from too much
CONTINUING TO HEAL 10 time spent at your desk.

RESOURCES 11
you might already know that office workers are especially at risk for develop-
ing neck and shoulder pain due to poor postural habits and stressful lifestyles. 1
what you might not know is that you dont have to live in pain.
symbols to know Long-lasting relief can come through the daily practice of good postural habits.
Practicing for twenty minutes a day is all thats necessary to reverse bad habits
Time needed and develop long-lasting relief. 2 3
You might have tried stretching your neck and shoulders yourself, but many
common neck and shoulder exercises only help temporarilyor worse, aggra-
Location
vate your symptoms. The following stretches have been safety tested and
selected by Yoga Internationals instructors.
Benefit(s)
1
Work related risk factors for neck, shoulder and arms complaints:
a cohort study among Dutch computer office workers. Read more here.
Teacher 2
Yoga for chronic neck pain: a pilot randomized controlled clinical trial. Read the study here.
3
The study of correlation between forward head posture and neck pain in Iranian office workers. Learn more here.

1
 YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 2

20 minutes or less
sitting and standing
at your desk or near a wall
neck - shoulder - back pain relief
improved posture
less neck stiffness
2
 YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 3

forward head posture test

Forward head posture overworks the muscles from the base of your skull down to
your shoulder blades. It also puts pressure on the nerves and blood vessels in
your arms, which can increase the risk of repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal
tunnel syndrome. People who position their head forward also tend to round their
shoulders. This can compromise your shoulder joint, leading to pain and inflam-
mation in your rotator cuff.

In addition, continual slumping compresses the lungs and internal organs, so its
not surprising that this rounded posture can interfere with proper breathing, circu-
lation, and digestion.

DO YOU KNOW whether or not you typically position your

head forward? Heres an easy way to test your posture:
Stand with your back and heels against a wall.
If the back of your head doesnt easily touch the wall, be at
increased risk for neck pain.

Create a routine to check your head posture during the day. Habitual yoga
practice will help you to improve your posture and maintain healthy alignment.

FORWARD HEAD POSTURE TEST 3

 YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 4

5for neckexercises
and shoulder support

4
 YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 5

3 minutes 1. seated mountain pose

or less In this well-aligned sitting posture, your head is balanced directly over your shoul-
der girdle. This relieves supporting muscles of the extra burden of holding it up
against gravity.
Releases tension
Sit tall with your feet planted firmly on the ground and your weight dropping
in your neck's down into the seat of your chair.
supporting muscles
From this place of grounding, extend the crown of
your head toward the sky, lengthening your spine.
Soften your shoulders away from your ears, and rest
your hands on your thighs. Be sure your
Carol Krucoff chin is parallel to the ground, neither tilted
up nor tucked in.
Yoga Therapist
Duke Integrative Medicine Imagine that you have a headlight in the
Durham, North Carolina
center of your chest at your sternum, and
Co-Director shine that light directly forward. Relax your
Therapeutic Yoga for Seniors face. With a soft gaze and smiling eyes,
Teacher Training look toward the horizon. Visualize yourself
Poses Addressed resting your head back against a supportive
Seated Mountain Pose
headrest.
Angel Wings with Circles
Ear-to-Shoulder Stretch

SEATED MOUNTAIN POSE 5

 YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 6

5 minutes 2. angel wings with circles

or less From seated mountain pose, extend your arms forward.
Bend your elbows and place your fingertips on your
shoulders.
Enhances
Inhale as you open your elbows out to the sides and
circulation in the draw your shoulder blades together in the back. Imag-
shoulders and ine that you have a nut on your spine and your shoulder
blades are moving together like a nutcracker to squeeze it.
upper back
On your exhalation, bring your elbows
forward and together as you feel your
Carol Krucoff shoulder blades sliding apart.
Continue for 3 to 6 breaths.
Then, with your arms again bent in front of
you, keeping your fingers resting lightly
on your shoulders, imagine that your
elbows are felt-tipped markers, and draw
large ovals in the air with them.
Keep your breath slow and easy as you circle in one direc-
tion for 3 to 5 breaths and then reverse direction for 3 to 5
more breaths.

ANGEL WINGS WITH CIRCLES 6

 YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 7

3 minutes 3. ear to shoulder stretch

or less Begin from seated mountain pose. Then, reach your arms
behind you and clasp your elbows with your opposite hands.
Next, release your right hand and place it on your right thigh,
Relieves muscles with your left hand holding your right arm just above the inside
involved with of your elbow. Inhale as you lengthen the crown of your head
rotating and toward the sky.

tilting your head Exhale and release your right ear down toward your right
shoulder, trying not to lift the shoulder toward the ear. Drop
your left shoulder down and breathe into the left side of
your neck. Stay here for several breaths; then on an
Carol Krucoff exhale, gently rotate your head so that your nose moves
toward your right shoulder.

Inhale and rotate your head the other way so that your
nose moves toward the sky.
Continue for a few breaths, synchronizing your move-
ments with your breath. Then relax, release your arms,
and let your head float back over the shoulder girdle,
crown lifting to the sky. Repeat on the other side.

EAR TO SHOULDER STRETCH 7

 YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 8

6 minutes 4. standing stretch

or less Stand next to a wall with your feet parallel and comfortably separated. Extend one arm
upward and place the fingertips of one hand on the wall at shoulder height. Place your
other hand on your hip.
Reduces deep
Cup your fingers so that only your fingertips touch the wall,
tightness in your and rotate your arm outward slightly so that your thumb (rath-
arms, shoulders, er than your index finger) points upward. Keep your shoulder
aligned with your hand and begin to lift and open your chest
and chest with your breath, rolling your collarbones back.
Now, twisting from your waist, turn just your upper body,

Doug Keller extending through your arm to the fingertips, as if the wall
were moving away from you. This stretch extends from
your chest and your armpit down through the entire
14 years practicing length of your inner arm to your thumb.
in Siddha Yoga ashrams
You may feel the stretch at any point along this line.
Intensive training in the It is a deep myofascial release that feels unlike
Iyengar and Anusara methods most muscle stretchesit may tingle, which indi-
cates a lengthening of the tougher fascial tissue.
Nearly 10 years teaching Breathe. The tingling is normal and fine, as long as it
experience in the U.S. and does not become a sharp localized pain.
abroad. This stretch reaches some of the deepest levels of
Learn two more stretches tension in your arm and shoulder and promotes circula-
for neck and shoulder pain tion in the entire area. Make sure to repeat on the second
by Doug here. side.

STANDING STRETCH 8
 YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 9

3 minutes 5. standing chest opener

or less Stand straight and tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Then simply clasp your hands behind your back. Draw your
shoulders back. Lift your chest up.
Straightens your
Your hands are resting on the back of your pelvis for now
posture and (not reaching back just yet).
alleviates lower Dont allow your body to tilt or arch. Keep your spine
neck discomfort straight. Lengthen up through the crown of your head.
Your pelvis should be at neutral and your low belly slightly
engaged.
Luke Take a few deep breaths in this position, filling up the area
Ketterhagen at the bottom of your ribcage.
You can raise your arms off your back for a deeper stretch.
Certified Yoga Teacher
Slowly lift your arms off your back while being mindful not to
by the Himalayan Institute
collapse your head or your pelvis.
Specializes in hatha, Use your core strength to lift your chest while still standing
meditation, diet and nutrition straight. Lift your arms as far from your back as is comfort-
able, while still maintaining a neutral pelvis, a long spine,
and the openness across the front of your chest and
shoulders.
See this exercise and two more
stretches for neck and shoulders Release. Then repeat the exercise a few more times.
demonstrated here.

STANDING CHEST OPENER 9

continuing to heal
YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 10

your neck and shoulders

Doing this routine once is not enough for profound change. You must con-
tinue to practice these stretches regularly.

for example, take a 15-second break to check your breathing and pos-
ture every hour. Taking fifteen seconds to analyze your breath and posture
will be worth it in the long run, as it will help you to develop healthy habits.

On your breaks, take the time to do a few of the above stretches, or devote
twenty minutes to stretching once you come home from work.

CONTINUING TO HEAL 10
more resources
YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 11

articles
A Simple Pose to Counter Tech Neck
Resolving Neck Tension
Understand and Prevent Shoulder Injuries

videos
Hang Loose: A Headstand Variation to Decompress the Neck
A Quick Practice to Reverse the Effects of Text Neck
Compassion Flow for Neck and Shoulders
Release Tension from Neck and Shoulders
A Shoulder Stretch to Combat Computer Posture
RESOURCES 11
 YOGA FOR NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN | EBOOK 12

join master teacher

aadil palkhivala
in his comprehensive workshop
Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain
in this course you'll learn
The origins of neck and shoulder pain
The anatomy of neck, back, and shoulder pain
The physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual facets of pain
How to establish healthy movement and practice habits
Specific yoga stretches for relieving tension in the neck, upper
back, and shoulder areas.

take the course here

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