There are quite a few yoga poses, which require you to put pressure on the body. Then, there is of course, the tilting of the head which can cause strain. Some teachers may also advise you to not drop your head backwards or avoid cervical extensions altogether. Now with such an exposure to yoga, any beginner will feel insecure about doing yoga involving the neck. However, the Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh gives you the right training, with meaningful cues, and without making you avoid any neck extensions.
Before, we discuss the tips which will make you feel safe during a yoga workout involving the neck, you should know how they benefit you.
How Do Neck Extensions Benefit You?
You must have practiced Bhujangasana, even as a beginner. When you tip the head back on a regular basis, it contributes to general neck mobility. Moreover, your neck flexors also get the stretch they so much deserve. As we all spend much of our time, looking in front and downwards, this stance is a welcome change.
Neck extensions are a part of healthy neck mobility, allowing the free flow of energy through the throat chakras which can enhance your communication. When you choose to enroll for the 300 hour Kundalini yoga teacher training Rishikesh, you get a thorough know-how of the chakras and energy flow systems, helping you to understand this well.
When do students or yoga practitioners hurt their neck the most? It is when they train under teachers, who do not have their basics right. So, the first lesson is not to push yourself too hard. Now, there is another side to it. Every movement is not right for everyone. Those with Spondylosis, must avoid neck extensions, as it can cause nerve pain. Neck injuries can also occur, when there is misalignment of any kind or a lack of awareness.
So, how do you get them right? Let us find that out now.
Tips For A Safe Yoga Workout Which Does Not Harm The Neck
You will learn about all these as the part of Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh. Follow these and enhance your yoga benefits.
1) Do a yogic warmup, which may include Sukshma Vyayam. This is one of the best practices, which should include hip rotations, arm rotations, wrist rotations, head, and neck rotations. Walking quickly also helps in mobilizing the area, so that you do not hurt yourself during neck-centric poses.
2) Change the outlook. This means that when you are attempting a head drop backwards, try lifting the chin. Or you could just focus on looking upwards. Additionally, according to the best teachers from schools like Kundalini Yoga Ashram, you can go for visualization. While doing head drops, you can imagine a cobra cradling your head from the back.
3) You can try out a neutral spine position, which can be achieved while standing or sitting straight. This position will make it easier to move the head backward. The best position for the chin is not too tilted upwards, nor tucked into the neck cavity.
4) Try concentrating on the retraction of the shoulders. When your shoulder blades are close to one another, you can take the neck back as much as possible, without hurting.
5) Try a prop. Many people think that using props can be shameful. However, it is not so. You can use a narrow bolster or a rolled up towel, right behind the neck for support. You can hold the two ends of the bolster or towel, and lift the head back up and down supporting it.
6) Slowing down a bit also helps, as yoga practice is not a completion. When you learn these minute intricacies in the 300 hour Kundalini yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, you get all the practice right.
7) Lastly, you must stretch the entire body regularly. This helps in eliminating stiffness.
Conclusion
Joining Kundalini Yoga Ashram can help you master the movements with the right perspective. The 300 hour Kundalini yoga teacher training in Rishikesh will help you to unearth many such tips concentrating on different parts of the body.
