POSES                              OF THE MONTH

NECK RELEASE SERIES

Lie on your back on the floor or your yoga mat.Place a bolster or rolled towel under your knees so your back relaxed                              and in a neutral position.

Throughout the exercises, both                              inhale and exhale through the nose.

Inhale to prepare.                              Exhaling, allow your head to roll gently to the left                              with the natural weight of gravity. Inhale to center,                              and as you exhale, allow your head to drop to the                              right side.

Repeat alternating                              5 x each side.

As you inhale, allow the head to slide back (keeping contact with                              the floor) so the chin moves up towards the ceiling,                              forehead back.

On the exhale, tuck the chin to the chest (head slides                              along the floor)

Repeat 5 x

Imagine a pencil on the tip of your nose. Begin drawing tiny circles                              on the ceiling above you, gradually increasing their                              size with each turn until you make wide circles, without                              any strain in the neck.

Then, keeping the circles wide, begin the circle in                              the opposite direction, spiralling in gradually until                              you make the tiniest circles. Then stop.

Then figure                              8 or infinity symbol on the ceiling in one direction                              5 x.

Then reverse to go in the other way 5x

Benefits

* Relaxing                              and calming
* Stretches and relieves the different muscles in                              the neck.
* The last 2 exercises connect the left and right                              brain functions.



HUNCHING AND GLIDING

Lying face down, take arrms                              out to the sides in a cactus position, with your elbows                              in line with your shoulders, forearms facing forward                              at a 90 degree angle, palm down.

As you inhale, hunch the shoulders                              towards the ears (it is a sliding motion
- they do not lift from the floor).

As you exhale, let the                              shoulders draw back down away from the ears.

Repeat 5 x

Then isolating, anchor the left shoulder as you hunch                              the right shoulder up toward the ear on the inhale.                              On the exhale, let it glide down again.

Then change sides, anchoring                              the right shoulder, shoulder as you hunch the left                              shoulder up toward the ear on the inhale. On the exhale,                              let it slide and glide back down again.

Firstly do 5 on one side,                              then 5 on the opposite side.

Observe which side is tighter                              or weaker. Do another 5 reps on that side.

SUPINE TWIST

Lie on your back with both                              legs extended, your arms straight out from your shoulders,                              palms facing down. Raise your right leg, bending the                              right knee and placing your foot onto the left knee.

Then                              slowly allow your right knee to drop ove to the left                              until the foot rests on the floor. Keep your shoulders                              grounded and turn your head to the right.

Take 10 relaxed breaths here.                              Come back up on the exhale. Then switch legs, repeating                              on the opposite side.

Benefits

* Activates the deep spinal rotators                              of the neck and spine
* Aids spinal stability and flexibility
* Alleviates backlower back pain
* Gentle side stretch


Contraindications

Groin, intercostal or spinal                              injuries, abdominal hernia or sacro-iliac joint problems. Although it is a gentle                              twist, avoid with severe lower back pain