by: Janet Kolish, Yoga Instructor

Stress and tension and lack of activity is always seen in the muscular of the body. Many experience tight and even painful areas most often in the cervical spine - neck, across the shoulders or discomfort in the lumbar spine - lower back. This section will be dealing with releasing the tightness and tension freeing up the muscular to receive relaxation in these particular areas. The breathing instruction for the neck rolls and shoulder rolls will be your choice according to your lung capabilities. Some may wish to use soft belly breathing while others may need the deep diaphragmatic breath using pursed lips on the exhalation.

Neck Rolls - Sit in a chair in a comfortable position. Begin soft belly breathing or the deep diaphragmatic breath. Close your eyes and very slowly and gently drop your head forward bringing chin toward chest (the entire body remains relaxed). Then roll your head toward your right shoulder, continue to roll the head back and continue rolling toward the left shoulder and finally return home bringing chin toward chest. Repeat 2 more times on the right side. When completed, from your starting position roll your head forward bringing chin toward chest and roll the head toward the left should, toward the back, continue rolling toward the right shoulder and return chin toward chest. Repeat 2 more times on the left side. Perform as many repetitions as you wish. The benefits will not only bring softness and relaxation to the neck, but it will increase flexibility along with strengthening the muscles in the neck.

Shoulder Rolls - Remain in your chair but scoot out a bit away from the back of the chair so that your shoulders and arms will have full range of movement. Connect with breathing once more. Then sitting in a straight position begin to lift the shoulders up toward the ears then lower the shoulders down and very gently move them toward the floor. Release and relax. Perform 2 more times. Then back to starting position, maintain relaxation throughout the body. Begin to roll the shoulders forward thinking about bringing them toward each other in front of the chest. The head will want to drop naturally and the upper back will also want to round out a bit. This is fine, allow it to happen. Repeat 2 more times. In starting position again, begin to roll your shoulders toward the back of your chair gently squeezing shoulder blades toward each other. The chest will expand here naturally. Release, relax and perform 2 more times.

Now begin to roll the shoulders forward toward the chest, then roll shoulders up toward the ears, roll shoulders all the way to the back bringing shoulder blades together and roll down toward the floor. Release, relax and perform 2 more times. Reverse the process by starting to roll the shoulders to the back gently squeezing shoulder blades together, up toward ears, forward bringing them toward each other in front of the chest and finally down. Repeat 2 more times. Release and relax. The benefits to shoulder rolls will be dynamic in terms of releasing tightness and tension in this part of our body. When we move and stretch muscles, we strengthen them as well, but our objective when working with neck and shoulder rolls is to create softness and relaxation to these areas.

Pelvic Tilts - Lie flat on the floor in a warm room with sufficient padding underneath you, such as carpeting, etc.

Bend your knees and place flat feet on the floor with feet about 12� apart and knees 12� apart. Bring your arms along side the body with the palms up (this allows the hands to be open and not gripping the floor). The entire body remains fully relaxed - the spine is straight and the back of the head is resting comfortably on the floor. Maintain that position throughout the movement. Here we will be working with the deep diaphragmatic breath. Begin by taking a deep breath in through the nose then as we exhale with pursed lips, gently bring your lumbar spine (the waist area) toward the floor. Once there, hold the position and continue breathing. Hold only as long as comfortable for you. Then release and return to starting position. Repeat 2 more times. As time goes on, you will be able to increase the hold longer.

The benefits are releasing tightness, tension or discomfort in the lower back , plus did you notice how your abdominal muscles had to contract to achieve this position. This is a very beginning movement to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Different groups of muscles are working to achieve different benefits all at the same time. Back muscles are relaxed while belly muscles are strengthening.

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