The first two videos posted would have brought a keen awareness regarding the meticulous involvement of your upper back muscles.
To take the next step towards eliminating this debilitating condition, let us move up the ladder to the next practice of the series. Please note if you are experiencing any kind of strain on your neck, it is because your head was not appropriately aligned. Please focus on ensuring the alignment of head with the neck.
Hooked fingers front and back
Stretch#3 has an insert which shows specific movement of the scapula during the stretch. Make sure to follow that during your practice to fasten rehabilitation.
Resume the hooked fingers posture. The hand closer to your chest should be the one which was farther away at the culmination of the previous stretch.
- Spine upright in a neutral position
- Your hands in Ganesh Mudra – neither too close to your chest nor very far away from the body
- Keep your elbows and arms soft; chest broadened and spine tall; inhale, raise your hooked fingers towards the ceiling; arms and elbows remain soft
- Exhale, bring your hooked fingers, as much as possible, behind your head and towards the upper back. Inhale, take it back towards the ceiling; exhale and bring it in front of your chest to the original position. This completes round one. It may be difficult for some to take the hooked fingers down towards their upper back because of upper back stiffness. Do not strain too hard. Perform as per your comfort level.
Duration
- Perform this 3-5 times per day and gradually increase to 10 times a day. Hold each position for 10 seconds with normal breathing.
Precautions
- Make sure to perform this as slow as possible
- Do not allow the head to get out of alignment as this will lead to neck pain i.e. the position of the head should not shift at all throughout the practice.
During this movement, you are increasing the range of motion of the ball and socket joint, which gets restricted because of being constantly in one position. Further, the slouching position one assumes throughout the day leads to misalignment. With this practice, you are strengthening your arms and, at the same time, you are working on strengthening your shoulder blades as well as the trapezius muscles.
The video is also recommended for stiff shoulders, upper back weakness, firm breast etc. In fact, the hand gesture assumed in this is Ganesh Mudra and is beneficial for overcoming fear and instilling
self-confidence. Ganesh Mudra is connected with the ‘Fire’ element and, thereby, is instrumental in stimulating metabolism and digestion as well.
You can also add in your practice:
- Stretch#1 Elbows pulled apart
- Stretch#2 Elbows side to side with fingers hooked in
- Hands in and hands out
- Arms up and arms down
- Parvatasana
- Easing Cervical Spondylosis on the go
- How to perform cat & cow pose
Checkout my Yoga Videos on YouTube (Shammi’s Yogalaya)
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For any query, write to “Contact” on www.shammisyogalaya.com
Shammi Gupta, founder of Shammi’s Yogalaya holds an MA in Yoga Shastra, is a certified Yogic Therapist and Naturopath, has completed an Advanced Yoga Course and holds a Diploma in Yoga Education from Mumbai University. She is a certified trainer from American College of Sports Medicine and holds an MBA in HR & MBA in Finance from The University of Akron, Ohio, USA. She conducts Health Awareness Workshops for Corporate, Yogasana Workshops for Athletes and Yoga Therapy Workshops on different medical issues for patients. Among the celebrities Shammi trains are eminent personalities from the film and television industry and corporate world.