Sleep and especially night sleep is the best healer for the body, mind, and soul. However, when waking up from sleep, it’s possible to feel pain in the neck or shoulders sometime or frequently. This could be due to an unnatural angle in the neck or a head that strains and strains muscles, ligaments, and joints. Some kind of pain may be caused by stress and strain on the muscles. This includes tension headaches, weak arms, and pain in the neck and shoulders. While Although medication may temporarily relieve the pain, yoga can be a great healer for relieving neck and shoulder pain due to bad sleeping habits.
Right Posture: –
A person has two choices when it comes to sleep: sideways, or back. It uses a flat pillow is a good option to protect your head. To support the curves of the neck, a neck roll can be used. It avoids a stiff or too high-quality pillow. It can cause stiffness and pain when you wake up.
Here are some Poses to relieve neck & shoulder pain
1. Cat-Cow Pose: –
- Start on your hands and knees, aligning your wrists under the shoulders and knees under the hips.
- Begin on your hands and knees in table pose, with a neutral spine. As you inhale and move into cow pose, lift your sit bones upward, press your chest forward, and allow your belly to sink.
- Lift your head, relax your shoulders away from your ears, and gaze straight ahead.
- As you exhale, come into cat pose while rounding your spine outward, tucking in your tailbone, and drawing your pubic bone forward.
- Release your head toward the floor just don’t force your chin to your chest. Most importantly, just relax.
2. Sphinx Pose: –
- Lie on your stomach on the yoga mat and push your pubic bone towards the earth. Place your elbows directly underneath your shoulder blades.
- Press firmly into the legs. Press the tops of your feet onto the mat and engage your kneecaps and quadriceps.
- Lift the upper body. On an inhalation, press firmly into the palms of your hands and forearms and lift your upper body. Create space between your neck and shoulders and reach forward through the heart. Keep your gaze neutral and press yourself up to your comfort level.
- Breathe and hold. Breathe deeply and consistently, sending your breath to any part of your body that feels tight. Let your forearms support you and hold the pose for up to one minute. Focus on your alignment and breath quality rather than the depth of your backbend. After practicing the sphinx pose, you can move into a child’s pose to counter the backend.
3. Standing Forward Bend Pose: –
- Stand in mountain pose.
- Inhale while arms are raised.
- While exhaling, bend forward and pull your belly in.
- Let’s place your hand on the ground and head relax.
- Keep relaxing your neck.
- Hold the pose for a few seconds, remain in the same position, and then slowly release.
- This helps relieve tension in the neck and spine. Your spine will remain strong and flexible.
4. Child’s Pose: –
- Kneel on the floor or on a yoga mat and sit back on your heels with your arms at your sides.
- Slowly bend forward so your stomach touches your thighs. Try to keep your buttocks against your heels, but don’t stress if that’s not possible.
- Extend your hands out in front of you with your palms down and rest them on the mat or the floor.
- Relax your neck and let your forehead gently rest against the ground or mat.
- Allow your entire body to relax as you close your eyes and breathe. Stay in this pose for as long as you feel is necessary.
- Slowly return to the seated position.
5. Legs up the wall pose: –
- Lie on the back, near a wall.
- The wall should be touched by the buttocks
- Your legs should be against the wall. Place your arms along the sides.
- Keep your breathing steady for around a minute.
- It helps to relieve pain and relaxes the neck, shoulders, and back.
It is always a good idea to sleep on your side or back with support. Practicing yoga is also a good idea to exercise regularly in order to maintain flexibility and avoid cramping.
Namaste, Wishing You a Happy & Healthy Life