sandeyeMy Routine: 3. My neck, shoulder and eye warm-up
October 17th 2007 17:01
The next part of my personal routine involves the neck, shoulders, and eyes. My neck usually makes some rather alarming noises when moving. I put this down to decades of living with extreme tension and stress, and also spinal degeneration and misalignment due to improper posture and exercise during youth. Most days it is only noisy, but sometimes I have to take my neck exercises very slowly and with far less enthusiasm, as I experience a stiffness that could easily lead to pain rather than gain.
If I am having a stiff-body day, or a little sore from excess gardening or a bad position during sleep, I may alternate legs at this point. Stretching both out in front, then changing the leg involved in Lotus to Easy pose, and vice versa. I have read approximately a half dozen different versions of how one should go about warming-up the neck, shoulders, and eyes. I have found what works best for myself due to trying them all out.
Slowly bending my neck forwards, I rest my chin on my chest. I generally do this in sync with an exhalation, resting it there until I inhale, which I do as I lift it upwards again. On the next out breath, I tip my head backwards, so that the reverse effect is felt, with the base of the head curling the spine in the neck region in the opposing stretch. This is repeated three to five times in total. More manuals recommend tilting backwards and then forwards, rather than forwards first; however, I find that my version works better for me as I have a lot of tension or stiffness in my neck region.
The next step is to turn to face as far left as you can, moving only your neck. You then turn back to center, and onwards to as far right as you can manage. This should also be done three to five times. Once again, I prefer to do this in sync with my breathing, though manuals rarely include breathing instructions with neck exercising. I find that continuing to focus on the breath throughout my entire routine works better for me than forgetting it during the warm-up stage and recalling it after.
Next, lower your chin, so that it rests upon your chest, and then fully circle your head, rolling it slowly around with only your neck moving. Do this three to five times clockwise, and three to five times anti-clockwise. I tend to take a full breath during each circle, pausing for a half-breath before the next.
Raising both shoulders as close to the ears as possible, holding for a half-breath, then lowering them again is the initial shoulder warm-up. This is done three to five times. An alternative is to raise, then bring the raised shoulder forwards and then backwards before dropping the shoulder. I personally decide how my neck and shoulders are feeling each day, and pick accordingly.
Still in the seated position, the next body part to be considered is the eyes. Holding the head still, raise the eyes, so that you are looking up to the ceiling, or into your eyebrows. Bring the gaze downwards, so that you are looking down beyond your nose, into your lap or chest. This step should be repeated three to five times. Then, turn the eyes alternatively as far left and right as they can stretch. Repeat this step three to five times, also. As usual, I will additionally focus on the breathing, inhaling as my eyes look up/left and exhaling as they look down/right. If I am extending my routine, I may take a full breath in each direction.
Now it is time to diagonally stretch the eye muscles. First, looking up/right and turning the sight down/left. Next, looking up/left and turning the gaze down/right. These stages should also be repeated three to five times each. Once again, I try to focus on breathing in time to the movement, although not many manuals mention to do so with the eye exercises.
Penultimately, starting by looking upwards, swing the eyes in a full circle motion, clockwise and then repeat anti-clockwise, three to five times each. This should be followed by holding a thumb or finger about a foot in front of your nose and focusing your gaze on it, then away from it into the distance - out through the window into the leaves of our Umbrella tree in my case. As usual, it should be repeated three to five times and I will also focus on keeping my breathing in sync, which I highly recommend.
Finally, rub your hands together briskly, generating warmth in the palms. Place the palms over your closed eyes. There is no need to press hard. This is done in order to rest your eyes after their workout. (This is a stage I often skip, as I find my hands get too warm, or remain cold.)
If I am having a stiff-body day, or a little sore from excess gardening or a bad position during sleep, I may alternate legs at this point. Stretching both out in front, then changing the leg involved in Lotus to Easy pose, and vice versa. I have read approximately a half dozen different versions of how one should go about warming-up the neck, shoulders, and eyes. I have found what works best for myself due to trying them all out.
Slowly bending my neck forwards, I rest my chin on my chest. I generally do this in sync with an exhalation, resting it there until I inhale, which I do as I lift it upwards again. On the next out breath, I tip my head backwards, so that the reverse effect is felt, with the base of the head curling the spine in the neck region in the opposing stretch. This is repeated three to five times in total. More manuals recommend tilting backwards and then forwards, rather than forwards first; however, I find that my version works better for me as I have a lot of tension or stiffness in my neck region.
The next step is to turn to face as far left as you can, moving only your neck. You then turn back to center, and onwards to as far right as you can manage. This should also be done three to five times. Once again, I prefer to do this in sync with my breathing, though manuals rarely include breathing instructions with neck exercising. I find that continuing to focus on the breath throughout my entire routine works better for me than forgetting it during the warm-up stage and recalling it after.
Next, lower your chin, so that it rests upon your chest, and then fully circle your head, rolling it slowly around with only your neck moving. Do this three to five times clockwise, and three to five times anti-clockwise. I tend to take a full breath during each circle, pausing for a half-breath before the next.
Raising both shoulders as close to the ears as possible, holding for a half-breath, then lowering them again is the initial shoulder warm-up. This is done three to five times. An alternative is to raise, then bring the raised shoulder forwards and then backwards before dropping the shoulder. I personally decide how my neck and shoulders are feeling each day, and pick accordingly.
Still in the seated position, the next body part to be considered is the eyes. Holding the head still, raise the eyes, so that you are looking up to the ceiling, or into your eyebrows. Bring the gaze downwards, so that you are looking down beyond your nose, into your lap or chest. This step should be repeated three to five times. Then, turn the eyes alternatively as far left and right as they can stretch. Repeat this step three to five times, also. As usual, I will additionally focus on the breathing, inhaling as my eyes look up/left and exhaling as they look down/right. If I am extending my routine, I may take a full breath in each direction.
Now it is time to diagonally stretch the eye muscles. First, looking up/right and turning the sight down/left. Next, looking up/left and turning the gaze down/right. These stages should also be repeated three to five times each. Once again, I try to focus on breathing in time to the movement, although not many manuals mention to do so with the eye exercises.
Penultimately, starting by looking upwards, swing the eyes in a full circle motion, clockwise and then repeat anti-clockwise, three to five times each. This should be followed by holding a thumb or finger about a foot in front of your nose and focusing your gaze on it, then away from it into the distance - out through the window into the leaves of our Umbrella tree in my case. As usual, it should be repeated three to five times and I will also focus on keeping my breathing in sync, which I highly recommend.
Finally, rub your hands together briskly, generating warmth in the palms. Place the palms over your closed eyes. There is no need to press hard. This is done in order to rest your eyes after their workout. (This is a stage I often skip, as I find my hands get too warm, or remain cold.)
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