How heavy is your head?
Well, the facts say, approximately 42 pounds!
If standing upright with the head lifted and chin parallel to the floor, it is 12 pounds (think of the weight of a bowling ball) on the cervical vertebrae. This is manageable.
With a slight forward tilt this weight increases to 32 pounds on the small vertebrae of the neck. And with a head jutting forward even more so, (you may know someone who leans forward like this) a whopping 42 pounds of load is placed on the neck!!
The spine naturally degenerates over time but this posture increases the degeneration dramatically. It shifts the way we stand and increases the load on the entire spine. The body must then compensate by adjusting the weight, to keep you from falling forward. Over time the curve of the spine changes, creating tension and pain. Muscles have to then work harder at the back of the neck and back, in order to hold the head up..
The vertebra can become misaligned and if bad enough can bulge, and press on a nerve, creating weakened muscles and radiating sensations and numbness.
Please take a look at the class and experience ways to lengthen and balance the neck region.
With this awareness, you can stay observant of sensations and nagging pain that many times is ignored. If you are in pain, be cautious, lengthening, and avoid looking up, hunching, compressing the back of the neck or moving the head forward and down. When practicing go slowly, take baby steps to make sure you understand intellectually and most importantly how your body understands as well and responds.
“The pain which is not yet come can and should be avoided”
Yoga Sutra of Patangali 2.6
This sequence includes:
Paschima Namaskarasana ( Reverse Prayer Pose )
Parsvottanasana ( Pyramid Pose )
Neck Lengthening with Rope
Inversion with Rope
Ardha Chandrasana ( Half Moon Pose )
Salamba Sarvangasana ( Shoulder Stand Pose )
Savasana ( Corpse Pose )