Follow the sun: Short yoga practice for happy neck

It is hard for me to believe that June is almost over. My last two weeks seem like a blur of planes, trains, hotels, yoga events and family visits. And there are no signs that things will slow down in the near future. I always feel that summers go by too quickly because of travel and outdoor activities, but these are also things that energize me and cheer me up. It seems that this sentiment is shared by many of my students and friends. To support us all in our summer adventures, I put together several short practices that are meant to relieve tension in key body areas, while also giving us a chance to celebrate nature and encourage positive mindset. I am calling this series Happy Body and will release those practices for your enjoyment throughout the summer.

The first installment in this series addresses neck stiffness that you get from staring at your device, dragging around heavy luggage, or any other activity that puts strain on your neck (for example, a student of mine recently got neck tension from talking to her neighbor at a sporting event). You can reach for this short 20-minute practice whenever you feel the tension building up, and the sooner you deal with it, the better. You can even do this practice when you are not particularly energetic, since all poses included here are done pretty close to the ground. The practice ends with Sunflower meditation that invites you to turn your face toward the light and absorb it into your body. Please give it a try and let me know how it feels. And I hope that you enjoy your summer!

Join Sequence Wiz to get this sequence and customize it to your liking. Choose your poses, enter the instructions and you are done! See it in action >

This practice has been added to Sequence Wiz home yoga practice app. You can find it under Physical body > Neck/upper back > Under 20 minutes. Learn more about the app >