Self Care: Stretching the Neck

If I had a nickle for every time I've heard, "I've got allot of tension in my neck and shoulders," I'd...well, I'd have allot of nickles, that's for sure. We store so much stress in our neck and upper shoulders, especially if we are heavy computer users (or work with our hands, or carry a child around allot, or...the list goes on and on.) It's really important to keep the neck muscles flexible. It not only feels good to stretch them, but it can help prevent or relieve neck pain and headaches caused by muscle tension.

Allot of times, you see people stretching their neck by rotating their head around in a circle, but this is not always the safest option. It can aggravate neck injuries, and as it's really easy to stretch too far with this method you could even create a new one.

When I stretch my neck, I like to imagine that my head is smack dab in the middle of a compass. North is right in front of me, east is my right shoulder, south behind me, and west my left shoulder. I usually sit in a chair with a low back, close my eyes and take a nice deep breath. As I exhale, I slowly let my chin drop towards my chest (towards north.) As my head lowers, I'm aware of the stretch in the back of my neck and I am conscious not to stretch to far. If I feel pain, I let up a bit. I take another breath and return my head to center with the exhalation. I then follow this process for the east point on the compass, bringing my right ear towards my right shoulder. I can feel the stretch on the left side of my neck and upper shoulder and I'm conscious not to let my right shoulder "help" by lifting up to touch my ear. I then take another breath and return to center. I repeat that for both the south and west points. If I'm feeling really tight, I'll incorporate the in between points (north & south east and north & south west) into the routine. To finish off, I'll slowly turn my head to look over each shoulder, making sure that my shoulders stay still, not coming forward to try to meet my chin half way.

So, they next time you find yourself imitating a scared turtle (head tucked down and shoulder up around your ears) you may find taking a few moments to stretch those neck muscles can help a bunch. Please listen to your inner guidance when stretching the neck, though. No over stretching, and don't push it if you feel any pain. When done correctly, a neck stretch is a great way to reduce allot of that stress tension we generate on such a regular basis. Hope it helps!

This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or disorder. Please consult your doctor if you have any questions about starting any exercise or stretching routine.

Self Care: It all starts with the breath

The breath is the most important stepping stone on the path to wellness. Learn to harness the power of the breath and you're on your way to creating a new you.


This may sound like an exaggeration, but just the simple act of taking a deep breath has an immediate effect on the body. A deep breath from the belly stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic is the opposite of sympathetic, or "flight or fight" reaction. Instead of getting the body ready to handle an emergency, it's the body's "all clear" signal. The heart rate slows down and digestion is stimulated, giving it the nick name "rest and digest."

"Ok," I hear you ask, "what does this mean to me?" Well, it means that you can consciously tell your body to relax, that every thing's going to be alright. You want to try it? Great! (Um, if you answered no, ignore that last bit...but keep reading, maybe you'll change you mind.)

The best way to take a deep breath is with your belly, or more precisely, your diaphragm. Place a hand on your belly and slowly inhale, pushing the hand out and away. Now relax and exhale slowly, feeling the tension drain out of your muscles and noticing how your hand moves back to the starting point. Once you've gotten the hang of it, you can drop the hand and take a few belly breaths when ever you feel the need to be calm. Remember to inhale and exhale slowly. We're trying to relax here, not huff and puff and...well, you get the picture, I'm sure.

So, try the belly breathing next time you feel tense. Just a few breaths should do the trick. And remember what they say, "Practice makes perfect." The more you concentrate on letting the tension just drain away, the easier it will become. The breath becomes the signal to let the body know that it's ok to relax now. Nifty, huh?

Here's another take on belly breathing from an organization that promotes it as a way to quell feelings of anxiety and panic. http://www.paniccure.com/Approaches/Meditation/Belly_Breathing.htm

This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or illness. I am in no way associated with paniccure.com. (The little cartoon on their Belly Breathing page is really cute, though. ;)

Self care and self promotion

I am currently house (and cat) sitting for a good friend while she is away at a month-long training conference. She's a yoga instructor at a local studio of the chain Dahn Yoga. I've discovered that when you house sit for a yoga instructor, there are tons of yoga books laying around all over the place. If you sit down in the evening to watch a little tv, they call to you from the bookshelf, "Oh, Merry...why sit there like a bump on a log when you could be stretching? Come on, you know you wanna..."

Ok, so maybe my friend's books really aren't physically talking, but they do have a bit of a siren song of their own. So, last week I broke down and started thumbing through them. She's mostly got Dahn publications, and they have some simple, easily understood instructions for stretching, qi gong, and their tai ci-like martial art, Dahn Mu Do. At least, my mind easily understands them. My body, on the other hand, keeps reminding me that since self care ceased to be a priority for me a while ago, if we are going to move and bend like we used to we're going to have to build up to it. Like allot of other people, self care just slipped to the background as life got busier and busier. But, just after about four days of taking about an hour in the morning and a half hour at night for stretching and strength training, I can see a difference in the way I move and even stand.

So, my next thought after "Hmm, I didn't realize my quads were so tight, " was, "I wonder how I can apply this to my business?" (This seems to be an increasingly common thought these days.) The answer that has bubbled to the top is, "Write a monthly newsletter about self care!" Not only will it be a self promotion, but it will keep my on target in my own journey of self care. Ya can't beat that with a stick.

So, over the next few days I'm going to be looking into how to incorporate a mailing list into my website. The design tool I'm using is pretty restrictive, so i may have to consider some other options. Wish me luck!