An Albatross Around Your Neck?
Updated: Nov 10, 2020
So lets talk neck pain!
Where it comes from and what you can do to relieve some of the symptoms. If you are suffering from neck pain there is normally a simple and fixable reason for it.
Anatomically speaking one of the main causes of neck pain is our posture. Take a moment to stand in front of the mirror, with a non judging eye take a good look at yourself. Paying careful attention to the shoulders and the position of your head. Are your shoulders at the same level? Or is one higher than the other? Do your shoulders round forward? Or are they up by your ears? Take a moment to notice to position of your head, does it tilt to one side? Does it come forward or back? If tension in the neck is caused by posture you might be able to see where the problem is.
And if you can see where the problem is you are more able to treat it, for example; if you tilt your head to the left side you are shorting the muscles on the left side of the neck and lengthening the muscles on the right side. If this is the case it might benefit you to try and sleep on the right side with only one pillow to counter the shortening of the left muscles. If your shoulders round forward this could mean that either the muscles in the chest are tight or the muscles in the upper back are weak. This could be causes by a number or things but is commonly caused by slouching. It's worth considering strengthening the muscles of the upper back as this is a sign of weakness in those muscles and at the same time stretching the muscles of the chest. This could be done by simply interlacing the fingers behind the back and then lengthening the arms away from you. These are just some examples of how we can work on our posture and help decrease symptoms.
The other thing to consider when talking about neck pain is our subtle anatomy. Neck pain is related to our 5th Chakra better known as our throat chakra or Vishuddha. The 5th chakra is located at the back or the neck near the medulla oblongata and is said to give us the power to express ourselves. When this subtle energy gets blocked it could cause a number of symptoms including pain. So, for example; if you have not been able to speak your mind, If you often say yes when you want to say no, if you supress expressing yourself for fear or risk of shame or embarrassment. You probably have a blockage of your 5th chakra.
It is also said that the throat is a path way between the head and the heart, and if your logical and emotional self are not in harmony then this can also cause the throat chakra to be out of balance. If you are not trusting your gut or your heart is telling you to go in a different direction to your head, ignoring the problem as we are al guilty or doing, over time can lead to pain in the neck and the shoulders. Ever heard the phrase 'she has the weight of the world on her shoulders' with time this can be can be seen in physical attributes.
The good news is we can work on realigning the 5th chakra and just like with the physical it's simple to do. Firstly You need to take some time and figure out what the problem is, for me I was a yes girl. I couldn't help but say yes no matter how much it might put me out, no matter how much it would affect my day or my week. The simple answer if you asked me for my soul would have been, YES! I suffered with severe neck pain for many years, debilitating neck pain, and it seemed as though nothing I tried worked. Even after my accident, after I had been practising yoga for years, after my body was recovering. I still felt pain, many doctors told me it was all in my head, others said to try steroid injection or heavy pain killers like tramadol.
Nothing I tried worked!
Until I started CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) Ill tell you more on this as I continue to build this site. During the CBT I was asked to start saying no, I was told that it was ok to say no if it is not mutually beneficial and I should start small and work up to the bigger things. So of course to start with I took one step forward and two back, then eventually with persistence and determination I finally got the hang of it. And as though by magic or by some crazy coincidence the pain in my neck started to subside. There were other key points about my conscious self that I had to change too but that's a story for another time.
Now I don't know what exactly has brought you to this blog or if you've ever consider your aches or pains to be related to your subtle anatomy but if you are open to the idea I would start with a meditation or yoga nidra, These are tools we can use to dive deeper in to our subconscious and get a better idea of how we are dealing with life. If you have never tried meditation before don't be surprised if you don't get the result you are hoping for first time. It takes practise to silence the mind and allow yourself space to develop and grow. But meditation is a great tool and a great starting place.
You can also try singing or chanting for blockages of the throat chakra I placed a link below to great chant that I personally enjoy.
Or you could try diffusing Ylang Ylang or Blue Chamomile. Those oils are said to be related to the throat chakra and can help to revitalise and strength your sense of self. Keeping a journal and writing down anything you need to get off your chest or working with positive reinforcements.
Affirmations such as; I listen to the truth of others, I share my truth honestly. Or, I express my love each time I speak. Or one that I find personally resonates with me is 'I learn to listen to myself and trust me inner voice' these can be used in every day life or added in to your yoga practise.
Of course what ever you chose to try we can work on the physical symptoms and offer some release with simple and short practises. If you are new to yoga or a fully pledged yogi the classes on my neck release channel are designed to work on to specific problems. I have placed some links at the bottom of this blog, so feel free to check them out. They include equipment you might need and links to different parts of my site, and see if any of it resonates with you!
And as always
Much love
Zoe
x
link's
Tune To The Sacred With In -
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil - https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/zoeosborne/area/shop-online/category/essential-oils/product/2236/chamomile-roman-essential-oil-10ml/
Chamomile -
Yoga Mat - Blocks - Meditation Pillows & More
https://www.myholisticjournal.com/shop
Neck Release Channel
https://www.myholisticjournal.com/holistic-therapies