Positioning the Neck for Back Arches – Part 1 (Level Intermediate) – Salabhasana, Ustrasana, Adhomukha vrksasana

It is not uncommon to feel the strain in the neck while practicing back arches. This is not unexpected since the head and the neck are thrown back in many back arches.  The musculature around our neck is relatively delicate, and combined with the weight of the skull, this often becomes a pain-point.  While we may have to put up with some discomfort in the beginning, we can use this discomfort as a diagnostic tool to understand and adjust, and strengthen.  There are many parts of the body that can and should be addressed to relieve this discomfort.  This session is fairly simple –  it explores how the cervical area and the skull can be held in back arches, using ahdo mukha vrksasana (handstand) as a preparatory position. We work up to Salabhasana in this session.