Inner conflict, chaos, and a remedy for chronic neck tension

Conflicts are a part of life, whether external or internal. The frictions that are inevitable in life create conflicts between two people, groups of people, events, but most oftentimes than not, within ourselves. Sometimes, conflicts and frictions are necessary for growth, despite how uncomfortable they may be.

My last few weeks can only be described as...conflicted and chaotic.

Not so much that there are conflicts around me and in my relationships, but more of inner conflict and chaos.

Just when I feel like I have everything figured out, and longing for some stability and predictability, the ground underneath me moves again.

During these times of inner conflict and chaos, I lean more deeply into my yoga and meditation practices -- ones that allow me to go within, slow down, and nurture myself.

I do my best to mother myself the way mothers mother their little ones.

Despite how old you are, there is always going to be a part of you that stayed stuck as a little child, perhaps from unmet needs when you were young and/or traumatic incidences where you didn't get the chance to let your emotions process.

So, I lean into these slow, gentle, and restorative yoga practices to mother myself.

Like this one.

The head, being so heavy, can create a strenuous load for the neck if not aligned properly. With this practice, you give the neck an opportunity to fully release the strain, the constrictions, and the rigidity that it carries.

It's not so much of a "yoga" practice in what you would typically see in a yoga class, but more of a somatic practice that helps you map the physical tensions in your neck to certain suppressed emotional tensions.

Allowing, rather than forcing, the release

In my honest opinion, this practice is a better option if you're dealing with chronic neck pain and headaches.

Instead of “forcing” the muscles around the neck to release, as is the case for many conventional neck stretches that you see, this practice positions the neck and head in their neutral positions, which naturally allows for decompression of the neck.

It is also incredibly soothing for the nervous system, which further primes the head and neck to unravel the grips caused by anxiety, worry, overthinking, and stress.​

I'd love for you to try out the practice and let me know what you experience.

For more support

For more video practices like these where you can focus on just your practice without being swallowed up by YouTube, you can join my Sacred Nurture On-Demand Library, a virtual yoga studio with new recorded practices added each week!