Comments on: Did I Mention Shoulder Tension?

By: Pernilla

Pernilla — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:39:30 +0000

Splendid idea to put a sign on the computer with the word RELAX!!!
I will do that tomorrow! And also make more signs for my colleagues!
Thank you

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:44:48 +0000

Thanks for this insight, Jeff. I have trouble bringing my hands in prayer in utkatasana – perhaps it’s partly due to my posture during the work day. I am going to incorporate the shoulder rolls into my day and post a “RELAX!” reminder on my computer!

By: Hannah

Hannah — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:21:52 +0000

So many people don’t realize that should tension also changes how we breathe. Thanks for all the great tension releasing tips!

By: Mollie

Mollie — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 12:05:48 +0000

love the idea of posting reminders to relax in places you tend to bring the shoulders up to the ears, and hold them there without being aware of it!. thanks!

By: Jamie

Jamie — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 02:27:29 +0000

I have become quite aware of my tight trapezius muscle and all of the tension I carry in my shoulders. I try to be mindful of my posture and take frequent breaks from the computer…I keep hoping the tension will melt away eventually! I just got a pair of therapy balls, so I will try adding the Upper Back and Neck Series to my routine. Thanks!

By: Melissa

Melissa — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:16:41 +0000

I had a tremendous amount of tension in my neck and shoulders that was exacerbated by a neck injury I sustained skiing several years ago. The events leading to the fall caused a sudden extension of my head and when I hit the ground, I struck the back of my head and literally saw stars. I was very lucky. I couldn’t afford health insurance at the time, and was left to my own inexperienced devises to tend to my injury. I felt mostly embarrassed at first but then the next day, I was laying on my back and couldn’t lift my head out of bed. It was as if every anterior & posterior neck muscle had been….well, torn, for lack of a better description. I’ve found yoga, relaxation exercises, posture awareness, massage to be helpful but recently I started using the ytu therapy balls, and I’ve felt for the first time in a long time, that relief is a possibility and I no longer have to resign to ‘living with it’. It’s a slow painful process right now, but little by little, I feel the muscles starting to ‘forgive’ and some flexibility being restored.

By: Jen Zweibel

Jen Zweibel — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:09:15 +0000

I have had tension headaches for as long as I can remember. They generally start in my left shoulder and works its way up through my neck and into my head. Last night I used a yoga tune up ball to start to relive some of the tension i have in my shoulders. I woke up this morning with such relief. Such a small albeit a tiny bit painful exercise really did leave my shoulder feeling less tense.

By: Sylvia Alakusheva

Sylvia Alakusheva — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:22:03 +0000

I have struggled with chronic shoulder pain for years. Working a stressful job and sitting at a desk for the majority of my day, I know what shoulder tension really means! Although, I am a very active person and I practice Yoga 3-4 times a week, my upper back and shoulders always feel very lumpy and sore, especially after a long day at work. I do believe that stress accumulates in the shoulder area and according to Ayurveda, the tension we feel is built up lymphatic waste that needs to be drained out of the body through movement and massage. Practicing self-massage with the Yoga Tune Up therapy balls has worked great for me as I can give my body as much pressure as needed in a very localized way. Breathing through the diaphragm, or the so called belly breath, is also helpful for releasing upper back tension as it takes pressure off the shoulders while clavicle and chest breathing take the body into an ‘emergency’ mode and put more stress on the shoulders.

By: Emily Burritt

Emily Burritt — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:47:40 +0000

When I am stressed or cold, I flex my trapezius and levator scapulae muscles. When I wake up in the morning, I find my shoulders are elevated and I have to literally tell myself to depress them. It’s going to take time to reprogram these muscles to gain back my full range of motion. I’ve started working with YTU balls and will now add some shoulder rolls.

By: Jeffrey Wissler

Jeffrey Wissler — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:31:46 +0000

That sounds just like me, neck tension and shoulder pain. Definitely a problem I’m working on. I’m just getting to know my trapezius, levator scapulae, sternocleidomastoid, scalenes, and other muscles of the neck and shoulders. Now I just need to use my tune up balls to massage them out, and more importantly to relax my shoulders while I’m at my computer all day.