If I like it and decide to continue, I'll pay just $16.95, and receive a full one-year subscription (9 issues in all), a 69% savings off the newsstand price! If for any reason I decide not to continue, I'll write "cancel" on the invoice and owe nothing.
Full Name:

Address 1:

Address 2:

City:
State:
Zip Code:
Email (required):

Your subscription includes 4 FREE downloadable booklets: Submit my order or click here to pay now and save $3!

Offer valid in US only.
Canadian subscriptions | International subscriptions

CLOSE WINDOW

Today's Daily Tip

Practice Patience

The goal of yoga is enlightenment . That's it. Yoga was originally developed to lead the practitioner to freedom from suffering ... (continued)

Print Print Comment Comment Add to Favorites
Log in to save to My Yoga Journal!
Add to Favorites
Bookmark Bookmark

On a Roll

Too busy for a massage? Grab some props and try these do-it-yourself tips from expert bodyworkers.

By Karen J. Ohlson

You're caught in the grinding maw of a stressful day and your neck and shoulders have morphed into a tight mass of tension. As your demanding boss or cranky child drones on and on, complaining, you find yourself drifting into your favorite fantasy. The one where you have an on-call bodyworker who's attractive, attentive, and available day or night, strong fingers kneading just the right spots to melt that aching tightness away ... A piercing yell from your boss or child yanks you back to reality, and you sigh as the fantasy fades.

As it happens, that dream isn't completely out of reach. When you don't have time or money for a massage or when your yoga practice doesn't penetrate certain tight knots, you can pick up a few props and follow these tips from expert bodyworkers. Here's what you need to know.

HEALING HEADACHES
If pounding headaches visit you all too often, it's time to learn how to tap into your craniosacral still point—a momentary cessation of the pulse of your cerebrospinal fluid that dissipates tension and pain. "It's great for headaches," says Ann Honigman, a chiropractor and craniosacral therapist in Berkeley, California. "It really helps you quiet the nervous system." The pros do this for clients with their hands, but you can do it for yourself by lying on an easy-to-make still point inducer.

WHAT YOU NEED Two tennis balls and a sock (stuff the balls in the sock and tie a knot at one end to hold them in place side by side), or a latex still point inducer ($15 from the Upledger Institute, at www.upledger.com or 800-233-5880).

WHAT TO DO Lie on your back on a comfortable surface with a pillow under your knees. Place the tennis balls or the inducer under your head, at the base of your skull (in line with the bottom of your ears, as viewed from the side). Rest your head on the inducer, close your eyes, and lie quietly for 10 to 20 minutes. When you're done, lift your head with one hand and slide the prop away with the other.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR Don't use the inducer if you're allergic to latex.

RELEASING A TIGHT BACK
Massage your own back? It may sound like a job for an acrobat, but it's much simpler than you'd think. A couple of easy-to-find props can help you open your chest, release tension in your spine, and even work those tight back muscles exactly where they ache.

WHAT YOU NEED A standard three-foot-long, six-inch-diameter foam roller like the one pictured on the front page or one of those swimming pool foam "noodles" rolled in a towel or folded sheet. For a deeper massage, you'll also need two tennis balls or racquetballs tied in a sock (see "Healing Headaches,") or a red Yamuna ball ($19.50 from www.yamunabodyrolling.com).

WHAT TO DO
CHEST OPENING Lie on the roller with your knees bent and your feet on the floor, so the roller extends along your spine from your sitting bones to the top of your head. You can either relax on the roller without moving (which opens your chest laterally) or roll gently from side to side to massage the muscles along your spine. Try it for at least 20 seconds or until your chest begins to relax and open.

Page 1 2 3

Print Print Comment Comment Add to Favorites
Log in to save to My Yoga Journal!
Add to Favorites
Bookmark Bookmark
Full Name
Address 1
Address 2
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Email (req):

Reader Comments

Rob

You can also release your back by using the two balls in a sock up against a door jamb. just lean against it, press your hands against the opposite door jamb and push. you can roll the sock up and down your spine, it will often release your vertebrae.

Emily S.

I could have written the other Emily's comment because I went through the same thing in physical therapy. The foam roll is not really the same as a rolled up yoga mat because it is a firm foam- it won't squish down under weight which is what my yoga mat would do. Instead you can gently rock side to side to get out all those knots by your shoulder blades. I love it and go through the trouble of moving it with me every time I move.

Caitlin

you can also just roll up your yoga mat and use that...

See All Comments »      Add a Comment »

Your Name:

Comment:

Join Yoga Journal's Benefits Plus

Liability insurance and benefits to support teachers and studios.

Learn More »

Enter to Win Great Prizes!

Enter to Win Great Prizes! Enter the latest Yoga Journal sweepstakes for your chance to win fabulous prizes!

Enter Now »
Get 2 FREE Trial Issues and 4 FREE GIFTS
Your subscription includes
Yoga for Neck & Shoulders • Yoga Remedies
Yoga for Headaches • Calm, Cool, Collected
YES! Please send me my FREE trial issues of Yoga Journal
and my 4 FREE downloadable Yoga Booklets.
Full Name:
City:
Address 1:
Zip Code:
State:
Address 2:
Email (required):
Free trial offer valid for US subscribers only. Canadian subscriptions | International subscriptions