To do the Zen yoga Neck rolls, sit cross-legged on a yoga mat and keep your back erect. Ensure that your spine is not curved either to your right or to your left. You may place a yoga block underneath your buttocks to help you to sit with your back erect.
The yoga block under your buttocks, also helps you to sit in this posture for a longer duration, as it straightens your spine. Your` knees also touch the mat, as against the normal cross-legged position when the knees are slightly raised.
Place your arms on your knees and breathe slowly and deliberately. Inhale, and as you exhale, lower your chin to your chest and pause. Here you feel a stretch on the back of your neck. Pause at this position for between three to five breaths. Now rotate your neck towards you right and raise your nose up by curving your neck and inhale.
Rotate your head further up and face the ceiling. Pause at this stage. Now you feel a stretch at your throat, while the back of your neck is compressed. Turn your face towards your left and continue looking upwards. This movement mimics that when would be tracing the curve of a rainbow, or tracing a halo with the tip of your nose.
Do this movement slowly and close your eyes when you roll your head this way. This precaution is necessary to prevent you from feeling giddy. Do this rotation in the clockwise direction for some minutes, and then reverse the movement to do it in an anti-clockwise direction.
When you do this exercise, you not only nourish your throat and neck and increase the circulation of blood there, but also nourish your shoulders and upper back. It also helps to relax your facial muscles and your jaw, and opens up your neck. Doing this exercise from a young age can help you to build resistance to neck related ailments like spondylitis.
Do this exercise in the clockwise and anti-clockwise directions for between ten and fifteen breaths each and then relax. Fix your gaze at any point in front of you to relax better. This will help you to overcome any sensation of giddiness that you may experience after a session of the neck rolls.
As an additional precaution, those who suffer from any neck related ailment need to first consult their physician before proceeding to do this exercise.
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