1. Straighten up every morning

Regardless of the position you sleep in, chances are good that when you wake up in the morning, you will have a “crick” (or two) in your neck or back. Doing a few stretches will release any of the muscle tension that was created overnight.

But the most important thing you can do for your back first thing in the morning is to straighten up your spine. Imagine that you have a cord that goes through each of the vertebra of you spine and out the top of your head. Now think of a tug on this cord that will straighten out your back and lift your chest. Be sure your shoulders are relaxed and pressed down. Just hold this “line” for 5 to 10 seconds and become familiar with the way this feels. If you can maintain this posture for a while and return to it from time to time during the day, you will be on your way to relieving your back tension!

TIP: Do you take a shower in the morning? Then take a minute to straighten up as the warm water is releasing muscle tension!

TIP: Set your shaving or make-up mirror high, so that if your back is not fully extended, your face won’t be centered in the mirror. Or put a piece of colored tape on your bathroom mirror so you can check your height as you straighten up each morning!

Come back next week for more ways to relieve back tension! Or, as always, check out my website to learn about the Rolf Method.