You might think I like forward fold best because it’s got to be the simplest yoga pose there is. And you would be right.
But as with so many things, there is beauty in that simplicity. It literally cancels out some of the complexity in my life.
See, for years my husband’s teased me about my “stress recepticle” — a wandering spot on my body that absorbs tension, getting tighter and tighter until it literally hurts. Most often, that place has been my neck. Last year it resulted in a pinched nerve. (I thought it was a shoulder problem, but it turned out the pain was actually projecting from one of my vertebrae. Weird, right?)
So of all the things I’ve tried over the years to relieve the tension in my neck, it turns out that this simple forward fold works best. Even if I don’t do it properly, even if I don’t get my breathing right — though one nice thing about a super-easy pose is that it frees you up to focus on your breathing — it still does wonders to just fold over and let gravity gently stretch my neck out a bit.
90in9 
I make a forward right angle… LOL.
Naturally there’s a name for that, too, but I’ll be darned if I know what it is.
That’s the holy cow, Jim can touch his toes pose.
There is something that feels so good about this pose. And you’ve absolutely got it–yoga is about simplicity in the movement–that’s yoga mind! 🙂 I also find headstand releases my neck tension –and don’t be spooked–even getting your arms in position and putting your head down in between them without lifting up your legs to the sky can give you the benefit. You can do it against a wall and use that as support. Do it for a few months before trying to lift up your legs. (This is how I taught myself the headstand–it did take months). When you get comfy there let me know and I’ll tell you the next thing to do. 🙂
OK, Elizabeth, I’ll take your word on that, as your other suggestions always seem dead on. It’s hard to picture, but I do like the idea of doing the most basic entry-level step on that one and thinking, “Yep, I’m working on a head stand here…. ” 🙂
Here is more specifics. Kneel on the ground then grasp your elbow with your hands (that’s the distance apart–and I still do this every time), only then clasp your hands together. Put your head up against your hands. You’re still kneeling–so try lifting up your knees for 5 seconds while still keeping your toes on the ground. If you feel wobbly do it against the wall. Work up to 30 seconds. Actually by doing this you still get the benefit of headstand. I was frustrated and did this baby step method and it really works–really releases upper back tension for me. 🙂