How do I avoid hurting my neck with herniated disks while practing yoga?

Question:

(I am) not sure what to avoid doing to stay away from hurting my neck, I have three herniated disks, all this time of doing yoga was not good for it.  

Answer: 

It is not necessarily about what you do but it is often about how you approach it. With three herniated disks, you are going to want to avoid extreme movement of the neck and shoulder while at the same time, you are going to want to work on your general allignment to take stress off of the neck to be able to do a practice.

One thing to watch out for is never just drop your neck back in any pose. Take the time to lift the head off the shoulders slightly, push back a little bit as if pushing into an invisible hand behind your head, and thinking of opening and lifting the throat rather than dropping the neck back. These little adjustments make the potential of most standard poses much better for the body.

Discuss with your teacher the extent of your injuries, look at creating modifications, move more slowly, breathe more deeply, and listen to your body as you bring a heightened awareness to your yoga practice.