5 Minute Yoga Sequence for a Sore Neck (Video) June 22, 2016 – Posted in: Uncategorized
I’m not going to lie . . . I spend a lot of time on my computer – way more than I’d like to. At the end of the day, I almost always have a sore neck and tightness in the upper body.
Sound familiar?
Thankfully yoga is a wonderful healer and through trial and error, I’ve found the easiest and quickest way for me to relieve neck tension. This sequence can be done absolutely anywhere, even sitting at your desk!
Whether you suffer from tension due to working at a computer, carrying small children or driving for long hours, I can almost guarantee you that these poses will provide you with some relief.
Grab your yoga mat, and let’s get started!
Start by sitting up tall in a way that supports your hips and low back. Drop your right ear towards your right shoulder and keep your chin slightly elevated. You will feel a slight pull on the left side of your neck. Breathe deeply in and out through your nose and hold here if the intensity is high enough.
If you’d like to go further into the pose, you can reach your left fingertips to the floor and use your right hand to lightly traction your ear further away from the shoulder. Soften your jaw and close the eyes, hold for a few deep breaths, and repeat on the other side.
From your first pose, simply tuck your chin down towards the chest and armpit to send the stretch further towards the back of the neck and top of the shoulder blades. Try not to let the shoulders lift up towards the ears – keep them firmly pressing down and try to stay relaxed in your arms.
It’s important to keep the spine nice and tall here, so no slouching! Hold for a few deep breaths before switching sides.
Interlace your fingers behind your back and bring your knuckles towards the left side of your waist. Press your right shoulder down and start to turn your head as you look over your left shoulder. You can play around with the angle of your chin to get different sensations, but my favorite way to do this is to keep the chin parallel to the floor. The further back you look, the deeper the sensation will be.
Be careful not to clench your jaw here, so try to stay relaxed and grounded. Take a few deep breaths before switching sides.
Interlace your fingers and extend the arms forward, pressing through the knuckles. Start to hollow out the belly, round the back and tuck your chin in towards your chest. Make the same shape with your spine that you would in Cat pose. Stretch the arms as far forward as you can to work into the shoulders, shoulder blades and triceps while releasing the back of the cervical spine.
Hold for a few breaths and come out of the pose slowly.
Interlace your fingers behind your lower back and arch your back by lifting the collarbones up towards the sky and slightly lifting the chin. Try not to pinch the back of your neck by looking up too high. Keep the arms engaged by squeezing your shoulder blades behind you. Make the same shape with your spine that you would do in Cow pose.
Focus on drawing the shoulders down and away from the ears to get the full benefit of the pose. Hold for a few breaths and come out of it slowly.
Repeat this sequence as often as you’d like and feel the tension slowly melt away. I like to do this once a day at my desk to give myself a bit of relief.
Want to watch these poses demonstrated in a video? Follow along with Kassandra as she guides you through each pose.
I truly hope you enjoyed this sequence and that it helps you heal your sore neck. I’d love to hear from you! Let me know what you thought of this sequence and if you have any questions, comments or concerns, leave them down below!
Much love,
Kassandra
Follow Kasandra on YouTube here: Yoga With Kassandra
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