Yoga poses for neck and shoulder tension

Workout Summary

• Time: 9 minutes
• Equipment: A set of blocks and a yoga mat.
• Instructions: Move through each mini flow, one after the next, and complete for the indicated amount of time/breaths.

Neck stretches

Part 1: Side-to-side stretch

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Part 2: Neck rolls

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1. Start in a kneeling position, with a block underneath your seat.
2. Lift your right arm, and place your hand over your left ear. Gently guide your head toward your hand. Draw your opposite arm toward the floor. Hold for a couple of breaths, then repeat on the opposite side.
3. Then, interlace fingers behind your head, and draw your elbows back. Allow your head to drop back, leaning into your hands. Hold for a couple of breaths.
4. As you exhale, draw your elbows in toward your ears, and drop your head forward. Hold here for a couple of breaths.
5. Then, combine the movements. Take your ear to the right side, through the middle, then to the left. Continue to create a semicircle with your head for a couple of breaths. Move to the next pose.

Child's Pose Spinal Waves

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1. Start in a child's pose position, with your knees wide, your hips sitting back, arms stretching forward, and your torso resting over your thighs.
2. Round your chin in toward your chest. Curl your tailbone under and roll forward into cat pose.
3. Allow your shoulders to go slightly past your wrist, drop the belly down, draw the shoulder blades back into cow pose.
4. Then draw your body all the way back into child's pose.
5. Continue flowing in one fluid movement, through each phase, for eight times total. Move on to the next pose.

Kneeling Arm Sweeps

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1. Come into a kneeling position on your shins.
2. Inhale to reach your arms up toward the ceiling.
3. Then, bend your elbows, stretch your chest, cactus open your arms behind your body, and gaze upward.
4. Then, move back to your starting position.
5. Repeat this flow eight times total. Continue to the next pose.

Cobra Pose Spinal Waves

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1. Come down onto your mat, and lie on your stomach. Press the tops of the feet on the floor. Allow your hands to come out nice and wide, point your elbows up, prop yourself up onto your fingertips.
2. Squeeze the glutes. Tuck your chin in toward your chest. Press your torso up off the ground in a fluid, wavelike motion, until your arms are straight.
3. Then reverse the movement and slowly come back down onto the ground.
4. Repeat for eight rounds total. Continue to the next pose.

Salabhasana

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1. Start on the mat, lying on your stomach. Lift your feet up slightly.
2. Then, lift your arms out in front of you (if you have a block, grab this in both hands).
3. Hold here for 8 to 10 breaths, or as long as you need.
4. Close out your practice with a child's pose.

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