7 Stretches for the Neck and Shoulders (Beginner Friendly)

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Let's be honest, who isn't holding a bit (or a lot) of tension in their neck and shoulders right now?

This is a quick sequence that will help you find some opening and relief in this troublesome area.
Practice the deep stretches outlined below to be better prepared to take on the day.

You will want to have 2 blocks for the final pose. 

1. Seated Neck Stretch - Start in a comfortable seat. Roll the shoulders down and away from your ears. Lengthen the spine, close your eyes and find a steady breath. Drop your right ear towards your right shoulder. Crawl the left fingers out to the side. To further intensify, you might bring the right hand to the left temple to find a bit more space between ear and shoulder on this side. Slowly return to center and repeat on the other side. 

2. Thread the Needle - Come up to table top, with the hips over the knees and shoulders over wrists. Inhale your right arm up to the sky. As you exhale thread the arm underneath you, lowering down on to the right ear and right shoulder. You may want to extend the left arm out in front of you. Finding a stretch between the shoulder blades. Slide back in and switch sides. 

3. Downward Dog - From table top, walk the hands slightly forward. Tuck the toes under. Then lift the hips up and back. Emphasize the release through the neck here, letting the head be heavy. Maybe nodding the head up and down to release further. Roll the shoulders back and down. 

4. Humble Warrior - Kick your right leg up towards the sky. Step it forward between the palms. Have the feet slightly wider than hip width apart. Ground your left heel down, spinning the toes out slightly. Bend deep in to your right knee. Bring the hands back behind you, interlacing the fingers. As you exhale, dive down. Rest the chest on the thigh, or take it inside of the front leg. Relax the head down. Lift the knuckles up and towards the sky. Push in to the feet to lift back up after a few breaths here. 

5. Low Lunge with Bind - Bring your hands down to the floor. Lift your left heel, tuck the toes, and lower the knee down to the mat. Bend your left knee and kick the toes up. Reach your right hand back to grab hold of the foot. Push your foot back in to the palm. Let your head relax as you open up the shoulders.  Release the back foot after holding for a few breaths. 

6. Lunge with Eagle Arms - Lift the hands up off of the ground. Continue to melt the hips forward and down. Bring the arms out in front of you. Cross the right elbow under the left, binding the arms once or twice. Tuck chin to the biceps, pushing the forearms into one another. 

Release and repeat 4 through 6 on the other side.

7. Supported Fish Pose - Set the blocks up, with the first one to support lengthwise between the shoulder blades, and the second horizontal to support the head. Lower down on the blocks. Take your time to adjust and feel comfortable in this pose. Keep the legs bent, extended straight, or drop the knees out to the side for a hip opener. Relax the arms and the shoulders. Find a slow and steady breath as you hold this pose for 2 minutes or so.


Want more of these 10 minute morning yoga practices? Want to commit to 30 days in a row? Join the Morning Movement Challenge here!

These 7 poses come from day 4 of the Morning Yoga Challenge. Practice with me in the video below.




Namaste,
Kassandra

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