If you spend a large proportion of your day behind a desk, on your phone, or stressed, you’re probably looking for a speedy way to help release some tension.
If that sounds familiar then yoga expert Adriene Mishler who founded Yoga with Adriene has your back covered. She offers a 13-minute upper back & neck yoga stretch that works perfectly in the morning or during your lunch break or right after you close your laptop for the day.
“Release built-up tension and invite more ease into your body with this short and effective practice designed to support the upper back and neck,” Mishler says. According to the yogi, in today’s digital-obsessed era, so much stress collects in these areas, resulting in poor posture and often leaving our bodies tight, sore, or fatigued. To help combat this, Mishler says: “This session offers mindful movements and gentle stretches to improve mobility, restore alignment, and create a sense of spaciousness through the upper spine, shoulders, and neck.” So grab a yoga mat, yoga block, and/or blanket and enjoy these 13 minutes of relief.
As is the case with most of Mishler’s workouts, you’ll start this yoga session by sitting in a comfortable cross-legged position on your mat. A few inhales and exhales later, you’ll then take your upper body through a circular motion, remembering to round through the spine and draw your chin to your chest as you lean back and arch your back and spine as you circle forward.
Next up is a gentle neck stretch that you complete by dropping your right ear to your right shoulder & then repeating on the other side. Once you are warm Mischer encourages you to get into a tabletop position to gently move into some cat-cow stretches. The idea with this classic pose is to dip your belly button toward the floor & tilt your chin toward the ceiling to create a soft arch in your back for the cow pose. You then need to reverse the movement by arching your upper back toward the ceiling and tucking your chin toward your chest for the cat pose. Doing this can help you boost your upper body flexibility and strengthen your back & spine. Mischler also includes a range of spinal twists in this 13-minute session with a super satisfying and slow thread-the-needle stretch and a raised arm twist. Of course it is a given that this workout will help with the flexibility of your upper body. But did you know that yoga is one of the best workouts you can do to lower your cortisol levels & reduce stress?
Research published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that yoga has an “effective” role in reducing stress. It can also improve mood, reduce anxiety, and depression. And, as seen with Mischler’s session, even 10 minutes of simple poses can make a noticeable difference.
You can try the 20-5-3 rule to help you feel closer to nature after work. Chris Hemsworth also has a simple 5-minute breathing exercise that works well for reducing stress at the end of a long day.
