Yoga In 60 Seconds ~ Neck Side Stretch
A Gentle Stretch For On The Go
If you get a tight neck or upper shoulders, then you will LOVE this gentle neck stretch. It can be done sitting or standing, whatever suits you in the moment so you can be a bit spontaneous! Be mindful not to pull on the head as you do it, the hand is there as a guide only.
Take the head to a natural stopping point that feels right for you and don’t force anything. It’s better to be gentle and allow the neck muscles to relax naturally. If you pull, the opposite will happen and the muscles will tighten up instead! This is a protective mechanism. Better, longer-lasting results can be achieved by taking a slower gentle approach to stretching.
Pause for 6 x cycles of natural breath on each side. That should take around 60 seconds but it can be held longer if time permits. Focus on what you can feel and not on pushing to go further, relax instead.
Try this every day this week or multiple times a day is even better if you tend to get tight around this area. Buddying this up with a spine mobilizing practice like the cat stretch will give you even better results. Getting the rest of the spine moving will integrate any changes that you’ve made. Any mindful movement is better than none so take the little wins if you can only put aside a minute or two to practice.
See if you notice any difference in how your neck and shoulders feel at the end of the week. If you’d like to see more easy neck stretches, keep following along here and on our social pages.
Let me know how you go!
