10 Nov 2019

Loosen up your upper back

Comments2

Tight shoulders and upper back muscles send a signal to your brain that something is not quite right and you need to be on guard. It has a snowballing effect on your physiology, putting you into sympathetic (fight-or-flight) state, making your breathing more shallow, and making you feel more defensive. This week try to do this simple movement meant to ease up tension in different parts of your trapezius muscle and mobilize your thoracic spine. Notice how it makes you feel physically and physiologically.

HOW TO: Begin in a comfortable seated position. Place your hands on the opposite shoulders, keep your elbows down, look forward. IN: Lengthen up through the top of your head. EX: Turn your upper body to the right as you keep looking forward. IN: Return to the center, lengthen upwards. EX: Turn your upper body to the left. Repeat 2-3 times on each side. Then do the same movement with your arms parallel to the ground (2-3x on each side). Then do the same movement with your arms raised up, hands on the opposite shoulders (2-3x on each side). Then relax your arms, close your eyes and observe your sensations.

If this simple maneuver doesn’t do enough to release your neck and upper back tension, try our new Yoga Series for Neck and Upper Back Tension.

This series features six videos and pdf handouts of yoga practices that progress from shorter, simpler ones toward longer, more advanced ones. You will also get a short bonus practice that focuses specifically on relieving eye strain. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SERIES >