Roughly, a weight across your neck, shoulders, and upper back have been spilling out the stubborn feeling if you have been sitting at a desk or blankly staring at a screen all day.
The situation was as if I was only able to try one hair-splitting matter at that moment, thus, I decided to do a simple 10-minute yoga service courteously provided by Sarah Beth, the fashioner of the related video, on the YouTube platform. Not only did she come through with her promise to relieve upper body tension, but she also had some things in store for me. No extra equipment is required. Ten minutes, your body, and a yoga mat are all that you need
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I Just Needed 10 Minutes and a Mat Only
What is very good about this routine is its simplicity, it’s like a walk-in-the-park routine. It’s not the only virtue, the routine is also soothing and works for everyone, it is adaptable to all levels. You’re not working hard. You’re not swatting. You’re calming down…that’s the trick.
Sarah Beth conveys a series of static and gentle stretch exercises to the upper body along with a few details necessary for the sequence.
Body locality is the following of each section:
Neck Release: Decompressing the Upper Tension
This series starts with a few seated neck rolls and lateral neck stretches as an introduction that awakens the cervical spine and shoulder muscles in a gentle way.
Step-by-step:
- Neck Circles: Cross-legged, sit. Slowly turn your head in one direction, make a circle, reverse, and go back to the starting point.
- Side Neck Stretch: Put your right ear towards your right shoulder. Use the hand on the other side to stroke the floor gently. Hold for 20–30 Seconds and repeat on the other side of your neck.
What actually happened: I started to feel less pain and tightness at my head and jawbones. It turned out that I was carrying much more stress in my neck than I initially realized.
Shoulder Openers: Opening Up your Hunch-Widdled Shoulders
Then, the plan directs the tension from the shoulder blades and chest to the shoulder girdle and chest by unlocking the negative effects of slouching and cell phone use.
Step-by-step:
- Thread the Needle: From hands and knees, slip one arm underneath your body and place your shoulder and temple on the mat. Stay still and breathe for 25 seconds on the first and other sides.
- Puppy Pose: From all fours, move your hands forward, bring your chest closer to the floor but leave your buttocks high. Your forehead should be resting at the matt. Keep this position for 30 seconds.
What I felt: Instant length in my upper arms and chest. My shoulders opened up like never before — especially in puppy pose. It felt like unzipping a tension jacket I didn’t know I was wearing.
Upper Back: Restoring Space in the Spine
In this set, you align the spine in the thoracic region of the back — the main site of the back — where curving forward results in the emergence of the tension, which is the last step of slouching.
Step-by-step:
- Seated Twist: Sit with legs crossed. Twist to one side, placing one hand on your opposite knee and the other behind you. Hold, then switch.
- Chest Opener on Stomach: Lie on your belly, stretch your right arm to the side, then roll gently to your left, opening the chest and shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
What I felt: The gentle spinal twist helped unwind the tension that creeps in between my shoulder blades. The chest opener revealed how uneven my mobility is between my left and right sides.
I Found Relief in Stillness
A yoga flow is a bit different compared to other workouts as it has more pauses. These pauses offer the opportunity for you to experience the whole process of your body extending, to actually be there while the tightness appears and then goes away.
The poses I was holding made the imbalances in my body much easier to heart. That my left leg was tighter than my right was the main reason for the unpleasant feelings that I had not been bothering about all the time.
Only Ten Minutes Changed a Lot
Within just 10 minutes, the stiffness in my neck was relieved. My back straightened up. My neck and shoulders dropped. I was not even at my workplace yet, but already I felt considerably better.
It’s true that this method did not necessarily provide me with the ability to correct past wrongs of poor posture. However, it did give me something to control my posture daily and that’s a major benefit:
What Makes Me Continue With This Routine
The routine is brief. It doesn’t cost anything. And the output is very good.
Regular continuous stretching as such has been proven to result in the better range of motion, the prevention of injury, and the reduced back pain, and I fully understand it. Moreover, it’s my favorite restoration method after spending long hours in front of my PC or after a hard day.
Hence, if your back, neck, and shoulders have been asking for help, I definitely suggest you, and you don’t know, the result might come faster than you expect.
