- Feel tightness in your shoulders
- Have a stiff feeling in your neck
- Sometimes have difficulty turning your head to look to the side
- Occasionally have numbness running down your arm
These are often aggravated by doing the following for long periods of time:
- Slouching at your desk, typing away on your computer or surfing the Internet
- Peering at the screen of your smart phone
As a result, a lot of tension accumulates in your neck and shoulders. This tension could sometimes cause headaches too.
Try the following sequence (it takes less than 5 minutes) during the day to release some of that tension. If you do this before going to bed, it might help you get better rest.
1. Pulled Apart [1 minute]
- Sit upright on the floor or in your chair.
- Inhale and raise both arms up from your sides to shoulder level.
- Relax your shoulders and roll your shoulders away from your ears.
- Stretch your arms out to the sides as much as you can. Imagine that your arms are being pulled to your left and right respectively.
- Spread your fingers wide.
- If you feel any tension in your arms or shoulders, gently focus your attention to that area where you feel the tension, consciously relaxing the area.
- Hold for up to 30 seconds, then slowly relax your arms and lower them.
2. Tilt-Shift [1 minute]
- If you're seated on the floor, when you lower your arms (with elbows straight) from #1, bring your arms low enough so that your fingertips are just touching the floor. Keep pointing your fingers.
- If you're seated in a chair, reach below and hold on to the seat of your chair from the side. Keep your chest wide and have your arms straight.
- Keep your face facing the front and your shoulders relaxed.
- Exhale and tilt your head to the right, bringing your right ear towards your right shoulder. Imagine that your head is really heavy so your ear is going closer and closer to your shoulder.
- Hold for up to 30 seconds, then bring your head back to the centre on an inhale.
- Repeat on the other side for the same duration.
3. Left-and-right [1 minute]
- Keep your arms and hands as in #2.
- As you exhale, keeping your chin level, turn your head to the right, as far as you can.
- Then, lower your chin and look down along your arm towards your fingertips.
- Hold for up to 30 seconds, then inhale, bring your head up (keep chin level to the floor) and turn to the front.
- Repeat on the other side for the same duration.
4. Up-and-down [1 minute]
- Keep your arms and hands as in #2.
- As you exhale, slowly drop your head to the back and look towards the ceiling.
- Hold for up to 30 seconds.
- Exhale and begin to look down by trying to bring your chin towards your chest. Keep your shoulders relax and your chest open.
- Hold for up to 30 seconds.
- Inhale, and bring your head up (chin level to the floor).
Let me know (in the comments) how you feel after trying out the sequence.
