Tension Release! Beginners Workout 20 Minute Yoga for Neck Pain Relief | Shoulder & Neck Stretch

My name is Alex, and today we'll be doing a 20-minute yoga stretch that targets your neck and shoulders. We won't need any props, so let's get started. If you're not in a place where you can do this with me right now, please save to your watch later and join me whenever you can. We'll get started in Mountain Pose, and we'll take our feet about hip-width distance apart. We're going to start circling our arms, first backwards, starting to notice our breath. Maybe inhaling as our arms come up and exhaling as they go down. Maybe taking our arms slower at first and then a little faster and switching directions. Feeling the heat building in our shoulders a little slower and then a little faster. We'll put our arms down. We're going to take a shoulder stretch here on our left side. So bringing the left arm over and locking it with the right arm. Switching sides, pulling the right arm over and locking it with the left arm. Twisting, we'll come down onto all fours for some cat-cows. Taking the knees hip-width distance apart yet again. Inhale, cow, looking up, stretching the tailbone towards the sky. And exhale, cat, sinking the tailbone down to the ground and pressing through our palms and fingertips. Inhale, cow, looking up, extending the shoulders into the ground through the wrists, sinking the tailbone down to the ground once more. Maybe for this round, you want to take some wiggles, whatever feels good to you, your spine, your neck. Exhale, cat. We'll take a quick child's pose, stretching the fingertips towards the front of your mat and extending your elbows down to the ground. Pressing through the armpit, we'll walk our hands over to the right side. Maybe you want to take a bigger child's pose or stay where you are. And placing the left hand on top of the right. And placing the forehead on the ground. We'll hold here for a few breaths. Switching to the other side, coming back to center, and then walking the hands over to the left side. Placing the right hand on top of the left hand and forehead onto the ground. Breathing here to center. We'll set up for a puppy pose. So placing the knees closer together, maybe about two inches apart, and doing, walking the hands down the same way we did for child's pose. So this is like a bit of a more intense child's pose. Placing the forehead on the ground, extending the armpits to the ground, stretching the hands to the front of the mat, and breathing here. Inhale, we'll walk the hands back into all fours and we'll get moving. Inhale, yet again, taking the knees up into a plank and sending the hips back into downward dog. Feet about hips-width distance apart yet again, looking towards the navel. First downward dog of the day. Taking whatever variations feel best for you. We'll take the right leg up to the sky. Exhale, we'll bring it into the center, placing it down between our hands. Inhale, we'll bring the arms up for a crescent lunge. Breathing here for a few breaths. And then opening our left foot into warrior two, extending the arms over the legs and looking out towards Right fingertips, exhale, we'll take the left arm to the back of the calf, bringing the right arm up overhead and looking at the fingertips. Exhale, we'll cartwheel our hands back down to the ground and bring the left foot back in the plank, our right foot back in the plank. Exhale, we'll lower ourselves down to the ground, chaturanga, inhale for up dog, untuck the toes, sending the chest towards the sky, pressing into the hands. Exhale, come back into downward dog, sending the hips back, placing the feet about hip-width distance apart and looking towards the navel, taking the left leg up towards the sky, and exhale, bringing it to center and placing it between your hands. Inhale, taking the arms up into crescent lunge, breathing here for a few breaths. Open the back foot into warrior two, looking out over the left fingertips. Inhale, we'll place the right arm on the back of the calf and bring the left arm overhead, looking at the fingertips. And then cartwheeling our hands down to the ground and bringing the left foot back into plank. We'll hold our plank here for a few breaths, noticing how our breath has changed throughout this practice and how we're experiencing it now. Take a nice big inhale, exhale, lower down to the ground, chaturanga. Untuck the toes for up dog. Pressing through the hands, broadening the chest, and we'll sink our hips back into child's pose. You can take a nice closed child's pose or you can open up for an extended child's pose. Once again, grounding the armpits and extending the fingertips towards the front of the mat. We'll come on to our backs the way it cradles our tailbone. Lifting our hips off the ground. And supporting our lower back with our hands, we come into shoulder stands. Take your time to get comfortable in this position, maybe rocking back and forth or adjusting the way your elbows are placed on the ground. And once we come into position, we'll take a few breaths here. If you feel comfortable, we'll place the feet on the ground above the head for plow position. Hands still on the back for support. Flexing the feet and trying to keep the hips straight over the torso, feeling the stretch in the thighs. We'll bring our legs up, or cross them, and roll back into easy pose. We'll do some twists, inhale, we'll take the left arm on the outside of the right knee and the right arm behind us. Inhale we lengthen, exhale we twist. Inhale, we lengthen. Exhale, we twist and take that on the other side with the right arm comes on to the outside of the left knee and the left arm comes behind us. Inhale, we lengthen and exhale, we twist. Inhale, lengthen and exhale, twist. Coming back to center, we'll take one more pose in all fours. So coming back to all fours, inhale, we'll take the right arm up to the sky. And exhale, we'll thread it through the left arm, placing the shoulder down on the ground. You can leave your arm here, or you can take it behind your back, or above your head. Looking up towards the sky as much as possible, and pulling the shoulders away from each other. We'll come back to center. Extending the left arm up towards the sky, and threading it through the right arm. Placing the shoulder down on the ground. Taking your right arm behind your back, above your head, or leaving it beside your elbow. Of course, looking up towards the sky, pulling the shoulders away from each other. Come back onto all fours. Maybe take some wiggles, and we'll sit back and come onto our backs. We'll place the hands down on the ground, or face down on the ground. We'll place the hands face down on the ground and lift the hips high for bridge pose. I like to shimmy my shoulders under my back a little bit for an added intensity. Breathing here, pressing our feet and our palms into the ground. Pressing the head into the ground. Maybe you'd like to pulse, bringing the hips halfway down and then back up. Exhale, we'll bring the hips all the way back down to the ground. Placing the hands interlaced behind the nape of the neck, we'll pull our heads into our chest. Notice your breath here. Release your neck and bring your legs back down. We'll do a shavasana as our last final posture. Hands face up towards the sky. Gaze softens, our eyes close, and we relax. Noticing our breath. Not getting attached to any thoughts that cross our minds, just watching them pass. Notice the points of contact that you have to the ground. We'll roll over to one side and gently press ourselves up into our seated position. Namaste. Welcome to Yoga Plus, courses available from pupil to yogi. Sort by yoga, fitness, and instructors. Create your own routines. 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