Upper Back Strength for Neck Relief

If stretching your neck isn’t working, this is why.

This practice targets the real issue—lack of support through the upper back and shoulders. You’ll build strength where it matters, then layer in controlled mobility through therapeutic vinyasa yoga to reduce tension and improve posture.

Short, focused, and effective—designed to leave your neck feeling lighter and more supported in 20 minutes.
Strength first. Then mobility. Results you can feel. Do this practice more than once per week and watch your pain patterns transform into freedom.

Best for:
Neck tension, upper back tightness, poor posture

Style:
Therapeutic yoga, strength + mobility, slow and controlled

Transcript

This video is a short and sweet yoga practice that is designed to create more stability and mobility in your neck. That will help release neck tension and give you more freedom and comfort in your everyday movements. All right, If you have a stiff neck, This practice is for you. Let's get started. All right, Let's start out in plank pose. Hands under the shoulders. Extend your legs back. And we'll hold here. Nice and strong in the front side of the body. On an inhale. Turn your head and look over the right shoulder. Exhale back to center. Inhale, Turn your head, Look left. Exhale center. Inhale look right Exhale center. Inhale left. Exhale center. Inhale, Lift your chin and look upward. Keep the hips stable. Exhale, Bring your chin toward your chest. Come to neutral, Lower down to your belly. Bring your arms down alongside your hips. Palms facing up. Hands next here. Thighs, Feet together. Inhale, Lift your legs. Your chest. Look forward. Take a breath in. Exhale, Pull the shoulders back, Drop the forehead down to the mat. Inhale, Lift your head, Look up. Exhale, Forehead down to the mat. Three more. Inhale, Look up. Exhale down. Inhale up. Exhale down. Inhale up. Exhale down. Lower your chest and your feet, Hands to the floor next to your ribs. Inhale lift to a cobra thighs are still on the floor elbows are bent pressing down into the mat Exhale, Push back through hands and knees and come into child's pose. You can have knees together or knees apart. Sitting back on your heels. Bring your forehead down to the floor. Arms extend up overhead. From here, Slide your hands over to the right off the mat, Stretching the left side of the body, Left shoulder. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Come back to center and then walk your hands over to the left. Straighten the right arm. Stretch through the right shoulder. Breathe in. Breathe out one. Breathe in. Breathe out too. Breathe in. Breathe out three. Come back to center. Come up to all fours, Push back, Downward facing dog. Fingers wide, Draw through the lower belly. Let your heels reach down to the floor. Let your head go. Neck release. Breathe in. And breathe out. Step your left foot to the front. Bring the right, The left heel down. Sorry, Right foot to the front, Left heel down. Coming up to a warrior stance. Take eagle arms here. Reach your arms forward, Cross the left elbow over the right. Option one, Hold onto your shoulders. Option two, Wrap them into eagle arms, Right fingertips in the left palm. Keep the right knee bent for warrior. Inhale, Lift your elbows up to the ceiling. Exhale, Elbows down to the knee or fingertips to the floor. Inhale, Lift up. Exhale to. Inhale up. Exhale, Three. Inhale up. Exhale four. Inhale up. Exhale, Five. Inhale, Come up. Unravel your arms. Straighten the right leg. Adjust your hips for triangle pose. On an exhale, Draw the right hip back toward the back edge of the mat. Slide your hand down to the shin or bring it to the floor or a block. Left hand to the hip or up to the ceiling, Maybe bring it to a half bind, Tuck it behind your back and hold the right leg. You can either look up at the ceiling or look down over the right fingertips. If you're looking down over the fingertips, Try to pull the left shoulder blade back and down. Breathe in. Breathe out one. Breathe in. Breathe out too. Breathe in. Breathe out three. Breathe in. Breathe out four. Breathe in. Breathe out five. Inhale, Come up. Coming into pyramid pose, Take your left foot, Slide it forward about 8 to 10 inches. Hips align with the front edge of your mat. Inhale. Lift the heart. Find a back bend if you like. Exhale. Fold at the hips. Bring your hands down to your shin or your ankle. Maybe the floor. If you can, You can walk your hands forward. Let the forehead come down toward the shin. Let your neck release. Breathe in. Breathe out one. Breathe in. Breathe out too. Breathe in. Breathe out three. Breathe in. Breathe out four. Breathe in. Breathe out five. Bend the right knee. Step it back into plank pose. Come back down to hands and knees. Bring the right hand behind your head, Left hand on the floor under the left shoulder. Inhale, Reach the right elbow up to the ceiling. Exhale bring the right elbow down toward the left hand inhale right elbow up Exhale, Right elbow down. One more, Inhale up. And exhale down. This time, Continue on. Straighten the right arm and bring the right hand over to the left side. We're gonna thread the needle here. Bring the right shoulder down to the floor. Option to extend the left arm up overhead. Slide it up past the top edge of the mat. Maybe straighten the left leg, Toes on the floor. Five breaths. Breathe in. Breathe out one. Breathe in. Breathe out too. Breathe in. Breathe out three. Breathe in. Breathe out four. Breathe in. Breathe out five. Bring the left knee down if it's up. Left hand back in next to your face. Push back up to all fours. Step into plank pose. Take a breath in. Exhale, Lower down to your belly. Inhale, Push up it to cobra. Exhale, Downward facing dog. Breathe in. Breathe out. Come into warrior one on the left side. Bring your left foot to the front. Right heel comes down. Warrior stance with your legs. Eagle with your arms. Right crosses over left at the elbow. Either hold your shoulders or wrap them into eagle arms. Left fingertips go on the right palm. Deepen the lunge. Inhale. Lift your elbows up to the ceiling. Exhale, Bring your elbows down to the left knee or fingertips to the floor. Inhale, Lift up. Exhale two. Inhale up. Exhale three. Inhale up Exhale 4. Inhale up. Exhale, Five. Come up, Unravel, Prepare for triangle pose. Straighten the left leg, Adjust your hips. Draw the left hip back toward The right heel or the back edge of the mat, Slide the left hand down to your shin or your ankle or maybe the floor or a block. Right hand to the right hip. Or reach it to the ceiling, Or bring it to that half bind. Looking upward or down over your left fingertips. Breathe in. Breathe out one. Breathe in. Breathe out too. Breathe in. Breathe out three. Breathe in. Breathe out four. Breathe in. And breathe out five. Inhale, Come up. Adjust your hips so they're facing the front. Slide the right foot forward just a few inches, Eight or ten or so. Straighten the left leg, Pyramid pose, Hands to the hips. Lift the heart, Look upward, Maybe find a back bend. Exhale. Fold at the hips, Slide your hands down to the shin, Your ankle, Or bring them to the floor. Maybe walk your hands forward. Let the forehead release down towards your shin. Breathe in. Read out one. Breathe in. Breathe out too. Breathe in. Breathe out three. Breathe in. Breathe out four. Breathe in. Breathe out five. Bend your left knee, Step it back into plank pose. Come down to hands and knees. Bring your left hand behind your head. Inhale, Reach the left elbow up to the ceiling. Exhale, Bring the left elbow down to the right hand. Inhale, Reach up. Exhale to. Inhale up. Exhale three. Thread the needle. Slide that left hand over towards the right side. Bring the left shoulder down to the mat. Left side of your head to the floor. Take the right hand. Slide it up past the top edge of the mat. Maybe extend the right leg back. Toes on the floor. Five breaths. Breathe in. Breathe out one. Breathe in. Breathe out too. Breathe in. And breathe out three. Breathe in. And breathe out four. Breathe in. And breathe out five. Bring the right knee down. Slide the right hand in. Come back up to all fours. Come into a seated position. And lie down on your back. Coming into bridge pose, Bend your knees, Feet on the floor. Arms down alongside you. Bring your feet in close to the body, Feet hip distance apart. Inhale, Lift your hips up to the ceiling, Tuck the shoulders underneath, Clasp the hands behind your back. Breathe in. Breathe out one. Breathe in. Breathe out too. Breathe in. Breathe out three. Breathe in. Breathe out four. Breathe in. Breathe out five. Lower your hips down to the floor. Hug your knees and towards your chest. And rack yourself up to sit. Coming into Pashimottanasana. Extend your legs forward, Toes up to the ceiling. You can have a slight bend to the knees here if you like. Inhale, Lift up. Exhale, Walk your hands forward. Come into a forward fold. Grab onto the outside edges of your feet or your big toes in yogic toe lock. Inhale, Lengthen. Exhale, Forward fold. Breathe in. Breathe out one. Breathe in. Breathe out too. Breathe in. Breathe out three. Breathe in. Breathe out four. Breathe in. Breathe out five. Inhale, Come up. Grab your blanket. Or your towel, Roll it up in a tube. And bring it back behind you. So that when you lie back, It's right below the shoulder blades so that you can lean back to the floor and the tops of your shoulders come down to the mat. You can either bring your arms out to the sides. Or reach the arms up overhead if that feels good. We'll take five breaths here. Breathe in. Deep breaths. Breathe out one. Breathe in. Breathe out too. Breathe in. Breathe out three. Breathe in. Breathe out four. Breathe in. Breathe out five. Bend your knees. Bring your feet to the floor. Bring them in close to your butt. Grab onto your blanket or towel, Lift your hips, Slide it out from underneath. Hug your knees and towards your chest. Rock from side to side. Bring your forehead up to your knees. And release your head back down. Roll over to one side and push yourself up to sit. Thank you for joining me today and practicing yoga. I hope you enjoyed today's practice and I hope your neck feels great. I'll see you next time.