Gentle Stretches For Tension Relief And Reset

Release built-up tension and create more ease through your neck, shoulders, and upper back in just 10 minutes. This gentle practice begins with a grounding moment and a few calming breaths to help you settle and arrive. From there, you'll move through mindful neck stretches to soften habitual holding patterns, a seated cat-cow variation with the elbows opening out to the sides, gentle twists, and soothing cervical traction to create space and relief.
Perfect for easing stiffness from long hours at a desk, stress, or everyday tension, this short session will leave you feeling more open, supported, and refreshed.

Transcript

Welcome. My name is Vanessa, And today I'll be guiding us through a short practice to relieve tension in the neck. The shoulders and the upper back. It's great if you've been working. Maybe all day at the computer or driving, Or just generally have a lot of tension in your upper body. Which can happen when we're under stress. So I invite you to find a comfortable seated position. Can either sit on the floor or in a chair. Let's take a moment to ground into our bodies. You can keep eyes open or closed for this part. For the first few breaths. Notice where your seat makes contact. The surface that you're sitting on. You might take a few intentional exhales. Letting your entire body weight down. Release. To the support. And as you notice your breath here. We're going to begin making some shoulder circles. You can place your palms on your shoulders, Your fingertips on your shoulders. Let's start by making a few circular circles. Movements with the elbows and arms. Using your breath as you inhale. Exhale as you roll down the back. Doing about five in one direction. And then see if you can reverse the circle. Bringing the shoulder blades together and around. Using your breath to help you release. The excess tension. Let's allow our right ear to drop towards our right shoulder. You can either bring the fingertips of your left hand out. On the surface that you're sitting on. You can even lift the arm a few inches. Above the surface and we'll hold for five breaths here. So. . . Try to. Stay in your appropriate edge. Try not to push past any sharp points. Or tingling sensation. I just want to feel. Stretch through the neck. Through the shoulder, Maybe into the nerves of the arm, All the way down the fingertips. Now we're going to place our. . . And down. Was up and place our right hand, Right palm to the left temple. And gently press into your hand. To bring your head up. And release. Let's do the other side. Exhaling, Dropping the left ear towards the left shoulder. Notice if that feels like a good enough stretch here for you. Or if you would like to maybe move the fingertips away from you on the surface that you're sitting on. Or maybe bring the fingertips a few inches. Several rounds of deep breath here. One more deep breath. This time we're going to place our left fingertips on the right temple. Gently press your temple into your hand. Gentle resistance. To release. From here, We're going to place our heel. Hands on the back of our skull. And as we inhale, We're going to come into an arch position with our spine. Make a cow shape. And as we exhale, Rounding. To a cat shape. Inhaling to open. Belly and arch. Pressing into your palms. As your exhale leaves you, Curling. Moving with your breath. For the next few rounds. Finishing up your last round. Keeping the palms on the back of the skull. As you feel your spine, Lift. Gently imagine that you could lift the crown of your head. Towards the ceiling so you're Creating some length in the back of the neck, Some traction. Hold here for five breaths. Imagining that you're growing taller. More links. In the cervical spine. As you release. And make gentle circles with the wrists. Out to the side. Attention to our wrists. Going the other way. And then press your palms out. See if you can encourage all five fingertips to reach up towards the ceiling. Wrist stretch here. Few breaths here. If you use your wrists a lot, It might be pretty tight here. Let your breath soften. All right, Let's bring our arms up and over. Down through the center of the body. Reach up. And. . . Reach up and lengthen. Let's take a twist here. Right hand to the left knee, Left palm behind you. If you can, Reach up on your inhale. And then begin to turn your twists. You Reach both arms up. And we're done. Remember to lengthen. On the inhale and twist on the exhale. And let's reach up one more time. Just imagine that you're gathering this. . . Renewed energy. Pressing the palms together. At the heart. You can either keep your eyes open or closed. Take a moment to feel your feet on the ground. Your seat connected to the surface that you're sitting on, Your spine lifted. Shoulders back and heart open. Notice how you feel after. This short practice.