Whether working a sedentary desk job or pounding the pavement in work boots, having proper posture can save you a world of pain. Practicing yoga for better posture is a great way to start correcting a slouching back, hunched shoulders, and neck pain you may be suffering from. So grab your mat, and let’s get some relief!
Supported Fish Yoga Pose (Matsyasana)
This supported heart opener is best enjoyed with a pair of blocks, if you don’t have any available, grab a towel and roll it up tight, placing it vertically between your shoulder blades for support.
How to practice:
- Stack your blocks in a T-shape with the top at the highest horizontal position and the bottom in the lowest vertical position
- From a sitting position, slowly lower back onto the blocks with the bottom one between your shoulders and the top one supporting your head
- Let your arms rest out to the sides, palms facing up, and you can either extend the legs straight out or keep them crossed
Cow Face Yoga Pose (Gomukhasana)
This seated heart opener may look like you’re tying yourself into a pretzel at first glance, but there are plenty of variations to apply if one part or another disagrees with you.
How to practice:
- Start in a seated position with your legs crossed; to amplify this pose and really open the hips, you can either stack the legs on top of each other in a “fire log” position, or pull them tighter together in the crossed position so that your knees are stacked on top of each other
- Sit up tall on your inhale, opening your chest, and reaching behind your head with the right hand and behind your back with the left hand
- Ideally, your hands will touch behind your back and you can grab your fingers together here; if this isn’t quite possible, using a strap will do the trick
- Hold the end of the strap in your right hand and drape it behind your head; reach the left hand behind the back and find the end of the strap, walking your hands closer together on the strap until you feel a good stretch in the shoulders
- Switch arms and the stack of your legs and repeat
Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of this simple pose! Taking a few minutes from your desk and folding forward can release pent-up tension all along the spine and bring you a lot of relief.
How to practice:
- From a neutral standing position, inhale with your arms above your head
- Exhale and reach your arms forward and down, hinging at your hips and folding towards the mat
- You can hang here for several breaths, bending the knees slightly to release tension in your spine and gently swaying from side to side
- To amplify the traction in your spine, you can slowly move the weight forward into the balls of your feet to really let yourself hang forward
Child’s Yoga Pose (Bālāsana)
This soft heart opener gives the spine a chance to realign and brings some relief to the neck and shoulders.
How to practice:
- Start on your hands and knees, opening your knees mat-width apart, and settling your hips down towards your heels, sliding your arms out in front of you, and resting your forehead or cheek on the mat
- Don’t worry if your glutes don’t touch your heels here, that isn’t needed for a good stretch in this pose
- To deepen the stretch, you can walk your hands over to the right to open up your left ribs, back to center, and over to the left to open up your right side
Cobra Pose/Sphinx Pose (Bhujangasana/Salamba Bhujangasana)
Give the back, neck, and shoulders a nice, long stretch with this heart opening combo.
How to practice:
- Begin by lying on your stomach, then bring both hands close to your chest, palms against the mat
- On your inhale, roll your shoulders back and down so you’re not scrunching up your neck and push up through your palms, lifting the chest up
- Keep your elbows glued to your ribs and don’t let them wing out to the sides
- Try your best not to engage your glutes or legs, your upper body is doing all the work here
- If this is a little too intense for your back right now, you can do the same position but with your forearms flat on the mat, so you’re lifting up through your shoulders instead of your hands
Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
A great total-body stretch, you never quite realize how badly you needed downward dog until you get into it. Stretch the shoulders and back, work out the hamstrings, and let your neck relax in this gentle inversion.
How to practice:
- Start on all fours, curl your toes under, and lift your hips up, keeping your knees slightly bent
- Keep your elbows soft, you never want to lock any joints in any pose
- Push your heels toward the mat, but it’s okay if you can’t flatten your feet here
- Focus on pushing through your shoulders and stretching the hamstrings
- Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
- The best lower back relief of all time, plus a great way to decrease swelling in the legs and feet if you’ve been sitting or standing all day.
Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
The best lower back relief of all time, plus a great way to decrease swelling in the legs and feet if you’ve been sitting or standing all day.
How to practice:
- Begin by sitting with your hip as close to the wall as possible, then laying back onto your back and scooting your butt around to be against the wall as you extend your legs up the wall
- Allow your arms to open out to your sides, or you can even keep one hand on your heart and the other on your belly to stay in tune with your breathing
- You also allow the legs to open out to the sides against the wall, or keep them straight up and down
Bad posture comes down to bad habits, but with a willingness to learn and a consistent yoga practice, these poses can help you to sit tall and stand strong in no time.
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