If your neck feels tight by midday or your shoulders seem permanently glued to your ears, you’re not alone. Long hours at a desk, phone scrolling, or driving can quietly shift your posture until discomfort becomes the norm. That dull, nagging ache often comes from the head drifting forward.
According to yoga instructor Veronique Ory, who’s been teaching for over a decade through her Shine platform and retreats, neck tension often isn’t just physical. It’s a combination of posture, stress, and how we carry ourselves throughout the day. She explains that simple, gentle yoga poses can help retrain alignment, ease tight muscles, and calm the nervous system.
Let’s cover three moves that help release stiffness, correct posture, and increase awareness of how you carry your upper body.
Easy yoga poses to relieve neck tension
Most neck pain develops slowly from repeated habits—leaning toward a screen, tensing the jaw, or shallow breathing. Ory recommends slowing down, paying attention to how your head aligns with your spine, and giving your body small moments of rest. These three restorative poses work by releasing the muscles that often stay “on” all day.
Supported savasana
This variation of savasana supports the natural curve of your cervical spine instead of letting your head hang unsupported. Place a yoga block or a folded towel beneath the back of your head—not your neck—while lying on your back.
This gentle lift allows your head to rest in a neutral position, releasing the weight off your neck and shoulders. As you breathe, the nervous system begins to relax, and the small muscles around the base of your skull can finally soften. Try rocking your head side to side, then settle into stillness for a minute or two. It’s a quiet reset that helps the whole upper body unwind.
Sphinx with forehead support
This pose is a subtle backbend that opens the chest and lengthens the front of the neck—two areas that collapse when you hunch forward. Lie on your stomach, resting on your forearms, and slide a block beneath your forehead for gentle support.
Placing the block under the forehead creates a grounding effect and helps release tension around the jaw and brow. As you hold the pose, focus on slow, steady breathing. You may notice a soft stretch through the spine and shoulders as gravity encourages your body to let go. This one’s especially good after long hours spent typing or looking down at a screen.
Seated neck release
This simple seated stretch helps relieve tightness in the trapezius and side neck muscles, the ones that tense up when you’re stressed or staring at your phone. Sit tall and drape a yoga strap (or a belt) over one shoulder. Gently pull down on both ends of the strap to create light traction, then tilt your head to the opposite side.
Using a strap helps decompress the neck while guiding your awareness to where tension hides. Hold for a few breaths, then switch sides. The goal isn’t to stretch hard but to soften gradually, letting the muscles unwind.
A few minutes of mindful movement can make a big difference in how your neck feels throughout the day. Try these poses between work sessions or before bed to help your shoulders drop and your posture realign.