Amrita Amalean Shares 5 Yoga Poses That Could Help You Get Rid Of Tech Neck And you can do them all at your desk! Amaze! Chathuranga Perera SIDE-BEND STRETCH 1. Sit cross-legged on your seat. Reach your hand out in line with your hip. 2. Bend your elbow and place your forearm on the floor. If your forearm doesn’t reach the floor, place your fingertips on the floor instead. 3. Reach over with the other arm, palm facing down and keep reaching with your fingertips so that your torso leans to the right. 4. Revolve your chest towards the ceiling and look underneath your triceps. 5. Hold for five long breaths. On exhalation, lift the torso back towards the centre. Benefit This move stretches the entire body, from your hips all the way to your fingertips. it’s all about lengthening and strengthening! DOWNWARD FACING DOG-AT-YOUR-DESK 1. Rest your hands on a wall/desk. Make sure your elbows and arms are nice and straight. 2. Stand hip distance apart making sure your shoulders line up with your hips. 3. On exhale, fold forward from your hips reaching out with your arms. (the stiffer you are the closer you need to stand and the higher up your hands need to be on the desk/wall in front of you.) 4. Ground yourself using your legs and feet, press your hands on the desk/wall and lengthen the sides of the body. Relax your neck and breathe deeply for 10 breaths. 5. Walk towards the desk to come out of the pose. Benefit Great for stretching the shoulders, neck, hamstrings, calves, and your entire back! INVERTED SHOULDER STRETCH 1. Be seated with your knees hip distance apart. 2. Clasp hands behind your lower back, draw your shoulders and head back, keep chest lifted, extend your knuckles down and lift your arms away from the seat. 3. Lean your torso forward between your knees. take 10 deep breaths here. 4. Allow your head and neck to release. focus on keeping the elbows straight. Benefit Great for reversing the effects of slouching and bad posture that can lead to lower back pain. SHOULDER STRETCH 1. Interlace your hands below your lower back. 2. Draw your shoulder blades together then straighten your elbows, lift your arms and draw them toward the back of the room. 3. Make sure your arms and neck feel long, keep your shoulders away from your ears, and work on drawing the palms of your hands together. Benefit Improves posture and flexibility, and helps with droopy shoulders! CACTUS CLAP+ TWIST 1.Inhale and lift your arms to shoulder height, bending your arms to make a cactus shape. make sure your palms face forward. 2. Bring your palms and forearms together in front of your face. 3.Holding this pose, twist your spine to the right. 4. Repeat on the other side. Benefit This pose is known as a chest opener as it stretches the muscles across the front of the chest. Your chest can become compressed due to poor posture and stress. This move is great for increasing your breathing capacity. Do not perform these poses if you have recent injuries or strain to the muscles of the neck, shoulder, upper back arms or hands. *All photos by Chathuranga Perera This article was originally published as ‘Could You Be In Danger Of Tech Neck?’ in the April 2016 issue of Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka. To read the whole article, subscribe now and get a free April issue.