6 Effective Somatic Yoga for Neck and Shoulders

A lot of us spend the majority of our day hunched over a computer screen or cell phone. Then we wonder why we constantly have a stiff neck or tense shoulders 🤔.

Shoulder and neck pain is something I see more often than not with my students. They’re always looking for ways to release tension in the upper back and improve mobility. Of course yoga is a fabulous way to address postural issues and stretch the muscles of the upper body; but what if your shoulders and upper back are tense from trauma or stress? Can yoga help with this? Yes! In fact, somatic yoga is the best kind of yoga to address this.

Understanding and Addressing Neck and Shoulder Tension

Chronic tension in the neck and shoulders is incredibly common, often stemming from postural imbalances, such as spending long hours hunched over a desk or looking down at a phone. This places excessive strain on the muscles of your neck(cervical spine) and upper back and leads to what I like to call habitual bracing patterns. Where your fascia and muscles bunch or knot in order to support you in habitual movement patterns/stances from repetitive activities. Over time, this causes your muscles to become chronically tight, limiting mobility and contributing to headaches, jaw clenching, and even disrupted sleep patterns.

It’s not hard to find the physical culprits of neck and shoulder pain, but upper body pain goes beyond physical causes. Science has found there is a connection between emotional distress/anxiety and shoulder pain. The neck and shoulders can store unresolved emotions, particularly stress, anxiety, and feelings of responsibility or burden. When feeling overwhelmed, the instinct is often to “carry” that tension physically, resulting in tightness and discomfort. Not only that but this neck/ shoulder region of the body corresponds to the throat chakra (Vishuddha), which governs communication and self-expression. If your throat chakra is blocked or sluggish you may have trouble speaking your truth. You likely hold back your emotions and feel unheard. This creates not only energetic blockages but physical tension as well.

If you don’t address your neck and shoulder pain it can become chronic and impact your overall well-being. Not only will it contribute to poor posture, reduced circulation and nerve compression, but the constant physical discomfort leads to emotional distress and mental fatigue. You become anxious, irritable, or even disconnected from those around you. This is why, in this modern world, we need somatic yoga for stress more than ever.

It’s important to be proactive so that you can prevent long-term discomfort and misalignment. Techniques like somatic yoga, gentle stretching, and mindful breathing practices help release stored emotions and restore balance to both the physical and energetic body. Getting to the root cause of  your neck and shoulder pain.

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Benefits Of Releasing Neck And Shoulder Tension

The consequences of neglecting neck and shoulder tension go beyond physical pain. Chronic tightness can impact breathing patterns, disrupt sleep, and contribute to feelings of mental fog and irritability. Nobody wants to feel like that. This is why it’s important to work towards releasing this tension for your overall well-being, supporting both physical vitality and emotional equilibrium.

Benefits of releasing neck and shoulder tension include:

• Improved posture and spinal alignment, reducing strain on the upper body.
• Enhanced circulation and oxygen flow, which helps alleviate headaches and mental fatigue.
• Greater range of motion and flexibility, making daily activities more comfortable.
• Emotional release, fostering a sense of lightness and reduced anxiety.
• Better sleep quality as muscles relax and the nervous system calms.
• Prevention of chronic pain conditions, supporting long-term physical health.

Through movement, mindfulness, and somatic practices, you can address upper body tension holistically. You can find relief and a deeper connection to your body and emotions.

How To Release Neck And Shoulders With Somatic Exercises

Not only has somatic movement been shown to help those with trauma relieve their symptoms it’s also shown to support those living with chronic pain.

Addressing neck and shoulder tension somatically invites balance into your body and mind, releasing and preventing chronic discomfort. Somatic Yoga helps by gently re-educating the nervous system, allowing you to move with mindfulness and ease. You’re going beyond a simple yoga for neck pain sequence. Through techniques like:

• Slow, conscious mindful movements 
• Fluid /circular movements
• Pandiculation
• Intuitive movements

Your body releases long-held patterns of contraction, creating space for energy to flow freely. This not only alleviates physical discomfort but also supports emotional release and spiritual alignment. Clearing both physical and energetic blocks that you may have been holding. It encourages you to connect with yourself on a deeper level. Who wouldn’t want that?!

Top Somatic Yoga Poses For Neck And Shoulders

Below are some of my favorite somatic yoga for neck and shoulder pain exercises. You may recognize some of these poses from your typical yoga for shoulder pain class. But you can easily give them a somatic twist, making them even more nourishing and healing.

Want to follow along with me? Try this FREE somatic yoga class on YouTube:

1. Cat-Cow Stretch (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

Steps to safely practice this posture:

• Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position, stacking the wrists under shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Inhale, drop your belly, lift your head and tailbone, and gently arch your back (Cow Pose).
• Exhale, round your spine, tuck your chin to your chest, and press the floor away (Cat Pose).
• Repeat for 5-10 rounds, moving slowly with your breath.

Variations:

• Make small circular movements with your hips and shoulders to target tense areas.
• Take this seated in a chair or on a cushion if you have sensitive wrists or knees.

Benefits:

• Increases flexibility and circulation in the spine, neck, and shoulders.
• Releases built-up tension from poor posture and emotional stress.

Pro Tips for Yoga Teachers:

• Encourage students to move in a way that feels pleasurable to them. Give examples: stagger the hands and knees, lean into one side, roll the shoulders, etc.
• Suggest moving as slow as possible, noticing each sensation and emphasizing mindfulness and body awareness.

2. Fluid Thread the Needle Pose (Parsva Balasana)

Steps to safely practice this posture:

• Start in a tabletop position.
• Slide your right arm under your left arm, bringing your right shoulder and cheek to the mat.
• Keep your hips lifted and gently press into your left palm for support. Explore and play with gentle movements that feel good in your body.
• Stay for 5-10 breaths, then switch sides.

Variations:

• Extend the top arm overhead or place it behind your back for a deeper stretch.
• Use a blanket under the shoulder for comfort.

Benefits:

• Opens the shoulders and upper back, relieving chronic neck tightness.
• Calms the nervous system and encourages deep, relaxed breathing.

Pro Tips for Yoga Teachers:

• Add a rocking motion by gently taking the hips side to side or extending one leg long and rocking gently forward and back.
• Open the front of the shoulder before opening the back by guiding students through a rainbow-like movement taking one arm ahead of you and then circling it back towards the heels, moving back and forth with the breath and getting the hips involved.

3. Neck Rolls

Steps to safely practice this posture:

• Begin in a comfortable seated position.
• Inhale drop your right ear to your right shoulder, feel a gentle stretch along the left side of your neck.
• Exhale gently roll the head forward bringing the chin into the chest. Inhale as the head comes back up tilting to the opposite side.
• Move back and forth slowly with your breath for several rounds. Come back to a tall seat when you feel complete.

Variations:

• Gently rotate your head from side to side or try tucking the chin to release tension in the neck muscles.
• Instead of rolling the head in a fluid motion from one side to the other, hold the stretch statically coming up tall through your center to move between sides.

Benefits:

• Releases tension in the neck and shoulders. 
• Increases mobility and helps improve posture.

Pro Tips for Yoga Teachers:

• Tilt the chin up towards the sky exposing the throat to help open up the throat chakra.
• Create safety for students first by asking them to slowly look left and right for several rounds before moving into full rolls.

4. Spinal Flex in a Side Bend

Steps to safely practice this posture:

• Sit on your heels or up on a cushion/block. Place the left hand on the mat as the right arm comes overhead toward the left side. Take a breath and enjoy this side stretch.
• Inhale open your heart forward, taking the left arm gently back in space, exhale round, the shoulders gently come forward. Move with the breath until you feel complete on this side.
• Inhale, come back to your seated position and switch to the opposite side.

Variations:

• Bring the floor to you by placing the hand on a block if you can’t reach the floor.
• Add a spiral by rolling the wrist of the upper hand.

Benefits:

• Opens both the front and back of the chest and shoulders.
• Promotes deep relaxation and emotional release through the heart and throat chakras.

Pro Tips for Yoga Teachers:

• Encourage students to bring their own expression into this movement, what is their body “yearning” for. Put emotion into it. 
• Bring the element of touch and move energy down by finishing with your hands in prayer above the head and slowly guiding them down the body ending by gently rubbing the thighs or knees.

5. Eagle Arms (Garudasana Arms)/ Eagle Stirring

Steps to safely practice this posture:

• Sit or stand tall, extend your arms forward, and cross one arm over the other at the elbows.
• Bend the elbows and bring the backs of the hands together (or palms if possible).
• Lift the elbows slightly and draw the shoulders down away from the ears.
• Hold for 5-8 breaths, then switch sides.

Variations:

• Perform this posture in a kneeling position or seated for a grounding effect. 
• If you can’t wrap the arms you can hug your shoulders instead. 

Benefits:

• Stretches the shoulders, upper back, and neck increasing range of motion and breath capacity.
• Encourages relaxation, mindfulness, and focus.

Pro Tips for Yoga Teachers:

• Draw circles with the elbows, either big circles like painting on the side wall, rounding in as the arms come toward the belly and arching back as the elbows come toward the ceiling. Or, make small circles as if you were stirring a pot.
• Get the head and neck involved, leading with the chin adding some gentle neck rolls without strain.

6. Shoulder Shrugs with Breath Awareness

Steps to safely practice this posture:

• Sit or stand with a tall spine and relaxed arms at your sides.
• Inhale, lift your shoulders toward your ears.
• Exhale, let your shoulders fall back down.
• Repeat for 5-10 breaths, moving slowly and intentionally.

Variations:

• Move as fast or as slow as feels right for you.
• Add a gentle neck stretch by tilting the head side to side.

Benefits:

• Uses pandiculation to release built-up tension in the neck and shoulders.
• Encourages mindful breathing and present-moment awareness.

Pro Tips for Yoga Teachers:

• Let students take control of their movements. Offer for them to do one shoulder at a time and then both, moving with the breath. 
• Flow naturally into shoulder rolls, then maybe neck rolls. Offer variations for your students to move in a way that feels pleasurable for them.

Closing Thoughts

It’s important to remember that these simple exercises encourage a slow release of chronic tension in the upper body. They should feel pleasurable and relaxing, but it takes consistency to encourage lasting change. Somatic yoga is all about checking in with your body regularly and listening to what it needs.

If you want to know more about somatic movement and how to start using somatic yoga to improve your overall well-being my new Somatic Yoga Training is perfect for you!