My last time on the ice as a figure skater, I fell, landing with my arm straight across my chest.

Something cracked and my arm was numb for about an hour before it turned pins and needles for another hour. It scared my mom so much that she put an end to my lessons (though, I still love skating for fun!).

Not everyone has a weird figure skating injury that left nerve damage, but we all carry tension in our bodies and some of the most common places are our backs, necks and shoulders.

This routine is designed to warm up the spine and open up the neck and shoulders to release any stress that might be lingering there.

Fun Fact: If you have knots in your back, the best thing you can do is a bunch of roll-y cat-cows!

Be sure to never push. These poses are meant to be gentle and slow, to ease open the body. If anything ever hurts, please stop and do something else that better helps your practice.

Enjoy!

Relephant Reads: 

Yoga to Slow Us Down: A Meditative Flow {Video}.

Yoga for the Work Desk.

Author: Stacy Porter

Editor: Emily Bartran

Photo: Author’s Own