I find that a lot of my clients spend their days working on a computer. Oh the computer…it's a great client resource for me however it's a bitch to the upper trapezius. I see it like this, if you spend your days hunched over a desk you need to allow time in your schedule to move. Muscles hate being static! I give many of my clients this simple yet super effective exercise from the great Yoga Master, Yogi Bhajan.
You can sit at your desk, do this simple thing, and help fight the build up of stress-tension.
1. Sit up with a straight spine, head facing forward, neck relaxed, chin gently pulled in toward the chest.
2. Inhale a deep breath through the nose and at the same time bring both shoulders up toward the ears in one movement with the breath.
3. Then exhale through the nose and allow gravity to let the shoulders drop back down into the starting position.
4. Repeat this in a rhythmic fashion at a pace of 12 shrugs per 10 seconds.
5. To end inhale and shrug both shoulders up holding with the breath held in for 15 seconds, then exhale and relax.
FOCUS - BREATHE - MOVE - RELEASE
Try starting with 1 minute and then work your way up to 3 minutes. When you are finished allow the shoulders a moment to relax as you close your eyes and focus on long deep breath. Let your head slowly fall forward and do 5 gentle neck rotations to the right and then 5 to the left.
Build this practice into your daily routine and see its magic.