No complicated poses. Just relief.
Updated October 6, 2026 11:19AM
Practicing yoga for the upper body can help undo the slumped posture that so many of us develop in our desk-bound culture, which is why instructor Ramoni Overton designed this quick yoga sequence. Based in Los Angeles, Overton is the creator of the YouTube channel Yoga With Ramoni.
You might think it’s a subtle slump—the shape you make with your body when you’re texting, working from your kitchen counter, or stuck in traffic. So you let your upper body round forward a little here and there. After all, it’s not as if anyone can avoid slouching when so much of life happens sitting down or staring at screens.
But over time, that subtle slump might turn into more obvious signs of discomfort—a nagging ache in your neck, hiked-up shoulders, and stiffness throughout your entire upper back. But living with constant tightness doesn’t have to be your default. One of the most effective ways to undo the physical stress of a slumped lifestyle is by regularly practicing yoga for the upper body.
5-Minute Yoga for the Upper Body
This practice gives your neck, shoulders, and upper back the exact release they’re craving, with no complicated poses or tricky transitions. When you make these five minutes a regular part of your routine, you’ll do more than just ease daily discomfort; you’ll start standing and sitting taller and moving with more ease.
1. Neck Stretches
Lower your right ear toward your right shoulder. Gently rest your right hand on your head and reach your left fingertips toward the left side of the mat. Do not exert pressure on your head. Take a few breaths here, then switch sides. Return to center and lower your arms by your sides.
2. Torso Circles
Keeping your sit bones grounded on the mat, lean your torso toward one side, then forward, then toward the opposite side, then round your spine as you lean slightly backward. Repeat the torso circles in the same direction a few times. Then take a few torso circles in the opposite direction. Return to center.
3. Seated Spinal Twist
Reach your arms overhead, then turn your chest toward the right and place your left hand on your right knee. Take a few breaths here, then return to center. Reach your arms overhead, then twist toward the left, placing your right hand on your left knee. Take a few breaths here, then release.
4. Cat-Cow
Come onto your hands and knees with your knees wide hip-distance apart. Arch your back, lower your belly, and reach your chest forward in Cow Pose. Then round your spine and tuck your chin in Cat Pose. Repeat Cat-Cow a few times.
5. Baby Cobra
Lower onto your belly with your legs extended straight behind you. Place your palms on the mat by your chest, your elbows pointing toward the wall behind you. Press your hands and the tops of your feet into the mat as you gently lift your chest in Baby Cobra. Take a breath here, then lower your chest back down to the mat.
6. Locust Pose
From lying on your belly on the mat, clasp your hands behind your back (or hold a strap or belt between your hands). Lift your shoulders, chest, and legs off the mat in Locust Pose. Take a few breaths here, then lower back down to the mat.
7. Child’s Pose
Press your hands into the mat and move your hips back toward your heels. Reach your arms forward and rest your forehead on the mat or a block in Child’s Pose. Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
When you’re done with the practice, notice whether you don’t feel a little looser and more comfortable throughout your upper body.
