Yoga expert Hannah Barrett is offering advice on how to alleviate the signs of tech neck and help prevent future strain on this delicate area, with a seven step neck yoga routine. 

Hannah says; “The number of women experiencing ‘tech neck’ is unsurprising when we consider how many times a day, we’re all currently looking down at our devices.  Its important to care for our necks and posture where we can, which is why I’ve produced a neck yoga routine, to help alleviate tech neck.” 

1. THE WARM-UP

• Start by closing the eyes and taking five deep and slow grounding breaths, feeling the body start to relax.
• Whilst tuning into your breath, using your PRAI Ageless Throat & Decolletage Serum with rollerball head, start to massage the neck and décolletage area using gentle upward strokes.
• This helps warm the skin, get the blood flowing and helps with lymphatic drainage.

2. THE PEACH TRICK

• This works on strengthening the deep neck flexor muscles to help with good head alignment and reduces overloading your larger neck muscles, such as the upper trapezius muscles.
• Start by doing this lying down - this is because it brings the focus to the deep neck flexors and takes away the need for the anti-gravity postural muscles (the more superficial neck muscles) which need to be active when you’re upright.
• Gently nod your chin down towards your neck and hold it as if you are trying to hold a peach under your chin for five seconds. Repeat ten times. Place your fingers on the large muscles either side of your windpipe. It’s a very small movement, if you are doing the exercise correctly you shouldn’t feel these muscles tighten and stick out.
• Once you’ve got used to the exercise, you can repeat this exercise standing with your back and head against the wall, keeping a neutral spine.

3. STARS AND SHOULDERS

• Slowly inhale and as you exhale mindfully turn your head over your right shoulder, feeling a gentle stretch to the neck
• Inhale back to centre and repeat on the left.
• Inhale back to centre and exhale lifting the chin, gently gazing up.
• Inhale back to centre and exhale gently lowering the chin gazing down.
• Repeat three times.
• Now inhale and gently roll the shoulders up towards the ears and exhale as you slowly draw them down and back. Repeat 5 times moving slowly and mindfully.

4. KISS THE SKY, OPEN THE HEART

• With a 90-degree bend in the arms, raise the arms so the elbows are in line with the shoulders (“cactus arms”). Gently squeeze the shoulder blades together, opening through the heart.
• Inhale and draw a line with your nose to the sky.
• Stay here and make exaggerated (“MWAH”) kissing sounds with your mouth (taking 5-10 kisses), opening the mouth wide and feeling a nice stretch along the front of your neck.
• To release, exhale the head back down, release the arms and take a deep breath out through the mouth.

5. THE ‘O’

• Make your hand into a fist and place this fist underneath the chin.
• Open your mouth into the shape of an ‘O’ covering your teeth with your lips.
• Gently press your chin into your fist and your fist into your chin.
• Exhale and close the mouth, keeping the fist underneath the chin.
• Inhale to open and repeat.
• Repeat five times.

6. THE SIT UP

• Bring your hands to hold each collarbone.
• Cover your teeth with your lips and smile the corners of your mouth upwards.
• Inhale and slowly draw a line up to the sky with your nose.
• Exhale and bring your face slowly back down.
• Repeat five times.

7. THE RELEASE / COOL DOWN

• Taking your PRAI beauty Ageless Throat & Decolletage Creme, gently begin to massage it into the throat and décolletage area using gentle upwards strokes.
• This helps to release any tension from the strengthening exercises.