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Yoga·Neck

Levator Scapulae Stretch

Both sides · L/RNeckTrapsShoulders
Levator Scapulae Stretch
Step 1 / 2

At a glance

Equipment
None — chair or mat
Suggested hold
Hold 5 breaths per side

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Common mistakes

  • You skip the forty-five degree turn and just drop the chin, which stretches the wrong tissue.

  • You pull the head down with the hand instead of letting its weight rest.

  • You let the anchored shoulder ride up, unloading the stretch completely.

  • You push into anything sharp or tingling instead of easing off.

What to focus on

  • The combination is the key: turn first, then drop the chin toward the pocket — you should feel it right where the neck meets the shoulder blade.

  • Treat the anchored-down shoulder as half the stretch and keep reaching it toward the floor.

  • Go light and stay long; a gentle minute beats a forced ten seconds.

Featured in these guides

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Related yoga moves

Chin Tuck

Chin Tuck

Ear-to-Shoulder Neck Stretch

Ear-to-Shoulder Neck Stretch

Seated Neck Release

Seated Neck Release

Boat Pose (Navasana)

Boat Pose (Navasana)

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Sources & further reading

  1. 1.Static stretching of the upper trapezius and levator scapulae reduces pain and improves cervical range of motion in chronic neck pain — Clinics (2008), randomized clinical trial
  2. 2.Therapeutic exercise for forward-head posture produces moderate reductions in neck pain — J. Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics (2018), meta-analysis