3 Yoga Poses That Can Fix ‘Text Neck’

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What’s your posture like when you hold your phone? Are you in an upright position, holding your phone at shoulder’s length and eye-level? Or is your head tilted, causing you to bend forward to see your screen?

The above image demonstrates what is known as “text neck,” which The Washington Post deemed an epidemic back in 2014. By the recent course of world happenings, it seems ‘text neck’ is having its second wave.

In the Washington Post article is a quote from Kenneth Hansraj, Chief of Spine Surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, “The problem is really profound in young people. With this excessive stress in the neck, we might start seeing young people needing spine care.” However, yoga can provide preventative maintenance while you work on correcting your posture. From the Mountain Pose to the Standing Backbend, here are a few yoga poses that can help alleviate neck pain caused by your texting addiction.

Mountain pose (Tadasana)

According to VeryWell: Fit, the Mountain Pose improves your posture and body awareness, strengthens your legs, and establishes good alignment. By standing up straight, you can practice the position of proper posture: chin tucked in, shoulders pulled back, body neutral. In no time, this can help treat some of the neck pain caused by text neck.

Here are step-by-step Mountain Pose instructions.

Locust pose (Shalabhasana)

Another start pose is the Shalabhasana, one of the most effective poses for building muscle strength throughout your entire back. More specifically, you can strengthen your buttox, spine, arms, and legs in this pose, ultimately making it easier for you to rest with better posture.

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When doing this pose, you may either put your arms directly behind your head, facing away and parallel with your legs, or link hands. Interestingly enough, this pose has Chinese philosophy. As a symbol of good luck and abundance in Chinese culture, harnessing the power of the grasshopper or locust encourages us to take chances and leaps of faith. Sometimes associated with astral travel, locusts symbolize the ability to overcome fear and move in the direction of positive change. Grasshoppers also use the power of sound to heal and change states of consciousness.

Here are step-by-step Locust Pose instructions.

Standing backbend pose (Anuvittasana)

Described by Yoga Basics, the Standing Backbend opens the front of the body, and strengthens the respiratory, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems. When performing, deep breaths are essential to ensure maximum strength gained. This is another great beginner pose, that when followed in repetition, can treat ‘text neck.’

Here are step-by-step Standing Backbend instructions.

Since the coronavirus, mobile communication has reached an all-time high, so people are more addicted to their phones than ever. As a result, ‘text neck’ is making its second wave through the world. What are your favorite poses for relieving alignment pain?