Yoga · Beginner
Chin to Chest Stretch
This gentle stretch lengthens the muscles along the back of your neck and upper shoulders — an area that tightens up from hours of reading, driving, or looking at screens. You sit upright, let your chin drop toward your chest, and hold. It takes less than a minute and can noticeably reduce neck tension and improve how far you can turn your head.
Category
Yoga
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Bodyweight
MET
2.5
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
The movement
Form cues
- 01
Sit toward the front edge of a firm chair with both feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- 02
Sit tall — imagine a string gently lifting the crown of your head toward the ceiling.
- 03
Interlace your fingers and rest both palms lightly on the back of your head, just above the neck.
- 04
Let the weight of your hands guide your chin slowly down toward your chest — do not yank or push.
- 05
Stop when you feel a comfortable pull along the back of your neck; this should never feel sharp or painful.
- 06
Keep your shoulders relaxed and dropped away from your ears throughout the hold.
- 07
Breathe slowly and steadily for 20 to 30 seconds, letting the stretch deepen slightly with each exhale.
- 08
To come out, lift your head back to upright before removing your hands.
Dosage
How long, how many
Sets
2
Reps
1
Rest
30 sec
Watch for
Common mistakes
Pulling too hard with the hands — if your neck feels strain rather than a gentle stretch, lighten your grip significantly.
Shoulders creeping up toward the ears — check that your shoulders stay low and relaxed; tension there means you're working too hard.
Holding your breath — if you notice you've gone quiet on breathing, take a slow exhale and let the stretch soften.
Rounding the whole upper back instead of just dropping the chin — keep your spine upright so the stretch stays in the neck, not the mid-back.
Rushing through the hold — less than 15 seconds won't give the muscles time to release; watch a clock if needed.
Scale it
Easier and harder variations
Easier
Skip the hands entirely — simply let your chin drop toward your chest under its own weight and hold. This gives you full control over the stretch intensity.
Use this if placing your hands on your head feels awkward, causes shoulder discomfort, or if you want a milder starting point.
Harder
After holding the center stretch for 20 seconds, slowly roll your chin a half-inch toward your left shoulder, hold 10 seconds, then toward your right shoulder and hold 10 seconds.
Use this when the basic stretch feels easy and you want to address tightness on the sides of the neck as well.
Note
If you have a history of cervical disc issues or neck injury, perform this stretch without using your hands and only lower your chin as far as feels completely comfortable — even a small range of motion is beneficial.
Use this if you have been told by a doctor or physical therapist to avoid overpressure on your cervical spine.
Sources
Form descriptions and cues are sourced from wger (CC-BY-SA 4.0) and the Free Exercise DB (public domain), edited for the 60+ audience. MET value cites Ainsworth BE, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(8):1575-1581.
- free-exercise-db · Unlicense / Public Domain
- claude