Top 20 'Screen-Slouch-Straightening' Yoga Poses to do for beginners to reclaim their posture this year. - Goh Ling Yong
Does this sound familiar? You glance up from your screen, and a dull ache throbs between your shoulder blades. You roll your neck, and it crackles like a bowl of rice cereal. You catch your reflection in a dark monitor and see a posture that looks less like a confident human and more like a question mark.
Welcome to the age of the "screen slouch." Hours spent hunched over laptops, craning our necks down at phones, and sinking into comfy couches have declared war on our spines. This constant forward flexion tightens our chest muscles, weakens our back muscles, and creates a cascade of postural problems, from "tech neck" to chronic lower back pain. But here's the good news: you have the power to fight back, and your best weapon is a simple yoga mat.
Here at the Goh Ling Yong blog, we believe in empowering you with practical tools for a healthier life. Yoga isn't about twisting yourself into a pretzel; it's about creating balance, building awareness, and reclaiming your body's natural alignment. This year, let's make a pact to stand taller, breathe deeper, and feel better. Here are 20 of the most effective, beginner-friendly yoga poses to straighten out that slouch and restore your posture.
1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
It may look like you're just standing there, but Mountain Pose is the absolute foundation of good posture. It's an active pose that teaches you how to stand with intention, stacking your joints for optimal alignment from the ground up. Mastering Tadasana translates directly into how you stand in line at the grocery store, wait for the bus, or present in a meeting.
To practice, stand with your big toes touching and heels slightly apart. Ground down through all four corners of your feet. Engage your thigh muscles to lift your kneecaps, and lengthen your tailbone toward the floor. Draw your shoulder blades down your back and away from your ears, allowing your chest to broaden. Keep your chin parallel to the floor and feel the crown of your head reaching for the sky.
Beginner Tip: Stand with your back against a wall. Try to get your heels, glutes, shoulder blades, and the back of your head to touch the wall simultaneously. This provides immediate feedback on your alignment and helps you build muscle memory for standing tall.
2. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
If your spine feels stiff and locked up after a long day, Cat-Cow is your gentle, rhythmic solution. This dynamic duo of poses moves the spine through both flexion (Cat) and extension (Cow), increasing mobility, warming up the back muscles, and relieving tension in the neck and shoulders. It's the perfect way to start any posture-focused practice.
Start on all fours in a tabletop position, with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips. As you inhale, drop your belly, lift your chest and tailbone, and look forward into Cow Pose. As you exhale, round your spine toward the ceiling, tuck your chin to your chest, and press the mat away from you into Cat Pose.
Pro-Tip: Sync your breath to the movement. Let the inhale guide you into the open-chested Cow, and the exhale guide you into the rounded-spine Cat. This creates a moving meditation that connects you to the sensations in your back.
3. Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Downward-Facing Dog is a full-body reset. It lengthens the entire backside of the body, from your calves and hamstrings all the way up your spine to your neck. It creates space between the vertebrae, decompressing a spine that's been crunched over a desk. It also helps to strengthen the arms and shoulders, which are crucial for supporting an upright posture.
From your hands and knees, tuck your toes, lift your hips up and back, forming an inverted "V" shape. Press firmly through your palms, keeping your fingers spread wide. Let your head hang heavy between your upper arms to release any neck tension.
Beginner Tip: Don't worry about getting your heels to the floor! It's far more important to keep a long, straight spine. Bend your knees generously to allow your tailbone to lift higher, creating a direct line from your wrists to your hips. You can "pedal" your feet, bending one knee and then the other, to gently open up your hamstrings.
4. Child's Pose (Balasana)
Child's Pose is a posture of active rest. It provides a gentle, passive stretch for the entire back, from the neck to the lower back, while also opening up the hips. It’s a fantastic pose to take when you feel overwhelmed or when your back simply needs a moment of release.
From all fours, bring your big toes to touch, spread your knees wide, and sink your hips back toward your heels. Fold your torso forward between your thighs and rest your forehead on the mat. You can extend your arms long in front of you or rest them alongside your body with palms facing up.
Pro-Tip: If your forehead doesn't comfortably reach the mat, place a block or a folded blanket underneath it. This support allows your neck and shoulders to fully relax, deepening the restorative benefits of the pose.
5. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Cobra Pose is the direct antidote to the "screen slouch." It's a gentle backbend that strengthens the posterior chain (the muscles along your spine) and, most importantly, opens up the chest and fronts of the shoulders. This counteracts the forward hunch we adopt while typing or texting.
Lie on your stomach with your legs extended behind you. Place your palms on the mat under your shoulders, hugging your elbows into your sides. On an inhale, press into your palms and lift your head, chest, and shoulders off the floor. Keep your hips and the tops of your feet grounded.
Beginner Tip: Start with a "Baby Cobra." Only lift a few inches, using your back muscles more than your arm strength. Your hands should be light on the floor. The goal is to strengthen, not to push yourself into the deepest possible backbend.
6. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
Bridge Pose is a postural powerhouse. It strengthens your glutes and hamstrings (which support the lower back), opens your chest and hip flexors, and provides a gentle stretch for your neck and spine. Activating the glutes is especially important, as they often become weak and inactive from prolonged sitting.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. You should be able to just graze your heels with your fingertips. On an exhale, press through your feet and lift your hips off the floor. Clasp your hands together underneath you and roll your shoulders under to create more lift and openness in the chest.
Pro-Tip: Imagine you are squeezing a block between your knees. This will keep your thighs parallel and prevent your knees from splaying out, ensuring you are engaging your glutes and inner thighs correctly.
7. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
Warrior II builds strength, stability, and confidence—all things that contribute to a powerful posture. It strengthens your legs and core, opens your hips and chest, and requires you to engage your upper back muscles to keep your arms level. It teaches you to be both grounded and expansive.
From a standing position, step your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and your left foot in slightly. Bend your right knee so it's directly over your ankle. Extend your arms parallel to the floor, reaching actively from fingertip to fingertip. Gaze over your front hand.
Beginner Tip: Check your alignment. Your front heel should be in line with the arch of your back foot. Actively press into the outer edge of your back foot to stay grounded. Relax your shoulders down and away from your ears, even as you reach with your arms.
8. Plank Pose (Phalakasana)
Good posture isn't just about your back—it starts with a strong core. Plank Pose is one of the best exercises for building deep core stability, which acts as a natural corset for your spine. A strong core prevents you from slumping and protects your lower back.
From all fours, step your feet back until your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels. Press the floor away with your hands, engage your abdomen by pulling your navel toward your spine, and activate your glutes and thighs.
Beginner Tip: If a full plank is too much, drop to your knees. The key is to maintain a straight line from your head to your knees, avoiding any sagging in the hips or arching in the lower back. Hold for 20-30 seconds and build from there.
9. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
This pose is all about length. Triangle Pose lengthens the hamstrings, opens the hips, and stretches the side body and spine. Slouching can shorten the muscles in your sides, and Trikonasana helps to decompress and create space, allowing you to stand taller.
From a Warrior II stance with your front leg straight (but not locked), hinge at your front hip and reach forward. When you can't reach any further, release your bottom hand to your shin, a block, or the floor. Extend your top arm toward the ceiling, creating one long line of energy.
Pro-Tip: Avoid collapsing your torso forward. Imagine you are standing between two narrow walls. Keep your chest open and your shoulders stacked one on top of the other.
10. Locust Pose (Salabhasana)
If you want to build a seriously strong back, Locust Pose is your go-to. This pose strengthens the entire back of the body, including the erector spinae muscles that run along your spine, your glutes, and your hamstrings. It’s a fantastic way to build the muscular endurance needed to hold yourself upright all day.
Lie on your stomach with your arms alongside your body, palms facing up. On an inhale, lift your head, chest, arms, and legs off the floor. Reach back through your fingertips and toes, keeping your neck long. You are balancing on your lower ribs, belly, and pelvis.
Beginner Tip: You don't have to lift everything at once. Try lifting just your upper body first. Then, try lifting just your legs. Finally, put it all together. Even a small lift is incredibly effective for building strength.
11. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Sitting for hours shortens and tightens the hip flexors, the muscles at the front of your hips. This can pull your pelvis into an anterior tilt, causing an exaggerated curve in your lower back and contributing to poor posture. Low Lunge is the perfect antidote, providing a deep, satisfying stretch for these tight muscles.
From all fours, step one foot forward between your hands. Slide your back knee further back until you feel a stretch in the front of your back hip and thigh. Keep your front knee stacked over your ankle. You can keep your hands on the floor, on your front knee, or raise them overhead for a deeper stretch.
Pro-Tip: Engage your core and gently tuck your tailbone to deepen the stretch in the hip flexor. Avoid simply dumping your weight into your lower back.
12. Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
A step up from Cobra, Upward-Facing Dog is a more active and powerful chest opener. It strengthens the spine, arms, and wrists while stretching the chest, shoulders, and abdomen. It's a key component of the vinyasa flow and a brilliant pose for reversing a forward slump.
From a plank position, lower down halfway and then pull your chest forward and up. Straighten your arms and lift your chest, pressing into the tops of your feet so that your thighs and knees lift off the floor. Roll your shoulders back and down, and shine your heart forward.
Beginner Tip: Stick with Cobra Pose until you have the strength to perform Upward-Facing Dog without sinking into your shoulders or lower back. The goal is lift and expansion.
13. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
While counterintuitive, stretching the back of your legs is crucial for posture. Tight hamstrings can pull on the pelvis, causing the lower back to round and contribute to a slouch. This seated forward fold provides a deep release for the entire back line of the body.
Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. You can sit on the edge of a folded blanket to help tilt your pelvis forward. Inhale to lengthen your spine, and exhale to hinge forward from your hips, keeping your back as straight as possible.
Beginner Tip: Use a strap around your feet. This helps you maintain a long spine instead of rounding forward to reach your toes. Bend your knees as much as you need to. The stretch should be felt in your hamstrings, not as a strain in your lower back.
14. Thread the Needle Pose
This restorative pose is a gift for tight, tired shoulders and the upper back—the epicenter of "tech neck" tension. It provides a gentle twist for the thoracic (upper) spine and a deep stretch across the shoulder blades.
Start on all fours. On an inhale, reach your right arm up to the sky. On an exhale, "thread" your right arm underneath your left, bringing your right shoulder and cheek to the mat. You can keep your left hand where it is or walk it forward for a deeper stretch. Hold for several breaths, then repeat on the other side.
Pro-Tip: Press gently into your supporting (left) hand to revolve your chest more open toward the ceiling, deepening the twist and the release in your upper back.
15. Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
Camel Pose is a deep backbend that offers a profound opening for the entire front of the body—the chest, shoulders, abdomen, and hip flexors. It's an incredibly powerful pose for counteracting a lifetime of hunching forward. It's a pose I, Goh Ling Yong, recommend approaching with care and proper warm-up.
Kneel on the mat with your knees hip-width apart. Place your hands on your lower back, fingers pointing down, as if you're putting them in your back pockets. Inhale to lift your chest, and begin to arch your upper back, keeping your hips pressed forward over your knees. You can stay here, or if it feels accessible, reach back to grab your heels.
Beginner Tip: Do not force this pose. Keep your hands on your lower back for support—this is a perfectly valid and effective version of the pose. You can also tuck your toes under to elevate your heels, making them easier to reach. Keep your neck in a neutral position or let it drop back only if it feels comfortable.
16. Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)
Similar to its Warrior II cousin, Warrior I builds strength and stability. However, with the hips squared to the front of the mat, it provides a unique stretch for the hip flexors of the back leg. Reaching the arms overhead helps to lengthen the spine and open the chest.
From standing, step one foot back, planting the back foot at a 45-degree angle. Bend your front knee over your ankle and square your hips toward the front of the mat. On an inhale, sweep your arms overhead, keeping your shoulders relaxed down your back.
Pro-Tip: Squaring the hips can be challenging. It's okay if they aren't perfectly square. Focus on grounding through your back foot and lengthening up through your fingertips.
17. Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Tight hips, especially the external rotators like the piriformis, can contribute to lower back pain and postural imbalances. Pigeon Pose is a deep hip opener that specifically targets these areas, providing immense relief.
From Downward-Facing Dog, bring your right knee forward toward your right wrist. Your shin will be on the mat at an angle. Extend your left leg straight back behind you. Stay upright to feel the stretch in your left hip flexor, or fold forward over your front leg to deepen the stretch in your right hip.
Beginner Tip: If your front hip is lifting off the floor, place a block or blanket underneath it for support. This allows you to relax into the pose without straining.
18. Eagle Arms (Garudasana Arms)
This simple arm variation can be done sitting at your desk or as part of your yoga practice. It provides an intense stretch for the upper back and shoulders, specifically the area between the shoulder blades (the rhomboids and trapezius) that gets so tight from computer work.
Extend your arms forward, parallel to the floor. Cross your right arm over your left, then bend your elbows. Bring the backs of your hands to touch, or if you can, continue wrapping to bring your palms to touch. Lift your elbows to shoulder height and gently press your forearms away from your face.
Pro-Tip: Hold for 5 deep breaths, focusing on breathing into the space between your shoulder blades. Unwind and then repeat with the left arm over the right.
19. High Lunge
High Lunge builds incredible leg strength, challenges your balance, and requires significant core engagement to stay stable—all essential components of good posture. Lifting your arms overhead while staying grounded through your legs teaches your body to be long and strong.
From a Low Lunge, tuck your back toes and lift your back knee off the floor. Engage your back leg, keeping it straight and strong. Rise up, lifting your torso and sweeping your arms overhead.
Beginner Tip: If balance is an issue, widen your stance from left to right, as if your feet are on two separate train tracks rather than a tightrope.
20. Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Perhaps the most important posture of all. Savasana is where the magic happens. After stretching and strengthening, this pose allows your body to integrate the work you've done. It gives your nervous system a chance to reset and helps you cultivate a deep awareness of your body's alignment, which you can then carry with you off the mat.
Lie flat on your back. Let your feet fall open naturally. Rest your arms alongside your body, a little way away from your sides, with palms facing up. Close your eyes and release control of your breath. Simply rest.
Pro-Tip: Don't skip this pose! Even 5 minutes in Savasana can be profoundly restorative. Scan your body from your toes to your head, consciously releasing any lingering tension. Notice how your back feels against the floor and carry that feeling of spaciousness into the rest of your day.
Stand Tall, Live Better
Reclaiming your posture isn't about achieving a rigid, military-like stance. It's about finding a natural, effortless alignment where your body feels supported, open, and free from pain. It's about moving with confidence and ease.
Don't feel like you have to do all 20 of these poses every day. Start by picking 3-5 that feel best for your body. Maybe it's a simple Cat-Cow in the morning, a few Eagle Arm stretches at your desk, and a relaxing Child's Pose before bed. Consistency is far more powerful than intensity.
Listen to your body, be patient with yourself, and celebrate the small victories. Before you know it, you’ll catch your reflection and see a person who stands a little taller, breathes a little deeper, and has finally straightened out that screen slouch for good.
What are your go-to poses for fighting the slouch? Share your favorites in the comments below!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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