Lie down on your back on a comfortable mat, carpet of folded blanket. Place your arms close to your body with your palms resting against the sides of your thighs. Bring your chin in towards your neck so that the back of your neck aligns itself with your spine. Now, as you inhale, arch your chest upward without lifting your head or curving it backwards. Hold your breath for up to four or five seconds and then exhale and relax your upper back so that it once again comes down to contact the mat. You will not be able to lift your upper back very high off the mat, so do not strain while doing this exercise. You may do it three times.

Benefits: This exercise increases the distance between the cervical vertebrae, thus removing any blockages in the nerves there as a result of the pressing together of the various vertebrae. It is also a wonderful exercise for correcting the position of the vertebrae in the upper back which tend to hunch forward because of poor posture.