Fundamentals Practice: Supporting the Shoulders with the Sides (Upper Body)

Disclaimer

Fundamentals practices are appropriate for all levels. They are drawn from a relatively accessible syllabus of poses that covers all the important shapes and movements that will open, strengthen and balance the body. The instruction given is intended to be simple and broad, giving practical guidance for beginners and offering a starting point for deeper exploration for those who are more seasoned practitioners. Brand new beginners and those with injuries or physical conditions that might be affected by the physical practice of yoga should seek out the guidance of a trained teacher before starting.

About The Practice

General Hints for Upper Body Work

When working with the arms, shoulders and upper torso, we need to find ways of supporting the shoulders with the torso while still allowing the arms, shoulders, collarbones and shoulder blades enough independence to move around as we need them to.

We need to allow the torso to remain long, wide and broad as we use the arms so that the rib cage can remain spacious and integrated, the shoulder joints, collar bones and shoulder blades mobile, and the neck free. If we lift the arms overhead, we need to do so in such a way as to not narrow the back, push the lower ribs forward or the chest up. If we reach our arms back behind us, can we do it without rounding the back and curling the chest down.

In either example, can we allow the neck to be free and not pull the head towards the torso, either back and down or forward and down. Finding support from the sides of the body, softening and expanding the armpits while widening across the chest and back, and allowing the collarbones and shoulder blades to move with the arms will go a long way towards supporting this.

Practice Tips

• Soften and widen across your upper chest and collarbones and the space between your shoulder blades in the back.
• Soften your deltoids, the caps of your shoulders, as you soften and expand your armpits.
• Lift and lengthen through the sides of your torso, from your outer hips to the apex of your armpits to support your shoulders.

Sequence

Simple Resting Position

• Lie on your back with a blanket under your head, your knees bent, pointing up towards the ceiling and your feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on your upper abdomen/lower ribs.
• Stay here for 2 to 3 minutes to allow your whole torso to lengthen and widen.

Reclined chest stretch

• From the above position, reach one arm overhead and bring the other hand across your chest to a position just underneath your collarbone.
• Reach through your outstretched arm while gently pressing your other hand down the length of your body towards your hip and towards the floor.
• Hold for about a minute and repeat on the other side.

Supta Tadasana (Reclined Mountain Pose) blanket under head, forearms belted close to elbow, arms reaching alongside ears

Child’s Pose

Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior Pose 2)

Utthita Parshvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)

Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)

Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose) hand on hip, then turning collarbone up towards ceiling

Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) forearms belted close to elbow

Bharadwajasana 1 (Bharadwaja’s Pose 1) seated on blankets

Bharadwajasana 1 (Bharadwaja’s Pose 1) seated on blankets, binding arm behind back, holding belt around bicep if necessary

Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) forearms belted close to elbow

Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) feet flat on floor, blocks under pelvis for support

Jathara Parivartanasana (Belly Turning Pose) soft variation, blanket under head

Shavasana (Corpse Pose) Bolster under thighs, blanket under head

About Yoga: Art+Science

This post originally appeared on my former blog, Yoga: Art+Science, a passion project that I ran from 2004 to 2014 that accumulated more than 1000 posts and articles. It appears here as part of a project to revisit all that material and update it to make it fresh and relevant to a modern yoga practice.

If you enjoyed this practice and would like to experience my approach to yoga in a live, interactive online setting, sign up for one of my classes.