Start to understand, lengthen, Yoga Stretch for Opening Shoulders and Upper Back and strengthen your teres major-a little-known muscle that can be the key to protecting your shoulders when you go upside down. Overview. The key to power stretching, no matter the specific stretching stance, is activating the musculoskeletal structure to connect the upper torso to the waist/hips and the waist/hips to the ground. To transmit force from the ground through the upper body out to the hands requires connecting the upper and lower body through the low back. Place both hands on a wall so they form a 90-degree angle to your body. With your back to a wall, allow your shoulder blades to rest in a neutral position and bring both elbows out to 90 degrees (so the sides of your biceps are in contact with the wall). Without moving your elbows, turn your right arm upward, so the back of your right hand touches the wall, and your left arm downward, so your left palm touches the wall (or they come as close as possible). 2. Slowly begin to rotate your right palm toward the back of the room, thumb pointing to the right.

Tilt your head to the right and slowly roll it down (chin to chest) and to the left (making a U shape). UPSIDE DOWN PIDGEON POSES: Lying face up on the floor, raising the legs to knee level off the ground, take the right ankle to the left quadriceps - targeting a spot upon the leg midway between knee and crotch. Add a little extra pressure by gently pulling your face down toward your armpit. Reach your right hand over the top and back of your head, with your elbow pointing in the direction of the armpit. Turn your head 45 degrees to the right and look down in the direction of your armpit. Nearly everything we do-sitting at a desk, working on a computer, cooking a meal, picking up children, riding a bike, driving a car, etc.-closes off the front of our chests and creates varying degrees of tension in our shoulders and neck. Slowly switch (right arm up, left arm down; then left arm up, right arm down) for about 30 seconds, trying to keep your arms at 90 degrees throughout. Reach your right arm straight up, bend your elbow, and let your hand fall behind your head.

Starting in a position of proper alignment, roll your shoulders up, then back, then down in a fluid motion. Move your shoulder blades up, then out (pushing away from your body), then down. Bring yourself forward and lower down to the mat for Baby Locust. The method increases energy and lymphatic circulation to muscles, bones, and tissues of the lower body. Deep breathing and chest-opening in yoga helps to lower blood pressure, improves circulation and increases lung capacity by bringing more oxygen to this area. Tight muscles, especially in the chest, shoulders, and abdomen, restrict the flow of oxygen into the lungs and make breathing more shallow. One of the best things you can do when you're stressed is to take a few slow, deep breaths to bring more oxygen to your brain and help release those tight chest and abdominal muscles. Stress can add to the problem: When you experience high levels of stress, your rib cage can drop slightly, causing your shoulders and upper back to round forward into a slouch.

Therese Jorgensen is a yoga instructor with over 20 years of experience. 1. Start in a tabletop position with your hips stacked over your knees. Place right hand over left temple and add a little extra pressure by gently pulling your head to the right. Move your left arm behind your back and bend the arm, letting the back of your left hand rest against your right shoulder blade (or as close to it as possible). Cross your straight right arm across your chest. Bend your right ear to your right shoulder. Now, overcorrect to an upright position with a slight bend to your upper back (without putting pressure on your neck or low back). Bend back into the shape of a bow to feel energetically locked, loaded, and ready to take aim. Another chest and upper back shape to stretch the shoulders is a forward fold with your hands clasped on your back or overhead. This move sounds easy enough, but we bet you’ll need to concentrate on isolating your shoulder blades (and not simply moving your shoulders up and down).