RE: ashtanga yoga tight shoulders

[Guest guest]

One of the best exercises that I've found for opening the shoulders was

given to me by a physical therapist when I had broken my shoulder blade in a

car accident. After several weeks of having my arm bound to my torso my

shoulders were practically frozen in place. The exercise was quite painful,

at the time, however now it feels great. Just take a strap, towel, belt of

some sort and hold it at either end with each hand. Then try to lift the

arms over the head and behind you without bending the arms. Then back over

the head and in front of you. Going back and forth as often as you feel.

As the shoulders open you slowly work the hands towards each other so that

the strap is shorter and shorter.

Another thing I've found helpful is lying on my bed with my head and

shoulders over the side of the bed, arms hanging over the head. Just

staying there and breathing deeply for as long as I can.

And the arm position of "eagle" posture opens the shoulders. YOu can lift

the arms higher and lower to get the stretch in the exact place you need it.

Or interlocking the fingers behind the back (as in Prasarita Padungustasana)

and standing with the arms over the head (maybe getting a friend to push the

hands slightly towards the floor>

Lastly, sitting in any position on the floor and then bringing the palms on

the floor behind you as far as you can (fingertips towards you), bending the

elbows, then trying to work the shoulder blades towards each other as you

slowly sink closer and closer towards the floor.

 

Hope my descriptions make sense and that they help you. I find that the all

work slightly different parts of the shoulders.

Namaste,

Linda

 

 

 

Linda Munro

Ashtanga Paris

www.ashtangaparis.com

 

 

 

 

 

"trulyscrumshess" <budokanasana

ashtanga yoga

ashtanga yoga

ashtanga yoga Re: tight shoulders

Tue, 27 Apr 2004 02:26:39 -0000

 

ashtanga yoga, "dmtaviv" <dmtaviv> wrote:

> I have very tight shoulders to the point where downward facing dog

> puts an incredible strain on my triceps and delts. What is the best

> stretch or exercise to loosen them? Thanks

 

I had that so badly that I could not do downward dog without lots of

pinching pain in the shoulder. I released this with constant shoulder

and pec stretches and after one particularly good release in a

restorative class I was finally able to begin doing downward dog

without incredible pain. The pose that released it was a lying twist

using sandbags to hold the shoulder down on the ground. I also did

side-lying shoulder clocks daily. Once I got the release from the

restorative pose that day the shoulder clocks became less painful.

Then I was able to start back to yoga. I didn't have frozen

shoulders, per se, but they were pretty tight. If yours are not that

tight then yoga might be all you need. I just needed a little (OK a

lot) of remedial stretching.

 

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