The following shoulder range of motion diagram contains images of 12 different humerus, scapula and clavicle moves. Your mission is to try them out on your body. Hold each “position” for a total of five breaths, while attempting to strongly contract…
Have you ever had a shoulder injury? If so (or even if not) it’s important to get clear about how your shoulder works so that you don’t re-injure yourself. (www.thisnation.com) Quite often, learning how to locate your body’s tissues and taking the…
The levator scapulae can be a very problematic muscle when it comes to two chronic poor head and shoulder alignment issues that plague a lot of us — habitual shrugged shoulders, and habitual forward head movement. I have spent much of…
The Yoga Tune Up® Therapy Balls massage sequences bring awareness and blood flow to muscles. In addition they break up adhesions and as a result offer significant relief to pain and associated restrictions. The Upper Body Therapy Ball Series is helpful…
The rotator cuff is a group of 4 neighboring muscles that surround and work together to stabilize the glenohumeral joint. They are: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis. The supraspinatus lives in the supraspinous fossa, the little valley directly above the…
In Part 1 of this article, in addition to Megaplank and Raise the Chalice, I referred to Dolphin Supinate as being an excellent Yoga Tune Up® pose to activate and strengthen the serratus anterior muscle and stabilize the shoulder girdle. In…
As a teacher, have you ever walked around your class when everyone is in Plank pose and noticed that about half the class or more has their ‘wings’ sticking up? Then you cue Chatturanga and WOW do those ‘wings’ really start…
There are a few cues floating around in yoga classrooms everywhere that, due to their complete lack of clarity, cause a great deal of confusion. Chief among them is: “free your heart.” Its cousins are “lift your heart” and “open your…
Some well-honed physiques are currently on display at the Olympic Games in London, and it’s fascinating to see how each sport’s demands craft different strengths (and let’s be honest, imbalances too) in the competing athletes. Kendra wrote earlier this week about…
Some people have such built-up tension in the superficial muscles of the neck and chest that it is well-nigh impossible to access hidden muscles like the pectoralis minor without some much-needed prep work. My student Ellen has a very forward head…
