How to Do a Shoulder Blade Yoga Stretch
Most people carry the stress of their daily lives in their neck and shoulders and experience tightness and pain in the muscles below and between the shoulder blades. Yoga is not only a great way to relieve and reduce your daily stress, it can help you to alleviate problem areas. With a few simple steps, you can perform this yoga shoulder blade stretch whenever you feel stressed.
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Instructions
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Begin the yoga shoulder blade stretch by sitting in a comfortable cross-legged position on your yoga mat. Pay special attention to your posture. Your back should be straight and your sits bones, or the bones of your pelvis that protrude from your gluts when you sit, should be firmly pressing into the mat. Breathe deeply a few times and roll your shoulder blades, allowing the stress and tension to dissipate.
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Hold the strap firmly in each hand so that there is 2 1/2 to 3 feet between your hands. Hold the strap straight out in front of your body. Inhale deeply and slowly lift the strap up above your head.
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Exhale and continue moving the strap back behind you as far as is comfortable. The ultimate goal is to have your arms outstretched behind you parallel to the floor, but do not force the stretch as you can stress your muscles. Go only as far as is comfortable and hold.
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Breathe deeply 2 or 3 times, holding the stretch for a minimum of 10 seconds. Maintain your erect posture, and feel the stretch in your shoulder blades as well as your pectorals. If you feel the stretch is not quite deep enough, release and move your hands closer together. If it is too deep, move your hands further apart.
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Inhale and bring the strap back up above your head, releasing the stretch in front of you on the exhale. Rest your hands on your knees and roll your shoulders a few times to loosen the shoulder blades and stretch again if necessary.
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