How to Do Chest Exercises in Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga is a style of yoga that combines deep diaphragmatic breathing with yoga asanas, or postures. Below are some simple postures that can help to open and stretch the chest.

Things You'll Need

• Yoga strap or a long towel or sheet

Instructions

1. Lateral angle pose: Stand with the feet wide apart. Turn your right toes out and lunge into the right leg. Keep your knee aligned over the ankle bone, and do not lunge so far that your knee extends past your ankle. If you need a deeper stretch, step the feet wider apart. Lift your arms up to shoulder height with palms facing the floor. Your right hand extends out over your right knee, and your left hand is straight behind. Reach out and bend from your waist, and place the right elbow on the right thigh. Lift your left arm straight up to the ceiling with your palm facing forward. Hold for 5 to 10 deep breaths and focus on rotating your bottom hip forward and your top shoulder and hand back to open the chest. You can also let your top arm drop and wrap behind your back so that the back of your hand is on your low back.

2. Camel pose: Come into a kneeling position. Place your palms against your back, fingers pointing down to the floor. Put one hand on each side of the spine around your low-back area. Lift up out of your waist and start to back-bend. Tighten your buttocks muscle and press the hips forward. Hold for 5 to 10 deep breaths, and focus on drawing the elbows back and pressing the chest forward. If it feels comfortable, you can drop the head back. If not, keep the neck straight.You can advance this posture by holding onto your ankles instead of the low back. You can deepen the chest stretch by placing the palms in prayer position behind the low back with your fingers pointing up to the ceiling.

3. Chest strap stretch: Use a yoga tie or strap if you have one. If not, use a long towel or sheet. Sit in a comfortable position either on the floor or in a chair. Hold onto the strap with both hands. Start with your hands resting on your knees if you are on the floor or down by your sides if in a chair. Lift your hands up overhead with the palms facing forward. Then continue to circle the arms all the way behind you so that your hands end up on the floor behind you or behind the seat of the chair. Then bring your arms back overhead and to the starting position. The wider your hands are on the strap, the easier this is. Try to not duck or bend forward as you bring the strap back and forth. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Tips & Warnings

• Never stretch to the point of pain.

• Never bounce a stretch. Hold the stretch still, and take deep breaths to relax the muscles.