How to Do Yoga Exercises for Shoulders

The shoulders are an area of the body that can become tight and sore. The following yoga movements can help to stretch this area and reduce muscular tension. Combining deep diaphragmatic yoga breathing along with these movements will help the body relax and be more receptive to the yoga stretches. The stretches in section one and two can be done in a chair, or at the office when working on a computer for extended periods.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Yoga strap or towel.

Shoulder rolls

1. Sit up straight on the floor or in a chair. Inhale and lift the shoulders as high as you can towards your ears. Then exhale and roll them back and down.

2. Continue eight to twelve times, making the shoulder circles as large as you can and really focus on pressing the shoulders up and then all the way back down.

3. Roll the shoulders backwards only to open the chest and shoulders. Many of us spend too much of our day with the back rounded forward and we need to stretch the other way. Rolling the shoulders forward just encourages a forward rounded posture so it is not usually necessary to do shoulder circles forward.

Overhead Strap Stretch

4. Sit up straight on the floor or in a chair. Grab a yoga strap or towel. The wider apart your hands are the easier the stretch is. Rest the strap in your lap.

5. Then pull the strap slightly, inhale and lift it up over your head. Exhale and continue to bring the strap over your head, behind your back and eventually to the floor behind you or to the back of the chair.

6. Then inhale and pull slightly on the strap and bring it back over your head and return it to your lap. Repeat eight to twelve times.

7. Be careful to not duck your head as you come back around. Sit up straight and use good posture. You can let your hands slide on the strap or towel as you go around if your shoulders are tight.

Standing yoga mudra

8. Stand up straight with the feet wide apart. The feet can be turned out or straight ahead. Clasp your hands behind your back and bend your knees slightly.

9. Begin to bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and knees slightly bent. Move into as deep of a forward bend as possible. Lift your hands off of your back as much as you can, brining the hands overhead as much as possible.

10. Hold for five to ten deep belly breaths. Focus on letting the head hang (unless you have specific eye diseases) and releasing the shoulders.

11. Variation: You can also do this stretch with a yoga strap or towel which may give you a deeper stretch in the shoulders. This variation is also good if you find clasping the hands restricts your movement. Follow the same instructions, but instead of clasping your hands behind your back, hold the yoga strap behind you with the palms facing away from the body. As you bend forward pull lightly on the strap and lift the hands up and overhead as much as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Never stretch to the point of pain.
• Stop any exercise that makes yoru symptoms worse.

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