How to Do Yoga Standing Chest Stretches

There’s more than one way to stretch the chest with yoga poses. However, few are as simple and convenient to do as yoga standing chest stretches. Whether you make it a regular part of your daily yoga routine, or it’s something you do on your lunch break at work, yoga standing chest stretches are a great way to open up the lungs to deeper breathing and rejuvenation.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Stand up straight. Pay special attention to your posture, keeping your back, neck and head all aligned. Keep your shoulder blades against your back, as though weights are pulling them down toward the floor. Separate your feet, with about a foot of space between them. Breathe deeply in and out several times.

2. Reach your hands back behind your body and clasp them together. Your fingers should be intertwined, and your hands palm-to-palm. Keep your arms straight.

3. Still maintaining the alignment of your back, neck and head, slowly bend at your waist. As your upper body moves toward the floor, your arms should be moving in the opposite direction, toward the ceiling. Keep your arms straight, but be careful not to hyperextend. Your hands should remain clasped.

4. Bend as far toward the floor as is comfortable for you. Breathe deeply in and out several times.

5. Slowly raise your upper body back up, and bring your arms back down. Remember to maintain the alignment of your back, neck and head.

6. Relax your hands at your sides and breathe in deeply several times to end the yoga standing chest stretches.

Tips & Warnings

• • Be careful not to strain any part of your body when you do yoga standing chest stretches. How far you bend will simply depend on your flexibility and comfort level.
• • When standing in this pose with your arms stretched up toward the ceiling, do not try to push them forward over your head, as you do not want to strain your shoulder joints.
• • When bent over, keep your knees and elbows slightly bent so as to prevent hyperextension.
• • Always breathe through your nose. This not only warms the air to body temperature, but also helps promote deeper, longer breaths.

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