Opposite Hand to Shoulder Stretch in Partner Yoga

Video Transcript

" Practicing yoga with a partner affords you an opportunity to come deeper into the stretches because you can use the tension from your partner's body to gently help you into the pose deeper. Gina and I are going to demonstrate this in a really nice shoulder stretch. We're going to come back to back always lengthening the spine and pressing the shoulder blades together. We're going to reach our right arm up to the sky on the inhale and on the exhale you're going to find your partner's palm and then just gently press in to that hand. You need to check with your partner to make sure that it is not too much tension because you don't want to pull their shoulder out of joint or anything, you want it to feel really good. So with that pressure it gives a lovely stretch all the way down that arm and into the top of the shoulder blades. Inhale, lengthen up, exhale release that arm, come down and then we're going to come into it on the other side. Inhale reaching the other arm up, finding your partner's palm, forearm, whatever works if you are working with a tall person whose height is a lot different than yours or arm length. You might find that you're going to be pressing into their elbow so wherever. Just make sure that you talk to your partner, communication is really important so that you don't put too much pressure. Good, inhale, lengthen up and exhale and lower the arm down."