Last week I shared a video from Yoga Synergy that explained all those funny arms movements we do at the beginning of class and how they tension nerves. I’ve included the video again below in case you missed it. So
Why pull the armpits down?
Recovery after climbing (or too much time hunched over your desk)
I’ve just finished the final edits for the booklet we’ll use in my upcoming workshop on learning how to do restorative yoga at home. I’ve also just come back from a weekend of climbing. The combo together means my shoulders,
Restorative yoga for relieving shoulder and neck tension
Simple steps to setup a supported restorative yoga backbend to help release tension in your chest, shoulders, arms, neck and upper back.
Activating core muscles to stretch the neck and improve body awareness
I’ve talked before about using the shoulders to intensify a neck stretch. This is an action you can do in standing poses as well. When you do this in standing poses you get a gentle release of one of the
Stretching the neck while strengthening the arms
Last week I talked about using the muscles of the back and shoulders to pull your shoulders down as a way to stretch the neck. This not only stretches the neck but helps to strengthen the muscles of your core
Stretch the neck by activating your shoulders
I regularly give the cue of relaxing the shoulders down. Not only do we tend to hunch the shoulders up, but some movements of our shoulders and arms cause them to lift up which can compress the neck – an
Brief yoga videos for stretching wrists and shoulders
Sometimes it’s hard to find more than 5 minutes in the day to sit down and stretch. So if you only have 5 minutes, or even just two, here’s a couple of options for stretching and releasing your shoulders and
A little strength and stretch for the shoulders – part 2
Just after my recent talk to the NZ Alpine Club on yoga and functional movement, I found myself talking with a fellow climber about activating the muscles in your back when climbing to protect your shoulder. Last week’s dolphin pose
A little strength and stretch for the shoulders – part 1
There are many ways to build strength in your shoulders, arms and upper back. Using static yoga poses can be less demanding on your shoulder joints and gives you the opportunity to think about which muscles you’re using. These are
Variation with bridge pose
We often use bridge pose at the end of class to open the shoulders and chest, build a little strength in the lengths and counter core strengthening poses. There are many variations of this pose, but I rarely have time