Hi there! Today I’m sharing some great poses to open up your shoulders. I think it’s safe to say many of us have tight shoulders. Whether it’s from working at a desk all day, holding stress in your shoulders, or just from daily activities like laundry or washing dishes, our shoulders need some loving!
These five poses will open up your shoulders, help to relieve tension and improve your posture. I practice most of these on a daily basis!
1. Child’s pose with blocks under elbows
Starting on your knees, place two blocks in front of you elbows distance apart. Open your knees wide, rest each elbow onto a block, and press your palms together like prayer hands. Allow your chest to lower down towards your mat, resting the forehead on the mat as your palms rest toward the nape of your neck.
2. Forward fold with a bind
Stand tall with feet hips distance apart. Interlace your hands behind your back (you can use a strap here if this is uncomfortable for you), bend your knees and fold forward. Allow your arms to fall forward as you release any tension in your head and neck. Let everything fall heavy down toward your mat. If you are able, try to bring your palms to touch for a deeper stretch.
3. Thread the needle
Starting on all fours, extend one arm high to the sky, then thread it behind your opposite wrist. Allow your extended arm and ear to rest on the mat. Breathe here for 5-10 breaths, then repeat on the opposite side.
4. T- shape stretch
Lay down flat on your stomach and extend your arms out wide to make a T shape. Plant one palm on your mat, bending at the elbow, and slowly shift your weight toward your extended arm. As your legs stack on top of one another, allow the top leg to fall behind the bottom leg to deepen the stretch. If you’d like to go further, you can bind the bent arm. Breathe here for 5-10 breaths, then repeat on the opposite side.
5. Cow face pose
Begin in cow face pose legs or a comfortable seated position such as criss cross. Grab a strap or towel in your right arm. Extend your right arm to the sky and bend the elbow to bring your palm toward your mid back. Internally rotate your left arm, bend the elbow and bring the hand to the mid back, reaching for the strap. If your palms touch, you can grab hands and release the strap. Breathe here for 5-10 breaths, then repeat on the opposite side.
I hope these poses help you! I think they are some of the best poses to do every day since we are hunched over in so much of our day-to-day. If you’d like to see the break down of these poses in video format, head to my Instagram @findingmyom.
– Morgan 🙂
