Using Yoga to Unburden Your Shoulders

Are your shoulders creeping up to your ears as you write or work at a desk?

Photo by GMB Fitness on Unsplash

Shrug your shoulders up to your ears and take a deep inhale.  Exhale as you drop the shoulders, dip the chin slightly until you feel the back of your neck lengthen.  Does that feel more relaxed than when you started?  

As I write or work on the computer, I eventually notice that my shoulders are tense and rising up. Also, I notice patterns of holding my breath in an effort to get the next sentence on the page.  Once I have the awareness, then I move or take a deep breath and release the shoulders.

As we move about in this world grasping, clawing or thriving, many of us are carrying quite the load with work, family and health.  The shoulders, neck and upper back are areas where our bodies tend to hold tension and stress.  Simple yoga moves linked with deep breathing can relieve the tension, reset a chaotic mind and help get you back into your body.  The body holds onto emotions until we release it. 

Sitting long hours causes the body to collapse into a question mark shape and structural problems arise if this is a daily routine.  Rounding the shoulders stretches the upper back muscles and shortens the pectorals across the chest which makes them weaker.  Then all the weight is dumped into the low back.  Glutes are stretched and hip flexors are shortened as both lead to weakening.

What helps?  Yoga! 

Weak shoulders and pectoral muscles are the start of poor posture.  Roll the shoulders back one at a time and then both.  Move the shoulders down and back squeezing the shoulder blades together.  This is where good posture begins.  Notice how squeezing the shoulder blades towards each other lifts the chest.  Lifting the chest brings the abs up and in naturally.   The spine should be in the natural curves so that a deep breath is comfortable.  That is ideal posture.  

Yoga moves and lubricates the joints. It provides body awareness so we know the signs of a posture weakening. See my previous post on a one day “Posture Challenge”.

Number one remedy is strength training.  Plain and simple.  Folks in the nursing home benefit from strength training so no one is too old to begin.  It does a body good, regains better posture, helps internal organs work better, makes you feel strong and look healthier.  To begin any exercise consult your health care professionals and ease into a new routine.  Bodyweight exercises are a great place to start such as in yoga.  Yoga practice creates a strong foundation before beginning more intense workouts.

A common theme on how to improve your practice is consistency.  If you have participated in sports then you know in order to get better requires a lot of practice. If you want to be good at swimming then you swim more.  Same is true for yoga.  Starting out with a short 10-15 minute practice that ends with meditation or prayer is all you need to get started.  Pick a time of day that you can reserve just for you and find a short routine that makes you feel good.  Get started and do the same routine for at least 10 days.  Bring a journal to your mat and make notes for yourself on any differences noticed with your body and overall wellness.  I was surprised how much I craved this time to just be and breath after adding it to my daily routine.

When we decide something is important for our well being then we make it a priority.  Sometimes it takes a wake up call and sometimes we have a mindset change. After years of sitting at a desk and running long miles, I was getting stiffer and my body ached. Playing hard and then sitting for long work days was my routine. I really wanted to move without pain and regain flexibility.  But I didn't make it a priority so it only got worse. The pain and stiffness led me to researching yoga.  Once I began learning about yoga, my teacher insisted we do a 40 day practice and if we missed a day then we started back at day 1.  This works!  After that 40 days, the habit is established. Yoga practice is now a part of my daily routine and I don't want to miss it.  Even a few minutes a day that is just for you.  Right here, right now, just be and breath.

By taking long slow deep breaths in the following yoga poses you can relieve upper body tension.  Five to ten rounds of breath for each pose can do wonders.  My suggestion on the breathing technique is to inhale deeply through the nose and use a slow audible exhale out the mouth, as in sigh it out.  If you try the practice, then I would love to know how it goes for you in the comments.

Warmup with mobility:

Seated with head turns side to side

Palms on shoulders and circle front then back

Cat Cow

Gentle Stretches:

Thread the Needle

Seated Cow Face Arms

Seated Eagle Arms

The following is detailed instructions and how to link movement with the breath.

Neck mobility:

Start with linking breath with movement by turning your head to the left, inhale, turn your head to the right, exhale.  Do this slowly and gently linking the movement with the breath to warm up. 

Thread the Needle:

Come to a table top position, (hands and knees) take your right arm and thread through on the left side, placing your head and shoulder on the mat.  After five to ten breaths, lift back to neutral and thread the left arm through and breathe.  

Cow Face Arms:

Standing or seated, extend your arms out to the side, place one hand on your upper back and wrap the other arm around your low back.  With the chest open, reach up gently with the top elbow and hold for several breaths.  Repeat on the opposite side.

Eagle Arms:

Standing or seated, extend the right arm out in front of you, wrap the left arm under the right, bend at the elbows.  This may be a single wrap or double wrap.  Very gently lift the elbows up (chin level) and slightly forward.  Hold for several breaths, release and shake the arms.  Repeat on the opposite side.

Option for eagle arms is to place the palms on your shoulders and as in giving yourself a hug and lift the elbows toward chin level.

This practice will provide a mobility warmup and a good stretch for the upper body.  If the tension comes right back or is hard to release, then try some embodied yoga with intuitive movement such as freeform dance.  Another option is to use your voice for emotional release.  Remember one primary yoga rule is “do no harm”.  The voice release is not to be projected at any other being, but done alone.  Our own voice has healing qualities to our bodies.  See my previous post on “Express Yourself”.  In a safe place shouting “yes” or “no” could be enough to release.

Another option if you are in a chair and need a tiny break, is to put your right arm across your low back and slightly tilt your head to the left.  Take several long slow deep breaths.  Release slowly and repeat on the opposite side.

Keep moving to keep creating!

Disclaimer:  Please consult with your medical professional before starting any workout program.  Yoga is not a substitute for medical attention or treatment.

A quick preview of the next newsletter which will present the Athlete in Balance relaunch…

A yoga practice that maps with your annual fitness goals and training plans. Emphasizing the balance of strength and ease in each pose is key—it's all about tuning into your body and understanding its needs. The combination of running and yoga creates a harmonious blend of physical strength and mental clarity.