Strong & Flexible Shoulders

By Evelyn Sutton

Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

Start by lying on your belly with arms extended next to the body, palms up and fingers pointing towards your feet. Take a deep breath in and squeeze the shoulder blades toward each other, pinching the space between them on your back, behind the heart. Then lift your chest and head, off the floor. Exhale.On your next inhalation, lift your legs off the floor as high as you can. Bend the knees and reach out with your arms to try and grab either the ankles, tops of your feet or your shins. Hold for five breaths. Opens shoulders, strengthens the back and stabilizes the hip-flexors.

Level: Intermediate

Eagle Arms (Garudasana)

Extend both arms in front of your body. Bend the left elbow, place it on the inside crease of the right elbow and twist the arms around each other as if you are trying to bring palms of the hands together. Keep fingers pointing straight up.
Notice the stretch on your left shoulder. If it feels really tight, stay here. If you want to go deeper, on the next inhale, slide the arms straight up. You’ll feel your shoulders, upper back and neck opening up. Encourage the shoulder blades to slide down the back while holding the pose. Hold for at least 5 breaths. When you’re ready to come out, slide the arms back down, unwind them and start over, this time bending the right elbow and placing it on the inside crease of the left elbow. Stretches the shoulders, rhomboids, lower trapezius and teres major muscles.

Level: Beginner

Side Plank (Vasisthasana)

Begin in plank pose. With shoulders aligned over the wrists, press firmly through your hands as if trying to push the floor away from you. Start rotating to the right side, bringing the left hip up and stacking the left foot over the right foot. Press down through the right hand and raise your left hand. Don’t drop your hips and keep the lower abs actively engaged. You can look up towards your hand or keep your gaze neutral, ahead of you. Hold for 5 breaths. Rotate back to regular plank and start over, this time turning to the left side and stacking the right foot over the left.A powerful shoulder, arm and wrist strengthener. Also improves core strength, concentration and balance.

Level: Advanced

Evelyn Sutton

Evelyn Sutton is a E-RYT200 yoga teacher and owner of LuxDei Studio in Melbourne, FL. A white belt in Jiu-Jitsu, Evelyn applies her personal practice and knowledge of yoga to BJJ while helping others do the same. You can contact her at luxdeistudio.com