As with all yoga, you should not feel pain. If you are experiencing pain, back off from the asana. Only go deep enough that you feel the stretch.
Shoulder Circles
- Begin with your arms at your sides or your elbows bent
- Bring your shoulders forward then, up, back and down
- Moving in a counter clockwise direction
- Breath
- Repeat 3-5 times
- Switch circles to a Clockwise rotation
- Repeat 3-5 times
Shoulder Shrugs
- Begin with your arms at your sides
- Inhale, tense your muscles – curl your fingers into tight fists, bend your elbows and squeeze your shoulders up to your ears
- Exhale, relax and release your shoulders, hands and body
- Repeat 3-5 times
Shoulder Blade Pull Backs:
- Begin In Mountain Pose, arms at your sides
- Inhale, bring your shoulders to your ears
- Squeeze shoulder blades together (while holding your breath)
- Exhale, relax and release shoulders
- Repeat 3-5 times
Bird Wings
- Come to a low kneel
- Arms at your sides, fingers touching the floor
- Inhale, bend your elbows (arms at a 90 degree angle to the floor)
- Exhale, squeeze your shoulder blades together
- Inhale
- Exhale and release
- Repeat 3-5 times
Arm Swings
- Begin in Tadasana, arms at your sides
- Swing your right arm in an arc in front of you, into the air
- Bend your elbow and pat your self gently on your back
- Return your arm to your side
- Repeat 10-12 times
- Repeat with your left arm
Cow Face Arms
- Inhale, raise your right arm into the air (forearm next to your ear)
- Exhale, Bend you elbow and bring your hand to your back
- Bring your Left arm behind your back
- Bend your elbow (left hand up)
- Clasp fingers-Bind (if you are unable to bind, use a strap: hold the strap in your right hand. The strap dangles down your back. Grasp the strap with your left hand)
- Straighten your spin, right elbow pointing up
- Hold for several breaths
- Switch sides
Eagle Arms
- Bring your arms to shoulder height
- Wrap your right arm under your left arm, elbows bent
- Try to bring the palms of your hands together
- Inhale, lift your arms
- Exhale and lower
- Repeat several times
- Repeat on opposite side with Left arm Under Right arm.