Last week I went for my first massage since lock-down began. After 15 months my body was sorely in need of some TLC. One area that is always a focus for my masseuse is my neck and shoulders. All my tension goes right into those spots. Especially in the upper traps, and rhomboids. Anyone else tight there? My saving grace over the pandemic (and lack of massages) has been this short exercise routine of somatic yoga for shoulder mobility.
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Somatic Yoga for Shoulder Mobility
This routine begins with a short body scan on your back with the knees bent and feet on the floor. We’ll start this somatic yoga for shoulder mobility with a little movement here. Raise both arms straight up above the chest, bringing the palms together. Keeping the arms straight, reach one hand/arm up at a time. While you see the arm and hand moving it’s the shoulder doing the movement!
After a minute of this, move onto your right side. Knees bent, legs stacked, and resting the head on a pillow, block or blanket. The arms again will be extended away from the chest, palms touching. Repeat the motion we did previously on our backs. Top hand reaching past the bottom hand and returning. Allow your body to flow WITH the movement, don’t restrict and hold yourself in place.
Repeat this action for a minute then gradually begin to increase the range of motion. Start by dragging the top hand to the bottom elbow for a few reps. Then begin to let the top arm soften and draw to the bottom shoulder. Gradually each repetition leading you to open back into a lying twist with the left hand on the left shoulder, or draped across the collar bones.
Notice the range of motion you have, and the integration of the movement you body had. Then, repeat this exercise lying on the left side. To finish come back onto your back and repeat the first movement, reaching alternating arms up. Do you feel a difference?
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Questions
- Do you have any shoulder mobility issues?
- Have you had a shoulder injury in the past?
- What joint mobility problems, if any, do you have?
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