Yoga for the Upper Body: Teamwork Makes All the Difference by Enid Kassner
Introduction
You've been practicing yoga for awhile. You've started to feel a sense of accomplishment in many of the poses. You can get through a couple rounds of the sun salutation without collapsing. So, why is downward facing dog pose still so difficult? Does your teacher seem to make you hold it forever? Or maybe you're an advanced student and down dog is a breeze for you. But you're trying to learn headstand or (are they kidding) handstand, and you feel as though you're never going to be strong enough (not to mention brave enough) to get up into, much less hold, these challenging inversions. The issue in all these (and many other) poses may be learning to use your arms and shoulders as a team.
When we are struggling with poses like down dog and handstand, it often feels as though arm strength is the issue. And while many of us, especially most women, do benefit from building strength in the arms, a more fundamental concern may be learning to integrate the action of the shoulder and arm. Without the stability and support of the shoulders, the arms have a hard time getting the job done on their own. But upper body "teamwork" can help you: harness your energy more effectively; get more "bang for the buck" out of your arms by giving them the shoulder support they need; and protect a vulnerable and complex joint from strain and injury. Your upper body will work more effectively and your asana practice will improve.
Upper Body Issues
The natural anatomy of the thoracic spine (the upper and middle back) has a gentle posterior curve, that is, it rounds a bit to the back. For many of us, our Western lifestyle, in which we spend extended hours sitting in chairs, or hunched in front of a computer screen, leads to an exaggeration of this natural curve of the spine. Over time, and with age, we find our posture sagging, the shoulders dropping and drooping forward. One of the first lessons many of us learn in yoga class is to broaden the collarbones apart and draw the shoulder blades together on the back. At first, these actions may feel like a real stretch, as we begin working to reverse the tightening of the shoulders and collapse of the upper back. With time, however, these movements begin to feel more natural, even good. Our posture improves, giving the chest more room to expand and the lungs more room to breathe.
One way to work on this area is by bringing our focus to the rhomboid muscles. These muscles are located on the back between the shoulder blades. When our posture is habitually rounded forward, the rhomboids become over stretched. Learning to contract these muscles to draw the shoulder blades together is an important first step in yoga. The rhomboid muscles are one of the primary differences between human and ape anatomy: we have them; apes don't. So learning to engage the rhomboids helps us to maintain an upright posture. The Anusara system of yoga teaches the actions of bringing the shoulder blades together and drawing the lower tips of them in toward the spine to engage the shoulder "loop." This loop is critical not only to proper alignment, but to facilitating the flow of energy in asanas. Still, it can be difficult to engage the shoulder loop and open the chest if we are lacking in shoulder flexibility, a common side-effect of hunched shoulders and a collapsed chest. There are many yoga exercises designed to help bring more flexibility to this area, some of which are described later in this article.
A second issue in the upper body has to do with the way that we use our arms. Very often, we treat our arms as though they function independently from the rest of our bodies. These useful appendages are in constant use, helping us reach for, pick up, carry, and manipulate objects. Many of us have learned that we need to use the strength of our legs to help support our backs when we lift a heavy object. Fewer have learned to use the strength of our shoulder girdle to support the work of our arms.
The shoulder joint is designed to give us a great range of mobility, but it lacks stability. The shoulder is made up of three bones: the scapula (or shoulder blade); the humerus (the upper arm bone); and the clavicle (or collarbone). A group of four muscles, known as the "rotator cuff," attaches the upper arm bone to the shoulder blade. These muscles help to raise and rotate the arm and keep the arm bone tightly in the socket of the shoulder blade. The "roof" of the shoulder is made up of the end of the collarbone and the upper portion of the shoulder blade (called the acromium). The rotator cuff muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis) originate on different parts of the shoulder blade and join together in a common tendon, which passes under this "roof" to reach the top of the humerus. This tendon passes through a very small space, which can become quite crowded, and painful, if the tendon becomes inflamed. Trauma (such as a sports injury) or habitual wear and tear can lead to inflammation and more serious problems in the rotator cuff.
Where you're sitting right now, drop a pencil (or whatever you have handy) on the floor. Reach down to pick it up, noticing the action of your arm in the shoulder socket. Probably the arm bone has pulled slightly out of the socket. This action is not a problem when you're picking up a light object. But what if you're reaching for something heavy? Lifting heavy objects while the arm is stretching out of the socket can place a major strain on the shoulder joint, leading to aggravation or injury. Reaching overhead for something, without stabilizing the shoulder joint, can also create wear and tear on the rotator cuff. Think about these actions in your yoga practice. In poses such as down dog, the arms can bear an inappropriate amount of weight if they are stretching out of their sockets and not receiving the support of the shoulder blades. Many standing poses in yoga call for the arms to extend out to the sides or up overhead. Without supporting the arms in their sockets, through the proper action of the rotator cuff muscles and the shoulder blades, such poses can feel excruciating. By using sound bio-mechanical principles and the strength of the shoulders to support the arms, your asanas will feel more supported and your alignment will improve.
There are two key actions to look for. When you reach your arm out, the natural tendency for many of us is to let it pull slightly out of the socket. As you reach out one arm, feel the armpit with your opposite hand. If it feels smooth, your arm bone has come forward in the socket. Pulling the humerus bone back into the shoulder socket will make a hollow indentation in the armpit. A second key principle in Anusara yoga, is the action of outwardly rotating the upper arm in all asanas. This action helps to engage the entire shoulder joint in a supported way. If you've ever seen a picture of the Hindu deity Shiva, he is generally depicted with an arm position that outwardly rotates the upper arms, drawing the shoulder blades together. It's similar to the arm position of a waiter carrying a big tray on one hand. Stand with your arms in "goal post" position (elbows even with the shoulders and fingers pointing toward the ceiling). Gently press the elbows forward and the hands back. This action will help you feel the sensation of the arms rotating outward and the shoulder blades drawing together and in.
Finally, there is the issue of strength. Most of us are naturally more blessed with either flexibility or strength. (You may feel like you have neither, but probably one comes more easily than the other). Those with more natural flexibility need to work harder to gain muscle strength and vice-versa. In addition, some people may have flexible hips but tight shoulders (or the other way around). While many people associate yoga with stretching and building flexibility, anyone who has taken yoga classes for awhile soon realizes that there's more to it than stretching. The practice of yoga does enhance flexibility, but it also helps to build strength. A well-designed yoga practice should work to build balance in the body. A primary way to accomplish this balance is through developing strength and flexibility. And where better to start than in the upper body?
A Yoga Program for the Arms and Shoulders
The following exercises are designed to enhance shoulder flexibility, build upper body strength, and improve rotator cuff function. Most of these exercises can be practiced by yoga students of all levels. None should cause pain. Pay close attention to the signals your body sends as you attempt these exercises: a sensation of stretch or some muscle fatigue resulting from intense effort are usually fine, and should be differentiated from a sensation of pain. If you experience difficulty with the exercises, you should discuss them with a qualified yoga instructor. Exercises noted with an asterisk (*) are designed for intermediate and advanced students; those with a double asterisk (**) are designed for advanced students.
These are some general guidelines for performing yoga poses. Can you breathe during the pose? It's all right if you have difficulty coordinating the inhalation or exhalation with a particular phase of the exercise, but you should always be able to breathe during the pose. Are your face and neck soft during the exercises? All the poses should be done with a relaxed face and neck. If you notice yourself clenching your jaw, furrowing your brow, tightening your neck muscles, or squinting your eyes, you're probably trying too hard. Ease up and take the exercise to a gentler level, or skip that exercise until you can perform it with greater relaxation.
With regular practice of these exercises, you are likely to find improved freedom in your shoulders and a reduction in tension-related neck and upper back pain. The exercises for upper body strength really work! In combination with the exercises for flexibility and rotator cuff function, they will help you gain a new sense of ease and power in your yoga practice. These exercises help you improve not only poses like down dog and handstand, but bring added grace and support to standing poses and backbends. By learning to bring together your upper body "team," you may actually look forward to your yoga teacher saying, "let's take another down dog," or even (gasp) "today we're going to do a two-minute down dog."
Flexibility
Working with a passive shoulder opener is a good place to start. Taking a blanket off the stack, open it up one fold. Roll the blanket tightly, starting from the short end, about halfway up. If you don't have a yoga blanket, rolling two bath towels together along the short side will make about the same sized roll. Lie back over the blanket with the roll at the bottom tips of the shoulder blades (approximately "bra strap level" for women) and your head resting on the un-rolled portion of the blanket. To begin with, you might want to bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the floor. As your back adjusts to the stretch, you can straighten the legs out, provided this does not hurt your lower back. Lie over the roll for about 3-6 minutes, and breathe. As your body becomes more used to this stretch, you can try making a bigger blanket roll. The larger the roll, the greater the stretch to your upper back. You may need to place a blanket or small, firm pillow under your head if this stretch hurts your neck.
The rest of this group of exercises can be done in any comfortable seated position, you can be seated on the floor or on the edge of a chair:
- Stretch your right arm across the chest, keeping it straight, pressing the left hand into the right upper arm to intensify the stretch. Even as you stretch, be conscious of keeping the right arm bone engaged in the shoulder socket. Hold and breathe. Repeat on the left.
- Stretch the right arm up overhead, bend the elbow, and stretch the arm toward the head, using the left hand on the right elbow to assist the stretch. The right elbow points up toward the ceiling, and the fingers point down toward the floor. Hold and breathe. Repeat on the left.
- Hold a strap out in front of you with the hands about 3 to 3_ feet apart. If you don't have a yoga strap, a necktie works just fine. Keeping the arms straight the whole time, inhale and bring the strap up over the head, then exhale as you bring the arms back behind you. If necessary, ease up on the strap when bringing the arms back. Then reverse the movement, bringing the arms back up overhead and in front of you. Repeat.
- Hold a strap out in front of you with the hands about 3 feet apart. Inhale and raise the strap overhead. Then exhale, stretching one arm up overhead and the other arm down behind your back. Hold and breathe, then repeat on the other side.
- Gomukhasana (arms only): Place a strap over your right shoulder. Raise the right arm overhead, bend it at the elbow, and reach down to grasp the strap. Take the straight left arm out to the side and behind your back, then bend it at the elbow, and reach up to grasp the other end of the strap. The elbow of the upper arm points straight up toward the ceiling and the upper arm moves toward your ear. Try to keep the shoulder of the "down" arm rolling back. As you are able, begin to "walk" the hands toward each other along the strap and breathe. Keep your head straight up. Repeat on the other side.
- Reverse Namaste: Reach behind the back and clasp your wrists or elbows, focusing on opening the collarbones apart and drawing the shoulder blades toward each other. If this is comfortable, bring the palms of the hands together at the waistline, with the thumbs against the back and the fingertips pointing down. If you want to go further, begin to turn the fingertips in to touch the back. To go further still, bring the little finger side of the hand to the back, thumbs facing out. The palms continue to press toward each other. If this is still easy for you, you can begin to inch the fingers up along your back. At any point, if you cannot continue to keep the collarbones widening apart, back off and return to an easier phase. Breathe!
- Garudasana (arms only): Hold both arms straight in front of you, palms facing up. Place the right arm on top of the left, bend both elbows, and place the backs of the hands together. Raise the elbows and move the hands slightly away from the body. If this is easy, you can try to bring the palms of the hands together, thumbs facing toward you. Again, raise the elbows, pressing the hands gently away from the body, and breathe. Repeat on the other side.
Strength
Begin this group of exercises from table pose. On your hands and knees, your hands should be parallel, directly under your shoulders. Your knees also should be parallel and hip-width apart. Let your spine be long, forming one straight line from your tailbone to the crown of your head.
- Yoga push-ups #1: Fingers pointing straight ahead, bend the elbows straight back, hugging them in to the chest. As you exhale, lower the chest toward the floor. Then inhale and press back to table pose. Repeat 3-5 times.
- Yoga push-ups #2: Fingers pointing toward each other, bend the elbows out to the sides, lowering the chest toward the floor, then press back to table pose. Repeat 3-5 times.
- Grasshopper pose: Fingers once again face forward, but this time bring the hands slightly forward of the shoulders. Tuck the toes under. As you exhale, bend the elbows straight back, keeping them tightly in toward the chest as the chest and chin move forward and down toward the floor. The hips will point up toward the ceiling. Inhale and come back up. Repeat 2-3 times.
- Dolphin pose: Bring the forearms to rest on the floor, with the fingers interlaced. Tuck the toes under and press the hips back and up toward the ceiling as the chest melts toward the floor and the armpits open. Press the forearms strongly into the floor, lengthening the spine. As you are able, begin to work toward straightening the legs and descending the heels toward the floor, keeping the hips up and the chest open.
- Dolphin push-ups: From dolphin pose, exhale and move the chest forward, so that the face comes ahead of the hands and the nose moves toward the floor; then inhale and press back into Dolphin pose. Repeat 3-5 times.
- Downward Facing Dog pose: From table, tuck the toes under and press the hips back and up toward the ceiling. Press into all the knuckles of your fingers, lengthen the spine and arms, draw the shoulder blades toward each other, lift through the armpits, open the chest, keep a strong flow of energy through the arms, legs, and spine, and breathe. (Can you remember all that? That's what teachers are for!) Begin with bent knees; as you are able, move toward straightening the legs and descending the heels toward the floor. Work on the legs only when you can do so without compromising the length and strength in the arms and back.
- * Bent-arm Down Dog: From downward facing dog, exhale and bend the elbows, bringing the forearms to the floor, continuing to press the armpits open. Inhale and return to down dog by straightening the elbows. Try to come in and out of the pose bending and straightening both elbows at the same time. Repeat 2-3 times.
- * Timed Downward Facing Dog: Move into your best down dog. Using a timer or the second hand on your watch, hold the pose for 45 seconds to one minute. (This will probably feel much longer than it is!) Gradually try to work up to a 2 minute down dog (3-4 minutes for advanced practitioners).
- ** Headstand "Prep": Sit with your hips at the wall, ankles flexed, to measure the appropriate distance. Place your hands at the point where your feet ended, with the fingers clasped together in a "cup" shape and the forearms on the floor. Place the crown of the head on the floor, inside your clasped hands. With your heels at the wall, straighten your legs, pointing your hips up toward the ceiling. Bend one knee and place the sole of that foot on the wall at hip level, pressing it firmly into the wall. Bring the other leg up on the wall beside your first leg, so your legs are parallel to the floor and your body is perpendicular to the floor. Keep pressing both feet into the wall. Now focus your attention on drawing the upper arm bones into their sockets and squeezing the shoulder blades together, pressing your chest toward the wall.
- ** Handstand "Prep": Sit with your hips at the wall, ankles flexed, to measure the appropriate distance. Place the palms of your hands on the floor, with the heels of the hands at the point where your feet ended. Come into a downward facing dog pose with your heels at the wall. Bring one foot at a time up onto the wall, as you did with headstand prep, and press them into the wall. Your body forms an inverted L shape at the wall. This time press your hands firmly into the floor to engage the humerus bones in the shoulder sockets, draw the shoulder blades together, and press the chest toward the wall.
- ** Timed handstand: If you are already comfortable kicking up into a full arm balance at the wall, try doing so with a strap around your forearms, just below the elbows. Go up into handstand fairly close to the wall so that you can rest both legs against the wall. Try holding the pose for one minute, again, keeping your focus on the action of the shoulder blades drawing in and up the back.
Rotator Cuff Function
This series is done lying on your back, with the knees bent, soles of the feet on the floor.
- Reach the arms up toward the ceiling, perpendicular to the floor. Have your shoulders come up off the floor? If so, bring them back to the floor by drawing the arm bones into the shoulder socket. Rotate both wrists to the right and left 5-6 times as though you are "turning up the volume" on a dial.
- Reach the arms up toward the ceiling, perpendicular to the floor. Again, bring the shoulders back on to the floor by drawing the arm bones back into the shoulder socket. This is an important movement to learn. It will help you to protect the shoulder joint. Turn the palms of the hands to face the wall behind you. Keeping the arms as straight as possible, lower both arms overhead toward the floor, trying to reach the palms of the hands to the floor. Bring them back up, and repeat, remembering to breathe.
- Bring the elbows tightly into the waist, bending the elbows so that the fingers point up toward the ceiling and the palms face each other. Without moving the upper arms, bring the forearms out to each side, so that the backs of the hands move toward the floor. Think of opening out your arms like you're opening the pages of a book. Keep the wrists straight. It's "cheating" to bend the wrists to get your hands to touch the floor. Bring the forearms back up and repeat 3-4 times.
- Bring the arms into "cactus" or "goal post" position, upper arms rest on the floor perpendicular to the torso, elbows bent at a 90 degree angle, fingers point up overhead, backs of the hands rest on the floor. Without moving the upper arms, rotate both forearms down so that the palms of the hands touch the floor down by your hips. Breathe with the movement and repeat, moving the arms up and down 3-4 times.
Another great exercise for the rotator cuff is to stand with your heels and back against a wall, holding a block (or book) on top of your head with both hands. Slowly raise the block overhead, keeping your shoulder blades against the wall and drawing together, while concentrating on the outward rotation of the upper arms.