Seven yoga poses to relieve tense shoulders

Shoulder buckle? Having a hunchback with a chest? Do you even find it difficult to rotate your shoulders?

If you are experiencing the above problems, 80% of them are caused by shoulder tension, so don't hesitate to try yoga practice because some postures in yoga can effectively help relieve shoulder pain.

Our shoulders are the most active joints in the human body, and many daily actions involve their functions, such as reaching for a bag on a shelf, using handrails on a bus, or carrying a heavy suitcase while traveling. Because of this, even if we don't intentionally exercise the shoulder muscles, we may still feel pain due to accidental twisting or excessive use of them.

The shoulder itself is composed of eight complex muscles that protect the shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint). When it comes to shoulders, many people associate them with the deltoid muscle, which is a triangular sac covering the glenohumeral joint and looks like a ball. When we lift our arms with heavy objects, it is these muscles that protect the shoulder joint from dislocation. At the same time, the shoulder also has tendon sleeves to help the arm move in all directions. Repeatedly lifting the head and other reasons may cause shoulder pain composed of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis muscles.

The chest also plays a role in shoulder movements. The pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles participate in throwing, lifting, and stretching exercises. The latissimus dorsi muscle, also the largest muscle in the upper body, is involved in stretching and internal rotation movements. The scapula and chest wall connected by the large rhombus and small rhombus provide stability for the shoulder strap. Finally, there is the trapezius muscle, which helps stabilize the arm and rotate the scapula.

The reason why I mentioned so much about the muscle part of shoulder movement above is because I want to share with you one point, that is, when it comes to the shoulders, there are many body parts involved, so it is necessary to stretch the entire area to release pressure, because the release of pressure in this part can ensure smooth and comfortable full body activity. These actions can relieve the tense shoulder cat like Marjaryasana

This posture targets the neck, back, and shoulders, providing a gentle way to release the body.

1. Place both hands and knees on the ground, with shoulders directly above the wrists and knees directly below the hips.

2. Exhale, arch your spine towards the ceiling, press your palm firmly, and open your scapula.

3. Lower your head and bring your chin closer to your chest. Double angle Prasarita Padottanasana

At first glance, you may think that this posture is only used to stretch the leg muscles, but in fact, this movement is also very beneficial for releasing the shoulders.

1. Starting from the mountain style, raise your arms horizontally on both sides of your body.

2. Open your feet and align them with your wrists.

3. Next, place your hands behind your back and interlock your fingers, with your thumbs facing towards your ischium.

4. When exhaling, fold forward with the hip joint as the center, keep the spine extended, straighten the arms, and point the finger joints towards the ceiling. Cobra style Bhujangasana

In the Cobra maneuver, by opening the chest and shoulders, we can release the pressure on the trapezius muscle.

1. Lie prone, legs straight, hands under shoulders, elbows closed.

2. Use your toes and thighs to apply pressure towards the cushion.

3. Inhale, extend your arms, and lift your chest off the cushion.

4. While opening the chest, gently pull the scapula backwards, lift the sternum but do not shrug or push the ribs.

5. Gently lift your hands off the cushion, suspend them above the surface for a moment, and then lower them. This process ensures that the force to lift the chest comes from the back, rather than pushing the torso with your hands. Uttana Shishosana Big Cat Style

This movement is between baby style and dog style, and it can release pressure through the arms, shoulders, and neck while extending the spine.

1. Place both hands and knees on the ground and approach the center of the cushion.

2. Move your hands towards the short side of the cushion while keeping your arms straight and your elbows inward, then hook your toes and let your toes and forefoot land on the ground.

3. Exhale, move your hips backwards, and keep your legs vertical.

4. Point your forehead to the ground, let your neck relax, continue to press down with both hands, and straighten your arms. Bow style Dhanrasana

Archery can open the chest cavity, release pressure on the neck, shoulders, and latissimus dorsi muscles, and help stretch the entire back.

1. Lie prone, with arms on both sides of the body and palms facing upwards.

2. Exhale, bend your knees, and place your heels close to your hips. Keep your knees and hips the same width.

3. Stretch your hands back and grab your ankles.

4. Inhale and lift your heels towards the ceiling, while lifting your thighs off the cushion.

5. Retract the scapula, apply force to the back, open the chest cavity, and pull the shoulders away from the ears. Natarajasana Dance King Style

The dance king style is similar to the bow style, except that it is presented in a standing position. In the standing posture, we can stretch the neck, shoulders, and upper back more deeply

1. Enter in a mountain style, bend your left knee, lift your left foot, and bring your left heel to your left hip.

2. Extend your left hand backwards and grab your left ankle or the outer side of your left foot.

3. Lift your left foot towards the ceiling, away from your torso. Extend the left thigh backwards, parallel to the ground. Extend your right arm forward and bring it to the front of your torso, parallel to the ground.

If you want to go deeper in the posture, focus on compacting the foot pad instead of leaning forward. Garudasana bird king style

This posture stretches the deltoid muscles and upper back. The arm posture in this pose is crucial for the extension of the shoulders.

1. Mountain style entry. Bend your knees slightly, lift your left leg, cross your left thigh over your right thigh, and wrap your left foot around your right calf.

2. Extend both arms forward, parallel to the ground. Cross your arms in front of your body, with your right arm above your left arm. Then, bend your elbow and place your right elbow in the elbow socket of your left elbow, with your forearm perpendicular to the ground and the back of your hand facing each other.

3. Press your hands together, with palms facing each other as much as possible, and the thumb of your right hand should be in front of the little finger of your left hand. Lift your elbow and stretch your fingers towards the ceiling.