When you lift your arms overhead in poses like Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I), Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog), or Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), how much of that movement actually comes from your shoulders? If you find yourself arching your back to get your arms alongside your ears, you might be compensating for limited shoulder mobility by borrowing movement from your spine.
When the arms come up alongside the ears, there’s a tendency to also come into spinal extension, otherwise known as a backbend. One reason for this can be a lack of shoulder mobility, causing us to “borrow” some mobility from the spine in order to get the arms where we want them. This may be one reason why you’ll often see arms-up poses interpreted as backbends.
Why Shoulder Mobility Matters
A lack of shoulder mobility can make overhead movements more challenging and lead to compensatory patterns that may cause discomfort over time. While incorporating some spinal extension isn’t necessarily wrong, improving shoulder mobility allows for more balanced movement and helps distribute effort more effectively in yoga postures.
When the shoulders move well, you gain more freedom in your practice, reduce strain on surrounding areas, and enhance your ability to explore different variations of poses with greater ease.
[Photo credit: www.wetravel.com]
Now, to be clear, there’s nothing inherently wrong with backbending when you take your arms up – but if you want to improve your shoulder mobility, it’s important to work in the shoulder. Compensating for lack of movement in one area by borrowing movement from another area is a clever thing that our bodies do – and sometimes can be associated with discomfort over time. Being able to move our shoulders well gives us more movement options and can allow us to distribute the work of a pose in a more balanced way.
How to Isolate Movement for Better Shoulder Mobility
In today’s video, I’ll guide you through a simple technique to help isolate shoulder movement when lifting your arms overhead. You’ll also learn a small adjustment that can make a big difference in finding more ease and range of motion.
Try it out and let me know how it feels! If you want to explore more ways to enhance shoulder mobility in your yoga practice, join me for a group class or sign up for a private workshop where we’ll dive deeper into movement strategies that support your shoulders and overall practice.
The information, instruction, and advice contained in this video and post are in no way intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content is for general informational purposes only. Not all exercises are suitable for everyone. Consult your doctor before beginning this or any exercise program.
