If you sit all day, or are looking at your phone for long periods of time, or you are at your computer for hours on end, you likely have some upper back and postural issues. If you have a yoga practice, you may be able to strengthen the muscles through the upper back to keep you sitting comfortably upright and help counteract slouching. Slouching can shorten the chest muscles, making you feel tight and restricted through the pectoral muscles, so yoga may be helpful in opening that area up. One of the best poses to warm up and get the body open and moving is cat/cow pose. Traditionally, this pose is done on all fours, with the shoulders over the wrists and the hips over the ankles. However, if you slouch, you may want to put a new spin on cat/cow with this variation. Start by coming onto all fours. I curl my toes because that offers a nice stretch through the bottoms of the feet, but if that’s uncomfortable for you, let the tops of your feet rest on the floor. Bring your hips back towards your heels as shown in the top photos, and keep your arms out in front you, with the hands about shoulder distance. Then, move through cat and cow. As you inhale, lift your head and tailbone as you lower the chest. As you exhale, push the ground away and round your upper back as you keep your hips back towards your heels. This position focuses the movement more towards the thoracic spine and upper back - excellent for those who slouch! Give it a try and let me know how it goes for you!! If this feels amazing and you notice slouching is a struggle for you, join me at Namaslay® Studios November 9th for an arm balance workshop to help you build upper body strength!
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Using a new spin on cat/cow to help with posture and back issues.