Do you ever have tight shoulders or shoulder or neck strain? The backward handclasp is your answer! Here's an excerpt from my upcoming book which explains how to do it. I practice this pose daily and it's easy to do at the office for a mini-yoga break! Check it out.
Backward Hand Clasp
Type of yoga pose: Seated or standing
Body parts targeted: Upper arms, shoulder blades, spine, and back muscles
How to do the pose:
1. Sit or stand erect. If seated, the Japanese sitting
position or any cross-legged pose (simple cross-legged pose or half-lotus or
full lotus pose) on your mat is most conducive for this pose..
2. Gently and firmly raise your left arm directly into
the air as high as you can. Feel the nice stretch—I often imagine myself trying
to reach the clouds as I lift my arm directly into the air—I enjoy feeling this
stretch!
3. Bend your left arm at the elbow so that your left
hand, palm downward, touches the center of your back. Your elbow is pointing straight up into the air.
4. Slowly move your right hand behind you, palm facing
outward, and bend your elbow so that the back of your right hand is against
your spine.
5. Carefully work your left hand while at the same time
inch your right hand slowly upward so that the fingers of you two hands can
clasp each other if possible (this may be difficult or not feasible when you
first practice this exercise).
6. Hold this position motionless for 10 seconds.
7. Gently release your fingers and come out of the pose
reversing the steps you used to enter it.
Again, feel the nice stretch and imagine touching the clouds as you
stretch your left arm again directly into the air. Inhale and exhale at least once.
8. Reverse sides and do the same steps starting by raising the right arm directly into the air. Inhale and exhale again after finishing the exercise.
Practice Time: Begin by holding the pose for 10 seconds; add 5 seconds each week until you are holding the pose for 25-30 seconds on each side.
Number of repetitions: 1-2 on each side
Key benefits from this pose:
1. Improves and adds grace to your posture (you should
start walking the way a swan glides across the water!) by adjusting and
straightening your spine and back muscles.
2. Develops the little used trapezius muscle at the top
of the shoulder blades and muscles under shoulder blades. Helps broaden and straighten shoulders.
3. Opens rib cage.
4. Helps prevent calcium deposits in the arm joints.
5. Eases tension in the shoulders and upper back.
6. Firms and tones upper arms.
7. Enhances breast health, according to some yoga
teachers.
8. Enhances symmetry in shoulders and upper arms.
Special hints and Laura’s experience with this pose:
This exercise can seem difficult at first! Don’t become discouraged if it takes you a few weeks or even a month or so to be able to do it fully.
This was one pose I didn’t do
for a few years when I was in my less regular yoga mode after my son was
born. When I took it up again, I
could not clasp the fingers of my hands together at all and I felt a slight
strain even trying to do so! My left arm was much stiffer than the right. But,
I focused on holding my hands as close together as I was able. Over the next
few weeks I was able to inch my hands closer and closer until I could interlace
my fingers and hold my hands together.