TheHotYogaDoctor

My left trapezius is really tight (has been for years), which makes it really hard to bring my arms back and keep them straight.  I would really appreciate suggestions on adjustments and/or stretching exercises.  Thanks in advance (I’m a newbie—just a couple of months)

Stretching: bend head opposite way on the side. Make sure your left shoulder is loose. You can grab your head with your right harm to pull a bit more into the stretch. Do 3x 30s

You can also grab a tennis ball and roll it with pressure on the area. Will help release tight muscles. It’s like doing a deep tissue massage on your own.

thanks! will try tonite.

Hi Ana

In ALL your poses see what you can do to lengthen your neck and relax that shoulder away from your ear (both shoulders of course!). Until you see and feel improvement I strongly recommend NOT straightening your arms or clamping them to your head in half moon side bends. I know that is what you are told to do but this pose particularly can really exacerbate problems like yours.

How amenable are the instructors at your studio to modifications? There are things you can do. Firstly simply bend your arms a little, bring the chin up to correct position because in all likelihood you are dropping it a bit, drop the shoulders down and back, and bring the arms back. Back off a bit if your shoulders climb even a little bit.

You will get MUCH more out of this pose if you are not struggling to squeeze your arms and head and causing pain and strain.

Namaste
Gabrielle

Thank you, I’ll try this modification in class tomorrow.

Thank you, Gabrielle, for the tip.  I kept my elbows slightly bent it made all the difference in the world.  I like this pose now, instead of dreading it and counting the seconds til it was over.