This is an exercise to bring your attention to the shoulders, to your back and to soften the whole area.
Video “Loosening exercise for shoulder blade and shoulders”
How to start: The choreography
Stand comfortably – feet a bit apart, legs not fully stretched, a little bit bouncy.
Arms hang loosely by your side.
Raise your arms in front of your body to breast level (palms facing down) and turn the palms to face each other.
Open your arms sideways to both sides.
Come back to the middle.
Turn the palms (facing down).
Hands come down.
Understanding the movement: Your focus
Moving your hands up…
Pay attention to what is happening with the shoulders:
As the hands come up, let the shoulders and the shoulder blades sink down the back.
As we open…
Try not to lift the shoulders or force the movement.
Keep the shoulders soft, and the shoulder blades sinking. Feel the shoulder blades opening softly. Open all the way to the fingers.
Do not worry about your range of movement – it will expand over time when you soften up.
Coming back…
… maintain the same soft status.
Moving down…
… move slowly and with intention.
Repetitions
Repeat as often as you like, until you feel a sense of flow.
Breathing
When you feel at home with the movement, you may coordinate the movement with your breathing.
1) Hands move up and open – breathing in, feeling the shoulder blades sink.
2) Hands come together and sink – breathing out.
(Relax.)
Of course you can go with your own pace, following your natural breathing.
Variation: Choreography
We bring the arms to the sides.
1) Raising the arms out the sides, palms facing downwards – shoulder blades sinking down as the hands come up.
2) Turn the palms in and come in, hands in front of the body, palms turning downwards again and then sinking – letting the shoulders sink all the way.
Breathing
Arms up – breathing in (1), arms closing and down – breathing out (2). (Relax.)
Pro tip: Listen inside your body
Feel the motion – pay close attention to what is happening inside your body. Keep the shoulders soft and let them sink. This is the way to start reconditioning how you move.
Author: Tina Faulkner Elders
Text: Gabi Kannenberg
Images: Tina Faulkner Elders