Written by:
CASEY ANDREWS, PT, DPT, OCS
Casey can be reached at casey@apexptwellness.com.
Lie on your back with your arms reaching overhead. You can use a pillow or rolled up towel under your upper back and shoulder blades to further open the chest wall. Your legs can be straight, bent, or in a butterfly or goddess position. Let your arms relax overhead and take deep breaths, feeling your chest open and melting into the mat.
Lie on your stomach and come up onto your elbows. Inhale as you roll your shoulders back and down your rib cage. Push your forearms into the floor to get more of a backbend through your thoracic spine (upper back).
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet walked close to your hips. Exhale as you lift your hips up so that your weight is through your shoulders. For even more heart opening, you can clasp your hands underneath of you. Stay here for 30-60 seconds, focusing on your breath.
Facing forward, walk your feet away from each other so they are further than shoulder width apart. Raise your arms to shoulder height with palms down. Point your right toes outward, turn your body so that you are facing to the right, then bend your right knee. Hold this pose 30-60 seconds, focusing on maintaining an even breathing pattern, then repeat in the other direction.
CASEY ANDREWS, PT, DPT, OCS
Casey can be reached at casey@apexptwellness.com.