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Yoga for a Happy Skeleton part 5: Carrying the world on your shoulders? Shrug them instead!

Ahimsa
Oct 5, 2015
4 min read

Consider the task your shoulders are faced with as you go about life expecting your arms to constantly do your bidding. Yes, that’s right, those long limbs dangling at your sides are incredibly demanding characters. At the end of them are your hands – complex, multi-functional units that do everything from waving goodbye to weight lifting to painting the Mona Lisa. Lift this, throw that, pull this, prod that, swing from this, catch that, hug your friend, walk on your hands, scratch your back, pat your head and rub your tummy…. On and on it goes, the list of actions we expect our arms to do is infinite. And the shoulders are where those arms connect to the rest of the body, which is the source of coordination, energy, instructions and strength.

MY STUDENTS IN INDIA AT BIHAR SCHOOL OF YOGA

In mechanical terms the arm is a long lever that the shoulder joint must lift in a variety of directions. Our learned friend super-physiotherapist Sarah Key is amazed at what the shoulder does: “As with so many things about the human body,” she writes, “this feat is remarkable. Your arm is extremely unwieldy in relation to the length and power of its controlling collar muscles. All of them act at a significant mechanical disadvantage…”[1]

You see, the shoulder socket is exceptionally shallow. This allows its astonishing flexibility and range of movement. Sarah says this “sloppy utility” plus the “background ability of the scapula to put itself in position” are the keys to the wondrous functioning of the shoulder. The strength and mobility of the scapula (shoulder blade) enable the shoulder to fulfill its demanding role in spite of the shallow joint and its small rotator cuff muscles.

However, like any piece of equipment that does a tricky job against the odds it is vulnerable to misuse and abuse. Problems develop due to:

Joint stiffness
Joint looseness
Weakness of scapula muscles
Scapula stiffness

Esoteric dimension

Your shoulders are situated between anahata and vishuddhi chakras. Tension and disorder in the shoulders influences both these

pranic centres and surrounding regions. The shoulder blades surround the spine where anahata is located and their physical influence across the back of the chest wall associates them with hridayakasha, the heart space wherein atma, the

subtle spirit dwells. The prana vayu flows upward from the diaphragm to the neck, involved with the functioning of the organs within the chest. This is the home of the lungs and the breath, the heart and the heart emotions. Chronic tension in the upper back may be a way of armouring, or protecting the vulnerability of your fragile self. The way you breathe matters in all this. Yoga asana, prayanama, yoga nidra and meditation bring release of physical tensions, free up prana and strengthen you mentally, emotionally, energetically and psychically.

What can go wrong

Shoulder stiffness at its worst becomes frozen shoulder
Shoulder looseness at its worst results in repeated dislocation
Inflammation e.g. from repetitive action

How to be kind and respectful to your shoulders

Take care how you lift, especially heavy things. Don’t lift with rounded shoulders. Ensure that you stabilize and brace the shoulder blades before lifting.
Good posture is vital – that means maintaining optimal spinal curves (see previous blogs), and avoiding both forward slumping shoulders and pulled back shoulders.
Maintain range of movement in the shoulder joint and the scapula – yoga is excellent for this.
Keep the shoulder and scapula muscles strong enough (no need for body building...).
Ensure good ergonomics for computer use. The mouse and laptop mouse pad are shoulder killers. I speak from personal experience. A few ground rules make all the difference.
If you must use a computer for hours on end, regularly stretch and move your shoulders – desk yoga recommended. (sounds like another blog topic...)

Computer ergonomics to look after your shoulders

Avoid having your mouse arm extended far from the body – this keeps the shoulder in constant tension. It’s particularly bad if your arm is also raised at an angle to reach it. A pullout keyboard shelf helps by lowering the height. Ideally, the mouse is used quite close to your body so that your arm is as relaxed as possible. Experiment with positioning of the mouse and you’ll see what I mean. I've done a lot of computer work with the mouse on a clipboard in my lap. Shoulder and wrist both love it.
Laptops are your body’s worst enemy. When using for extended lengths of time, set it up with a plug in keyboard and mouse and raise the height of the screen to eye level.
Use keyboard shortcuts as much as possible - avoid the mouse.
Regularly check for tension in your arms and shoulders and try to consciously let it go.

BLOGSTATION

Sadhana for happy shoulders

All asanas are named according to Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar Yoga Publications. Buy here

Pawanmuktasana part 1 for the upper body, particularly the shoulder rotations.
Majariasana (cat pose) and parvatasana (mountain pose) as a sequence
TTK - code for tadasana (palm tree pose), tiryaka tadasana (swaying palm tree) and kati chakrasana (waist rotation pose)
Dwikonasana (double angle pose)
Gomukasana (cow's face pose)
Garudasana (eagle pose)
Sarvangasana (shoulder stand pose)
Setu asana (bridge pose)
Sarpasana (snake pose)
Full yogic breathing
Viloma pranayama
Yoga nidra

Yoga Day by Day by Swami Ahimsadhara Saraswati gives instructions for a sadhana that takes the spine through its range of movement. Buy here.

APP TO HELP YOU WITH PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONS

A friend of mine has made an app that has all the practices - easy to look up how to do the asana, pranayama etc recommended in this blog. It's called Yoga Insight and costs $2.99. Available for apple and android devices - www.yogainsightapp.com