Shoveling in your Future? Don’t Forget to Stretch!

Living in the Northeast and with the recent Winter Storm Nemo passing through, shoveling has been at the forefront of our winter.  If you’re like me, finding an opportunity to stretch and counter the effects of overworked muscles, may be a welcome relief to your back and shoulders.

For those looking for an efficient back and shoulder stretching sequence, consider the following:

Begin in a tabletop pose – on all fours, wrists directly under your shoulders, knees hip-width apart, as you look back between your knees your toes and ankles are in-line so you can’t see them.  Choose a neutral spin or cow pose (lift tail, drop your belly and lift your chest) with your gaze straight ahead.  Inhale here.

 

As your exhale, bend in your elbows, dropping your chin and chest between your hands, keeping your hips high in the air.

 

 

Inhale, lower your hips to the floor as you roll your chest forward, drawing your shoulders and elbows back into a cobra pose.  Keep your collar bone broad.  There is minimal weight on your wrists here, the lift of your upper body comes from your rise of your chest.

Exhale in cobra pose.
 

On your next inhale, lift your chest and hips off the floor, returning to a tabletop pose.

Then tucking your toes under, on your next exhale breath lift your hips and come into downward facing dog pose.

 

 

Attempt to hold downward facing dog pose for three breaths, on your third exhalation breath, drop into child’s pose.  Hold child’s pose for as long as feels comfortable to you.

 

Sequencing these poses together gives your back and shoulders a chance to elongate and rejuvenate, keeping you active and healthy this winter.  Happy shoveling and stretching…

~The divine in me salutes the divine in you, Namaste~