Muscle Group: Shoulders

Downward dog: the foundational yoga pose. The pose that is supposed to "reset everything." The pose that feels so good to practice when you wake up.

We have heard it before: pull your shoulders down and back for the best posture. For some people, however, especially those with "sloped" shoulders, this can aggravate neck tension and may even cause tingling down into the arms.

Yoga can benefit the shoulders in many ways. Heart-opening poses stretch tight pecs and strengthen rhomboids by drawing the shoulder blades together. Planks and chaturangas build strength in the shoulder girdle muscles, including lats, pecs, and serratus anterior. Mindful movement engages the rotator cuff to help stabilize the humerus in the socket.

When attempting good posture, we often "pull the shoulder blades back." This usually feels good, because it counteracts our forward bending and slouching tendencies.