It is all too common to find stiffness, aches and pains, and general immobility in the upper body. We all spend entirely too much time hunched over some piece of technology or another. Give yourself a few minutes to work through these 7 stretches to improve mobility in your shoulders, upper, mid and lower back.

1. Cat/Cow Variation – Begin on hands and knees, walking the hands a couple of inches past the shoulders to widen the stance. As you inhale, drop the belly, lift the gaze and curl the tailbone up. Exhale to round through the spine, and press the hips back to a child’s pose. Keeping the palms as they are to get a stretch through the shoulders and arm pits. Move through 5 or so rounds with the breath.

2. Child’s Pose Variation – Keeping the knees and feet as they are, sink the hips all the way back towards the heels. Lift up on the fingertips, elbows off the mat. Drop the forehead to the ground. Think of pushing the armpits to the mat. Hold for several breaths.

3. Rabbit Pose – Staying where you are, bring the hands back to grab the heels. Rock gently onto the crown of the head. Lift the seat off the heels, while keeping hold of them.

4. Camel Variation – Sit up on heels. Bring the left hand back behind you. Then sweep the right hand up and over as you lift the hips up. Feeling a stretch in the thighs along with the back bend. Lower the hips and hand and then alternate.

5. Puppy Pose – Come back to table top. Keep the hips stacked directly over the knees as you walk the hands ahead of you until the forehead comes to rest on the ground. Melt the chest down. For a more active version, keep the elbow elevated off the mat, pushing hands into the floor. Draw the low belly in.

6. Low Lunge with Back Bend – Lift back to table top before stepping the right foot to the top of the mat. Push into the feet to lift up to low lunge. For this variation, open the arms out to a cactus shape with elbows bend and fingers reaching up. Stay firm and strong through the core. Squeeze the shoulder blades back behind you for a gentle back bend.

7. Humble Warrior – Circle the palms down, tuck the back toes and lift the left knee up. Spinning the left foot parallel to the short edge of the mat. Lift up to Warrior 2, then bring the hands back behind you. Interlacing the fingers and opening the heart. Then dive down inside of the front leg. Reaching the knuckles up towards the sky.

Repeat 6 and 7 through on the other side.

These poses come from a 15 minute video sequence on my channel. Practice along with me below.

Kassandra

ABOUT ME

Welcome to my blog, where I share with you with my passion for yoga and wellness. This is a collection of classes, pose tutorials, personal blog entries, delicious recipes, fashion and lifestyle. For full length yoga classes, visit my website at www.yogawithkassandra.com ,  click here →

7 FREE & FULL LENGTH YIN YOGA CLASSES – CLICK IMAGE TO START

#1 ONLINE YIN & VINYASA YOGA CLASSES

RECENT POSTS

An Ending for a New Beginning (Pisces Yoga)

An Ending for a New Beginning (Pisces Yoga)

Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, and works with the power of the in between. The threshold, the ending holding space for a new beginning. Pisces people need some grounding and rooting poses, particularly in the third eye (area of intuition) and crown chakra...

Slow Flow Morning Yoga with Blocks

Slow Flow Morning Yoga with Blocks

Blocks are the single most underrated prop in yoga. They are an incredible resource to use at all levels of practice. Here's a sequence of 7 poses to try out, mostly using blocks, to switch up and improve your practice. Calf and Foot Stretch - Start standing at the...

7 Core Focused Yoga Exercises

7 Core Focused Yoga Exercises

If you are working on strengthening your core, you need to not just think about the abdominals - but also the obliques, hip flexors and muscles along the spine. These 7 poses, stretches, and exercises will give you a well rounded yoga sequence to support the full...