Crack Up

I had a great moment on the subway last week, when a passenger started laughing out of the blue, and everyone in the compartment was infected. And we didn’t stop for about five minutes until everyone was lying down on the floor trying holding our bellies, hardly breathing, still laughing. I missed my stop and had to exit and re-enter from the other side. But it was worth the laugh! Total strangers that shared the space of laughter and were able to de-stress in less than five minutes… Before I left the subway, I glanced at everyone. They were all smiling. They had given their woes, and worries, their aches and pains a break. A much needed break. As for myself, the shoulder pain that had been bothering me for over a week went away. I felt lighter and happier.

Laughing is infectious and so healthy. It triggers the release of a cocktail of happy chemicals that boost the immune system and loosen up tight shoulders. Laughter diminishes the secretion of cortisol, the stress-inducing hormone and speeds up the secretion of endorphins that make us feel good about ourselves. A good self-worth is an indication of relaxed shoulders. Contrary, tight shoulders block and seal unresolved emotions in the body. Shoulder pain is a result of withholding information in regards to issue of identity and self-confidence.

When I left the train I thought I should design a routine that makes the shoulders smile and laugh. It was so much fun to think of non-trivial binds easy on the shoulders, but extremely deep in releasing emotional residue. To rhyme with the binds, I came up with poses that were accessible and able to support and hug the shoulder twists, so the body wouldn’t struggle maintaining the balance.  Yes, the hugging action is very important when we want to wash away tension from any joint, but when it comes to the shoulders it’s even more useful. The shoulder embrace creates an inner rapport of push and pull with an added curl to it. Thus, the joint is protected, the tendon is stretched and the cartilage is nourished and oiled.

I learned this method from Bob Cooley’s “Genius of flexibility” where resistance stretching paved the way to a flexible and engaged joint network. The hugging creates an inner dome of friction were the joints float suspended held by each other. What a marvelous way to support with no effort, but just by a synergy of hinge points that the body forms at each joint.

Shoulder Opening Yoga Routine: Crack Up (open level)

This Yoga routine is uniquely blended with innovative twists and strengthening poses to provide torsion, flexion, rotation and extension in the shoulder joint safely and freely. It will leave your arms spacious, your shoulders lubricated, and your confidence beaming.

Leave a Reply

Please calculate the following equation so we know you are a human *