Gentle Yoga Flows to Open the Chest and the Shoulders: A Complete Guide for Who Feels Stiff

Why the Chest and the Shoulders Accumulate So Much Tension

If one works many hours at the desk, if one carries the weight of the bag always on the same shoulder, if one sleeps with the arms folded under the pillow, the result is always the same: the chest closes, the shoulders go forward, and the upper part of the back becomes rigid like a board. In Italy we say that the body «remembers» every posture, and it is true. The muscles of the pectorals become short, the muscles between the shoulder blades become weak, and the breathing becomes shallow, because the ribcage does not expand as it should.

This is not only a question of aesthetics or of a small pain in the morning. When the chest remains closed for months, also the circulation in the upper part of the body works with more difficulty. The blood returns to the heart with more fatigue, the neck becomes tense, and one feels that tiredness that does not pass even after the sleep.

The good news is this: with gentle movements, done with constancy and without forcing, one can change this situation in a few weeks. It is not necessary to do acrobatics. It is necessary to be regular.

The Breathing: The First Step Before Every Movement

Before entering in the practice, one must remember a fundamental thing: the breathing is the key that opens the door. Without a conscious breathing, the yoga becomes only gymnastics.

One sits in a comfortable position, with the spine straight but not rigid. The hands rest on the knees. Now, one inhales slowly from the nose for four counts, feeling the air that fills first the belly, then the ribcage, and finally the upper part of the chest. One exhales from the mouth for six counts, and with the exhale one lets the shoulders descend away from the ears.

One repeats this for five breaths. Already here, if one pays attention, the shoulders descend a little. The jaw releases. This is the foundation. Without this, the flows that come after are less effective.

A Morning Sequence: Five Minutes to Wake Up the Upper Body

In the morning, the muscles are cold and one must be gentle. This sequence one can do still in the bedroom, also before the coffee.

First movement – The cat that opens: One goes on all fours, with the hands under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. Inhaling, one arches the back and lifts the chest forward and upward, as if one wants to show the heart to the wall in front. The shoulders go back, the head remains in line with the spine. Exhaling, one rounds the back. One repeats eight times, slowly.

Second movement – The thread of the needle: From the same position on all fours, one inhales and opens the right arm toward the ceiling, rotating the chest. The gaze follows the hand. Exhaling, the right arm passes under the left one, and the shoulder touches the floor. One does five repetitions per side. This movement is wonderful because it works on the rotation of the thoracic spine, which is exactly where the stiffness lives.

Third movement – The puppy that melts: One remains on all fours but walks the hands forward, keeping the hips above the knees. The chest descends toward the floor, and the forehead touches the ground. One breathes here for ten slow breaths. The stretch is felt in the shoulders, in the upper part of the back, and in the sides of the ribcage.

Fourth movement – The hands behind the back: One stands up. The feet are at the width of the hips. One interlaces the fingers behind the back, straightens the arms, and lifts the hands away from the buttocks. The chest opens, the shoulders go down. One holds for five breaths.

An Evening Flow: To Release What the Day Has Accumulated

In the evening, the goal is different. One does not want to activate, one wants to let go. The movements are slower, the breaths are longer.

The supported fish: One places a rolled blanket or a cushion under the upper part of the back, between the shoulder blades. One lies down on it, with the arms open to the sides, palms up. The head rests on the floor or on a thin pillow. One remains here for three minutes, breathing deeply. The chest opens passively, and the shoulders release their weight toward the floor.

The eagle arms: From a seated position, one crosses the right arm under the left, bends the elbows, and brings the palms together in front of the face. The elbows lift to the height of the shoulders. One breathes five times, then one changes side. This movement stretches exactly the muscles that become tight when one types on the keyboard all the day.

The reclined twist: One lies on the back, hugs the knees to the chest, then lets both knees fall to the right side while the arms open in a T. One breathes into the left side of the ribcage, where the stretch is felt. After one minute, one changes side.

The Support to the Circulation: What One Should Know

Here I want to say a thing that many people forget. The yoga helps the muscles and the joints, yes. But the chest and the shoulders are also a zone where pass important blood vessels, where the circulation must flow without obstacles. When one works to open this area, one works also for the blood, for the veins, for the heart.

In my experience, the practice gives better results when one takes care also of the internal part, not only the external. A correct hydration, a alimentation rich in vegetables of dark green colour, and in some cases a natural support for the vascular tone. For example, there are integrators thought specifically for the wellbeing of the vessels, like Cardiobalance, that one can consider as an aid alongside the movement. It is not a question of substituting the yoga with a pill, absolutely not. It is a question of giving to the body a complete attention. If one is curious to understand better what it contains and how it works, the information is available on cardiobalance.biz and one can evaluate with tranquillity if it is suitable for the own situation.

What is important is this: the circulation improves when one combines the mechanical work of the movement with the care of what one puts inside the body. The two things go together, like the inhale and the exhale.

Practical Advice for Who Begins

If one has never done yoga, or if one has not moved the body in a long time, these are the indications that I give always:

• One does not forces. The stretch must be felt, but it must never be a sharp pain. If it pinches, one reduces the amplitude.
• The constancy counts more than the duration. Five minutes every day are better than forty minutes once at the week.
• One does not compares oneself with the images on the internet. Every body has its history, its shoulders, its chest.
• One breathes always. If one holds the breath, the body contracts instead of releasing. The breath is the signal that says to the muscles: «You can let go.»
• One practises on an empty stomach , or at least two hours after the lunch. The chest must be free to expand.

A simple week could look like this:

When It Is Better to Be Cautious

The gentle yoga is for almost everyone, and I say «almost» because honesty is necessary. If one has a recent injury to the shoulder, if one has had an intervention to the chest or to the spine, if one feels a pain that is not the normal stretch but something acute and localised, one speaks with the doctor before beginning. This is not a limitation. This is respect for the own body.

Also, if one takes medications for the pressure or for the heart, one mentions the practice to the own physician, so that one can advise on the positions to avoid (for example, the inversions, but in the flows that I have described here there are not inversions, so one is quite safe).

The body is not a machine to fix. It is a companion to listen to. And the chest, with its ribs, its heart, its breath, is the centre of this listening. One opens it slowly, with patience, and the whole body says thank you.