Free up your chest, neck and shoulders while creating more flexibility in your back. Hunching the shoulders is an unconscious way for the body to "armour" or "protect" the heart. Try these heart-opening positions to improve posture and allow for a little more love to enter your orbit.
Let your belly fall towards the floor. Look up.
Push your hands into the ground and round the spine up towards the ceiling.
Stack the hips on top of the knees. Let your arms reach forward as you guide your heart towards the ground.
Set your forearms on the floor parallel to one another Bring the arms into an L-shape. Lift your upper torso and head away from the floor into a mild backbend. Energetically pull the chest forward.
Standing on the knees, bring arms wide behind you. Belly stays firm to prevent pinching in the lower back. Reach the chest up and back. Stretch is in the upper back.
Cross left arm under the right. Twist and push forearms together to create resistance in the arms. Allow upper back to bend forward. Repeat on other side, twisting right arm underneath the left.
Squat. Push elbows into inner thighs. Bring hands into prayer pose. Elongate the spine straight as much as possible. Beginners can use a block under the buttocks for support.
Bring the knees towards one another. Allow the arms to be pushed into your centreline by the knees. Curve the upper back including the neck. **See next image for another angle of the same pose!
Bring the knees towards one another. Allow the arms to be pushed into your centreline by the knees. Curve the upper back including the neck.
Sit on the knees or in any comfortable seated position. Bring the left hand to the ground beside you. Allow gravity to pull the right ear towards the right shoulder.
Sit on the knees or in any comfortable seated position. Bring the right hand to the ground beside you. Allow gravity to pull the left ear towards the left shoulder.
Sit on the knees or in any comfortable seated position. Slowly let the head fall back. Let gravity stretch the front of the neck.
Sit on the knees or in any comfortable seated position. Slowly let the head fall forwards. Let gravity stretch the back of the neck.
Sit on bum. Plant feet on the floor in front of you. Bring hands behind you with fingertips pointing towards the buttocks. Broaden your chest towards the sky. Look towards the sky.
From the last pose, ground into hands and feet. Engage belly and pull pelvis up into a reverse table top position. Broaden through front side of the body. Feel the stretch in the shoulders as well.
From the last pose, slowly straighten legs. Keep pelvis and chest lifted. If safe, allow the neck to release and bring your gaze behind you.
Stand on your knees. Bring hands to lower back (if comfortable, fingers pointing towards the head). Keep arms parallel and pulling in towards one another. Engage belly to stabilise the lower back. Slowly broaden the chest, allowing the upper back to bend backwards.
Following from last pose, if it feels safe for your body, continue broadening chest and release the hands towards the feet. If you feel pain in your lower back you have gone too far - remain with the previous pose as your full expression.
Rest. Childs pose. Bring feet and knees together. Allow head to rest on the floor or a block. Bring arms towards feet. Allow hips to fall towards the feet.