Build Towards A Bind

Build Towards A Bind

MOBILITY

BUILD TOWARDS A BIND

I remember watching a clip on Matt’s Instagram years ago, breaking down how to achieve the bind in Side Angle. At the time, I was chasing the bind the only way I knew how—by trying to get “more open.” I thought the key was in pushing further, straining deeper. But every time I tried to force it, I could feel my body resisting and the potential for injury growing. Then Matt said something that stopped me: “Internally rotate to get under the leg first, bind, and then open the chest.” Internally rotate? It felt so backward. But I gave it a try. And it worked—immediately. I was hooked. That single shift reshaped everything. That’s the beauty of Chromatic Yoga—it’s not about chasing flexibility but cultivating clarity, structure, and progressive strength. When we build towards a bind, it’s not about forcing. It’s about strategizing. It’s about understanding.

chromatic yoga 15 hour immersion

SCORPION 2-HOUR ONLINE WORKSHOP

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

  • Learn how to access pain-free heart openers
  • Shoulder Alignment, Bio-Mechanics Strength & Mobility
  • Wrist Strength & Health
  • Technique-infused 2-hour workshop
  • Step-by-step tutorials for each heart opener
  • Decrease low back discomfort
  • Increase spinal strength, stability, and support
  • Injury Awareness: Avoiding spinal compression
  • Debunk popular alignment with anatomy knowledge
  • Skillfully guided sequence by the founder of Chromatic Yoga, Matt Giordano
  • ON DEMAND: Available immediately, lifetime access

CHROMATIC YOGA

Chromatic Yoga is not a style—it’s an intelligent system rooted in education and exploration. It’s designed to help us move through the practice step by step, anchored by awareness and strategy. When we build towards a bind, or any posture really, it’s the clarity of process that takes us there. Matt’s approach is inspired by the Koshas—the five layers of self. It’s a reminder that we’re not just muscles and bones, but energy, breath, intellect, and spirit too. By understanding and differentiating these layers, we can direct our energy and attention with precision. Our intellect—our buddhi—benefits from breaking things down into digestible steps. We learn to ask the right questions, to discern between physical challenge and mental resistance. This way, we move inward with purpose. When we explore a bind, we do it from the inside out—layer by layer, building both body and insight.

FORWARD FOLD SHOULDER DRILL

Matt opens the practice with a Forward Fold shoulder drill that begins the biomechanical journey toward a bind. While folded, we interlace the hands behind the back, initiating internal rotation in the shoulders. Pressing the thumbs together activates the rotator muscles and teaches the body coordination between internal and external movement. As we retract the shoulder blades and straighten the elbows, gravity helps draw the arms toward the ground, but we don’t surrender entirely—we press into the thumb side of the hand for isometric engagement. Coming to stand while keeping the arms lifted above the buttocks, we move dynamically between forward fold and upright chest expansion. This alternation wires the neuromuscular system to support a bind without passivity. The triceps, rear deltoids, and even the rhomboids come online. Strength, not just openness, becomes our guide. It’s a powerful, foundational step as we build towards a bind with stability.

WATCH THE VIDEO

BUILD TOWARDS A BIND: MOVE FROM PROCESS TO POTENTIAL

WHAT IF THERE’S TOO MUCH RESTRICTION?

When we explore Humble Warrior, the bind-like position behind the back can feel like a wall. For many of us, pressing the palms together isn’t accessible—and Matt explains why. Tightness in the anterior deltoids and pectoralis major may be the culprit, making it hard to broaden the chest enough to narrow the back body. But that doesn’t mean we’re blocked. Instead, we explore with a prop: a block placed between the hands behind the back. This increases the space between the arms, making the rotation accessible while still building strength and proprioception. As we squeeze the block, we learn the actions of the bind without forcing the shape. It’s a tool for re-patterning. Restriction isn’t the end of the road—it’s the beginning of better inquiry. Each adjustment and prop is an invitation to explore smarter, so we can safely build towards a bind, even in a modified form.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

BOUND SIDE ANGLE

Now we’re ready to integrate the full mechanics of the bind. Matt demonstrates that the key to Bound Side Angle is starting with internal rotation in both arms. The lower we get, the more accessible the connection becomes. The front shoulder dips under the thigh, and the hand reaches around to the lower back. With that arm in place, the opposite hand finds the wrist or fingertips. Once the grip is secured, the pose evolves. We press down through the heel, initiate rotation through the pelvis and spine, and expand into the full external rotation of the upper body. Opening happens from the inside. Rather than forcing the shape, we flow through intelligent transitions. The bind becomes a result, not the goal. When we build towards a bind with sequencing, strength, and patience, we gain a deeper sense of embodiment and ease—fueled not by flexibility alone, but by integration and intention.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

PLAN, PROCESS, PREVAIL

To build towards a bind is to plan, process, and prevail. Our plan begins with curiosity and information—learning about our bodies, gathering tools, and choosing our path. The process is where transformation lives: in drills, props, setbacks, and moments of insight. Sometimes the route we imagine isn’t the one that leads us to the bind—but that detour teaches us more than we expected. And prevailing? It’s not just about the clasp of the hands. It’s about choosing an approach that helps us move better, feel stronger, and understand our bodies with greater clarity. For me, it started with letting go of force and embracing internal rotation. That unexpected step back became a leap forward. When we commit to the plan, lean into the process, and trust ourselves enough to pivot when needed—we always prevail. Not just in the pose, but in our connection to practice, presence, and personal growth.

Take advantage and participate in the unfolding of the Chromatic process in Matt’s upcoming Scorpion 2-Hour Online Workshop.

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Chromatic Yoga 15 Hour Online Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

  • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
  • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
  • Appropriate for both teachers and students
  • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
  • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
  • Release aches and pains
  • Learn how to avoid common injuries
  • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
  • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
  • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
  • Lifetime access

Continue Learning

Build Towards A Bind

Build Towards A Bind

Build Towards A BindMOBILITYBUILD TOWARDS A BIND I remember watching a clip on Matt’s Instagram years ago, breaking down how to achieve the bind in Side Angle. At the time, I was chasing the bind the only way I knew how—by trying to get “more open.” I thought the key...

read more
Strong Hands For Handstand

Strong Hands For Handstand

Strong Hands For HandstandSTABILITYSTRONG HANDS FOR HANDSTAND When it comes to building strength for handstand, it starts at the base: our hands. Developing strong hands means targeting the wrist flexors, the very muscles that help create a trustworthy foundation....

read more
Handstand Actions

Handstand Actions

Handstand ActionsLEAN, GRIP, PUSHHANDSTAND ACTIONS Handstand isn’t something we conquer in a single class, it’s a layered process that demands repetition and refinement. There are certain key handstand actions that are non-negotiable: lifting the shoulders up to the...

read more
Handstand Mechanics

Handstand Mechanics

Handstand MechanicsINVERSIONHANDSTAND MECHANICS Stability, strength, and coordination come together in the pursuit of mastering handstand mechanics. One of the most critical foundations is internal rotation at the hip joints, which can aid with certain entries and...

read more
Stable Sirsasana

Stable Sirsasana

Stable SirsasanaHEADSTANDSTABLE SIRSASANA Creating a stable Sirsasana is less about the final pose and more about the mechanics that lead us there. From weight transfer and spinal alignment to hamstring flexibility and shoulder engagement, each layer matters. Unlike...

read more
Explore Hip Rotation

Explore Hip Rotation

Explore Hip RotationSURYA YANTRASANAEXPLORE HIP ROTATION Hip rotation isn’t just an anatomical concept—it’s an open invitation to become more intimate with our body’s story. In yoga, we often live in lateral (external) rotation, especially in hip-opening postures....

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
  • exclusive online course discounts
  • exclusive blogs and videos
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Internal Rotation: Strengthen From The Inside Out

Internal Rotation: Strengthen from the Inside Out

Shoulder Mobility

INTERNAL ROTATION: STRENGTHENING FROM THE INSIDE OUT

It’s not unusual for us to find ourselves spending too much time in a slouched position. It could be due to a job, our poor habits on our electronic devices, or difficult emotional periods. Being in this slouched position means that our shoulders are favouring internal rotation. It doesn’t mean that we should never be in this state; the anatomy of the shoulder absolutely allows for it. It’s when we are unconsciously, inactively allowing this posture to be our default that we can run into issues. This is why focused, intentional work is critical for overall shoulder health.

If shoulder internal rotation is the focus of a given practice, our approach must include more than just the internal rotators. The drills and techniques Matt provides in today’s video teach us not to leave anything behind when it comes to strength and overall mobility.

chromatic yoga 15 hour immersion

REVELATION

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

  • 10 Chromatic Yoga practices with founder Matt Giordano
  • Full-spectrum immersion covering all posture categories
  • Includes twists, folds, hip openers, shoulders, arm balances, and more
  • Improve your body awareness and advance your practice
  • Technique, biomechanics, and alignment at the forefront
  • 12 Continuing Education hours with Yoga Alliance
  • 12 Accredited Hours with the Chromatic School of Yoga
  • Step-by-step instruction for increased accessibility
  • Improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception
  • Appropriate variations and modifications for all levels

MOVE WITH PRECISION

Prone Drill

In the first drill we get a sense of how to find greater range almost immediately.  Matt cues a lift in the armpit allows the humerus to move more freely in the joint.  It helps to decrease the collision of the humerus with the acromion.  Here, we work on control and stability which are also essential components of mobility. 

Standing Drill

This is similar to the previous drill except that of course, we are standing.  What we’re also doing is working through internal rotation along with external rotation but with both arms at the same time.

Practicing these drills help to build healthy patterning of movement along with deep strengthening and stability within the joint.

WATCH THE VIDEO

INTERNAL ROTATION: STRENGTHEN FROM THE INSIDE OUT: TRANSFORMATIVE DRILLS FOR INDESTRUCTIBLE SHOULDER HEALTH

SOCK DRILLS

What’s great about these shoulder internal rotation drills is that they can be easily integrated into our regular yoga practice and/or mobility work.

The sock drills Matt demonstrates in the video will test our endurance.  As far as the anatomy is concerned, the two major muscles in the rotator cuff that create internal rotation (subscapularis and teres major) will be at work, along with the front deltoid muscles, the pectoralis major, and latissimus dorsi. 

We really focus on latissimus dorsi in the second drill which is essentially a prone “lat pull down”.  To increase the intensity of this drill, Matt instructs us to press down with our hands firmly.  Latissimus Dorsi activation really sets in when we lift the armpits.  The action of lifting the armpits, we come to realize, is an important one if we want to be successful in strengthening internal rotation of the shoulders.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

SIDE ANGLE BIND OPTIONS

After preparing for optimal internal rotation of the shoulder through both strengthening and awareness of how to move, Side Angle pose with bind options really showcases the work we’ve done.  

One of the key things is simply opportunity.  If we set ourselves up “correctly”, then we provide ourselves with the opportunity to execute the necessary actions for success in the binding portion of this posture.  The first thing is getting the shoulder under the front leg (which Matt demonstrates in a “humble warrior-like position”) in order to create enough space for the shoulder to move freely into internal rotation.  This allows the arm to wrap around and for the hands to clasp/bind.  What we also receive from Matt in the video, are 3 possible ways to engage with a bind.  Engaging in these can be either practice or preparation.  It all depends on where we are in the journey.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

THE DEEP WORK ISN’T FANCY WORK

One of the things that’s great about Chromatic yoga is that you’re provided with the right tools for the “deep work”.  We may understand that we need to work on a particular aspect of our practice, like “I know I need to work on internal rotation of the shoulder joint”, but we may not know exactly what to do.  There are less questions about where to start with the Chromatic yoga approach.  It doesn’t mean that we have all the answers right away, but we always have a starting point for exploration and it’s always about inserting ourselves in the right spot.  From there, it means there is room for potential and growth.  

Matt’s next online immersion Revelation is going to give you access to a plethora of techniques along the full spectrum of your asana practice. Register today in order to deepen your practice and realize your fullest potential.

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Shoulder Mobility Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

  • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
  • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
  • Appropriate for both teachers and students
  • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
  • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
  • Release aches and pains
  • Learn how to avoid common injuries
  • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
  • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
  • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
  • Lifetime access

Continue Learning

Build Towards A Bind

Build Towards A Bind

Build Towards A BindMOBILITYBUILD TOWARDS A BIND I remember watching a clip on Matt’s Instagram years ago, breaking down how to achieve the bind in Side Angle. At the time, I was chasing the bind the only way I knew how—by trying to get “more open.” I thought the key...

read more
Strong Hands For Handstand

Strong Hands For Handstand

Strong Hands For HandstandSTABILITYSTRONG HANDS FOR HANDSTAND When it comes to building strength for handstand, it starts at the base: our hands. Developing strong hands means targeting the wrist flexors, the very muscles that help create a trustworthy foundation....

read more
Handstand Actions

Handstand Actions

Handstand ActionsLEAN, GRIP, PUSHHANDSTAND ACTIONS Handstand isn’t something we conquer in a single class, it’s a layered process that demands repetition and refinement. There are certain key handstand actions that are non-negotiable: lifting the shoulders up to the...

read more
Handstand Mechanics

Handstand Mechanics

Handstand MechanicsINVERSIONHANDSTAND MECHANICS Stability, strength, and coordination come together in the pursuit of mastering handstand mechanics. One of the most critical foundations is internal rotation at the hip joints, which can aid with certain entries and...

read more
Stable Sirsasana

Stable Sirsasana

Stable SirsasanaHEADSTANDSTABLE SIRSASANA Creating a stable Sirsasana is less about the final pose and more about the mechanics that lead us there. From weight transfer and spinal alignment to hamstring flexibility and shoulder engagement, each layer matters. Unlike...

read more
Explore Hip Rotation

Explore Hip Rotation

Explore Hip RotationSURYA YANTRASANAEXPLORE HIP ROTATION Hip rotation isn’t just an anatomical concept—it’s an open invitation to become more intimate with our body’s story. In yoga, we often live in lateral (external) rotation, especially in hip-opening postures....

read more

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
  • exclusive online course discounts
  • exclusive blogs and videos
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

BLACK FRIDAY: 30% OFF ALL ONLINE IMMERSIONS & WORKSHOPS !
0
days
0
hours
0
minutes
0
seconds
BLACK FRIDAY: 30% OFF ALL ONLINE IMMERSIONS & WORKSHOPS!
0
days
0
hours
0
minutes
0
seconds
BLACK FRIDAY SALE! Congratulations, your 30% discount code has been applied and will be reflected at the very bottom of the checkout page. All Immersions & Immersion Bundles are included in this sale. To get more info on each immersion click on the photo. On Demand and Lifetime Access To all
Overlay Image
BLACK FRIDAY SALE! Congratulations, your 30% discount code has been applied and will be reflected at the very bottom of the checkout page. All Immersions & Immersion Bundles are included in this sale. To get more info on each immersion click on the photo. On Demand and Lifetime Access To all

Pin It on Pinterest