A Yoga Treatment For The Shoulders

by Trisha Curling | Feb 26, 2026 | Main Page Display

A Yoga Treatment For The Shoulders

STABILITY

A YOGA TREATMENT FOR THE SHOULDERS

Shoulders tend to speak up when stability is missing. Matt reminds us that building strength isn’t about aesthetics, it’s about support, resilience, and keeping the body working as one integrated system. This practice becomes a yoga treatment for the shoulders by addressing vulnerability with intelligent loading and clear mechanics. What looks simple on the surface asks us to organize the back body, refine scapular placement, and strengthen the muscles that hold us upright. Reverse plank becomes our entry point, activating the rear deltoids, triceps, and upper back while teaching the shoulder heads to roll back into safer alignment. Instead of chasing stretch, we build structure. When structure improves, health follows, because strong shoulders don’t just move better, they stabilize everything above and below them.

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TARGET THE REAR DELTOIDS

From Reverse Plank, Matt directs us to internally rotate the arms while rolling the shoulder heads back, immediately waking up the posterior shoulder fibers. Pressing the hands down and back engages the triceps and rear deltoids, creating shoulder extension while drawing the shoulder blades toward each other. This is the opposite muscle pattern of plank and that contrast is a vital tool. As hips lift, we actively retract the scapula and feel the back body participate. This portion of a yoga treatment for the shoulders teaches us how pushing backward through the arms creates support through the upper spine. It’s not passive holding, it’s intentional effort that conditions the muscles behind the shoulders to carry load, preparing us for deeper backbends and arm-supported shapes later.

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A YOGA TREATMENT FOR THE SHOULDERS: 3 POSTURES TO ASSIST WITH STRENGTH & STABILITY

UPWARD FACING DOG MINI WORKSHOP

Before full Upward Dog, Matt slows everything down. Using blocks, we rehearse shoulder alignment first: shrug up, roll back, then press down through the hands while keeping the chest moving forward. That downward press lights up the posterior shoulders, triceps, and muscles between the shoulder blades. Only then do we add spinal extension. When we move into Upward Dog, knees start further forward so weight transfers clearly into the hands. Pulling the blocks back draws the chest through, lifting the heart without collapsing into the lower back. This phase of a yoga treatment for the shoulders teaches us that Upward Dog isn’t about hanging in flexibility, it’s about pressing, organizing, and letting the shoulders guide safe spinal lift.

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ISOMETRIC ROTATIONS

Side plank introduces opposing actions that stabilize the rotator cuff. Matt cues us to externally rotate the upper arm until the shoulder head rolls back, then internally rotate against that action without moving, creating an isometric lock. This co-contraction keeps the joint centered while we push through the hand and stack the feet. The power originates at the scapula and travels through the arm into the palm. He also reminds us to stay engaged as we exit poses, releasing effort only once weight is gone. This is a key injury prevention habit. These isometric rotations complete a yoga treatment for the shoulders, teaching us how opposing muscle groups work together to protect the joint under load.

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STABILITY YOU CAN CARRY FORWARD

What ties this practice together is awareness under effort. From reverse plank to Upward Dog to side plank, Matt shows us how deliberate activation builds lasting support. Rear deltoids, triceps, rotator cuff, and scapular stabilizers all learn to share responsibility instead of leaving the shoulders vulnerable. This is why framing these actions as a yoga treatment for the shoulders works. It trains coordination, not just muscles. As Matt demonstrates each drill, we see how structure creates freedom: shoulders roll back, hearts lift, and strength becomes functional. These aren’t isolated exercises, they’re transferable skills that show up in backbends, arm balances, and everyday posture. When we move with intention, the shoulders stop compensating and start cooperating.

If you missed it, you can still access Matt’s recent online yoga immersion Yoga For Strength. Get lifetime access here.

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Deep Dive Into Chaturanga

by Trisha Curling | Feb 8, 2024 | Main Page Display

Deep Dive Into Chaturanga

Shoulder Action Controversy

shoulder stability

DEEP DIVE INTO CHATURANGA

Earlier this week, Matt posted a video on his Instagram page highlighting the shoulder blade movement that takes place in Chaturanga—moving from protraction to retraction. This can be a tricky subject, and it was cause for some discussion in the comments on that video. He goes into more detail here.

When we’re taught to do something (such as the execution of a yoga posture) a certain way, it may be difficult to consider an alternative. The Chromatic yoga approach, however, is a nondogmatic one and requires that we create our own understanding through action and being open to new possibilities. There is always room for perspective. Now, Chaturanga can be a challenging posture due to the strength it requires, but in today’s video, we see a breakdown of the steps and gain insight into the anatomy in order to make informed choices in our yoga practice.

SHOULDER MASTERY

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SEQUENCING FOR THE SHOULDERS

The intelligent sequencing offered in a Chromatic yoga class helps us prepare our bodies for optimal positioning in a given posture.

In Chaturanga, there is a tendency for the scapulae to anterior tilt, causing the shoulders to punch forward into the anterior portion of the shoulder capsule. Over time, this can cause pain and/or increased wear and tear on the joint, not to mention the implications it may have for the neck, shoulders, back, and chest. What’s necessary is a healthy degree of external rotation. Matt demonstrates a few drills with a strap and blocks that help pattern the body in how to create the external rotation required for the pose. Why is this important? These drills teach us how to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles, which will help stabilize the shoulder joint and recruit the serratus anterior for a stronger descent in Chaturanga.

WATCH THE VIDEO

DEEP DIVE INTO CHATURANGA: SHOULDER ACTION CONTROVERSY

STRAP SETUP FOR THE SHOULDERS

These drills help us understand the foundations of the shoulder mechanics for Chaturanga.

Pull the Strap Apart

Here are the four key actions:

Take an underhand grip of the strap.
Pull the strap apart.
Move the shoulder heads back.
Bring the elbows in and forward.

This drill is not static; when watching the video, we see that there is actually movement back and forth, which will help strengthen the rotator cuff muscles.

Block in the Palm & Between the Elbow and the Body

This drill can be done without a block; however, the block between the body and elbow adds that extra awareness of activation and reminds to keep our elbows more narrow.

Essentially what’s happening here are movements back and forth between the internal and external rotation of the humerus. Holding the additional block in the supinated palm of the same arm helps emphasize the required external rotation for Chaturanga.

STRAP SETUP FOR THE SHOULDERS

These drills help us understand the foundations of the shoulder mechanics for Chaturanga.

Pull the Strap Apart

Here are the four key actions:

Take an underhand grip of the strap.
Pull the strap apart.
Move the shoulder heads back.
Bring the elbows in and forward.

This drill is not static; when watching the video, we see that there is actually movement back and forth, which will help strengthen the rotator cuff muscles.

Block in the Palm & Between the Elbow and the Body

This drill can be done without a block; however, the block between the body and elbow adds that extra awareness of activation and reminds to keep our elbows more narrow.

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CHATURANGA AT THE WALL

Transitioning to Chaturanga at the wall takes us to a closer setup of what position our bodies will be in. Of course, we are perpendicular to the floor in this variation, but we can negotiate hand and shoulder placement without the strength element. Matt has shown us variations at the wall before, and they are always helpful in navigating a posture.

One of the key points in this variation, however, is the push through the heel of the hands. This action both brings the bottom wing tip of the scapulae through the arm bone, which encourages the head of the humerus to pull back, and it helps recruit the muscles of the serratus anterior. We also gain a “band of stability” in the upper body once this is in place. Once we’ve explored here, it’s time to take Chaturanga to the mat.

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WHY PROTRACTION TO RETRACTION?

In the video, Matt demonstrates how the shoulder blades come in towards one another on the descent portion of Chaturanga. This is what might conjure up some controversy. Matt explains that we’re not just easily allowing them to come together; instead, we’re still trying to resist the retraction in the lowering phase until we’re almost at the ground level. It’s therefore a “fight” between the actions of protraction and retraction of the scapulae.

Remember the “push through the heel of the hand”? This ignites the protraction. The goal is to allow the shoulder blades to retract at a slow pace. Too often, we find that if there is no retraction, we can fall into the anterior tilt of the scapulae more easily. If there is no movement of the scapulae, it can affect the muscles in the front and the back of the neck by causing more strain.

ALLOW MOVEMENT TO TAKE PLACE

In this full workshop (The Shoulder Reset), Matt explains that going from protraction to retraction means that we are allowing the shoulder joint to move as it was designed. We are allowing gravity to do its job. When allowing the movement from protraction to retraction to take place, we are creating an eccentric contraction, which will offer a smooth descent. It will also translate into creating lightness and ease in a jump back.

The good news is that Matt’s offering a 3-part workshop series this month, Shoulder Mastery The education we can look forward to will have a profound effect on our yoga practice overall.

Part I is all about shoulder mobility and heart openers, and Part II delves into shoulder strength and arm balances. Part III tackles inversions, binds, and neck & shoulder releases.

Click Shoulder Mastery to register.

See you on the mat!

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Videos Extracted From: The Shoulder Reset

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Awaken Your Rotator Cuff Muscles

by Trisha Curling | Jan 18, 2024 | Main Page Display

Awaken Your Rotator Cuff Muscles

6 Exercises for a More Stable Side Plank

BELIEF

AWAKEN YOUR ROTATOR CUFF MUSCLES

The rotator cuff muscles carry a great deal of responsibility. When healthy and strong, they help to keep the head of the humerus inside of the glenoid fossa, the cavity of the joint. Because it’s a ball and socket joint, the shoulder joint can be quite vulnerable, so awareness of its positioning in postures that require stability is essential. On the mat, there are many opportunities to bear weight on the shoulders, which can prove challenging if we don’t know how to stabilize in postures that require this type of support. Moreover, if we neglect to maintain activation where necessary, we miss opportunities to build strength.

A posture like Vashistasana, Side Plank, requires a vast amount of stability and strength. In today’s video, Matt demonstrates 6 essential exercises that help strengthen our rotator cuff muscles for maximum stability.

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ROTATOR CUFF: GET IN TOUCH WITH THE ANATOMY

There are 5 muscles in the rotator cuff group: the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres major, and teres minor. These are the muscles of internal and external rotation and of abduction.

The subscapularis and teres major are responsible for internal rotation, while the teres minor and infraspinatus are both external rotators. The last muscle, supraspinatus, contributes to the abduction of the arms.

When all of these muscles are co-activated, they suction and secure the head of the humerus into the shoulder socket. In the full class, Matt explains that these muscles are often stretched during our asana practice. For yoga practitioners, it’s therefore vital to create opportunities to strengthen these muscles for overall function, health, and longevity. This can be integrated into our practice on the mat, particularly if we understand the anatomy involved in performing a given exercise to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles.

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AWAKEN YOUR ROTATOR CUFF MUSCLES: 6 EXERCISES FOR A MORE STABLE SIDE PLANK

6 EXERCISES FOR STRENGTH

Strengthen with a Strap

Matt demonstrates ways to strengthen the infraspinatus and teres minor by pulling the strap apart into external rotation of the humerus, along with some retraction of the shoulder blades.
Adding extra rotation and resistance will uplevel the activation.

Towel Rotations

In Tabletop position, drawing circles with a towel under one hand will immediately activate the rotator cuff muscles due to the weight-bearing nature of the exercise.
Here, understanding the difference between rotation at the radioulnar joint and the upper arm bone is key in connecting to the rotator cuff.

Block Raises

Supraspinatus goes to work while holding yoga blocks and abducting your arms in slight internal rotation.
Pushing the blocks back behind us while hugging in will again help activate the infraspinatus and teres major and minor.

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STABILIZE YOUR SIDE PLANK

There are articulations and joint alignments that are essential in creating healthy stability in Side Plank. In this variation, Matt demonstrates Extended Side Plank, utilizing a wall as a prop. The wall creates feedback that helps us better negotiate where and how to align the wrist and shoulder and to determine the distance between the standing hand and the feet.

In order to create stability in this posture, it’s imperative to retract the shoulder blade and externally rotate the humerus, which activates the infraspinatus and teres minor. Moving our hips (and thus more weight) towards the wall takes the shoulder away from directly stacking over the wrist, which helps to reduce the load on the shoulder joint. Once the foundation is set, expanding into the rest of the posture becomes more accessible.

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AWARENESS AND FOCUS FOR STRENGTH

If resistance bands or weights are unavailable, strengthening of the rotator cuff muscles can still take place with a variety of yoga props.

The exercises Matt demonstrates might appear to be simple in nature, but my goodness will they be a challenge! When executed with accuracy, they exhaust the muscles, which breaks them down in order for them to renew with increased strength.

It’s the well-placed effort (Abhyasa) that will inform our experience and translate into larger movements and postures like (Extended) Side Plank. Yes, it’s possible to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles with a variety of different tools and exercises, but when we apply technique and focus, our true potential unfolds.

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Videos Extracted From: Anatomy In Motion

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A Yoga Treatment For The Shoulders

Reverse Tabletop Strength

Focus On Eagle Pose Legs

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Crow Pose On Blocks

by Trisha Curling | Nov 3, 2022 | Main Page Display

Crow Pose on Blocks

Take Your Shoulder Stability to New Heights

STABILITY

CROW POSE

It’s not unusual to have a healthy amount of fear and hesitation when it comes to finding balance in crow pose: Will I fall? Am I strong enough? Will I hurt myself? One of the most amazing things about an asana practice, however, is how we learn so much about our bodies. We learn through exploration. When you have a teacher like Matt, he not only provides inspiration to explore, but through his extensive knowledge of the body, he offers a myriad of specific actions for you to experiment with that allow you to move towards a desired result. In today’s video, Matt demonstrates the dual action for you to take for improved shoulder stability in Crow Pose. The use of yoga blocks in this variation of the pose serves as an excellent support to take your shoulder stability to new heights.

SHOULDER MOBILITY

Access Your Active Range of Motions

Increase strength and flexibility
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HYPERMOBILE VS. HYPOMOBILE

Whether you are hypermobile or hypomobile, working on stability in your yoga practice is a must. What’s the difference between the two? “Joint hypermobility is a clinical condition in which the joints move beyond the expected physiological range of motion.” When this is the case, understanding your body and knowing your individual “end range” can help you know when to pull back in order to minimize instability and possible injury. On the other hand, hypomobility means that there is a decrease and a significant limitation in the range of motion that is actually possible within a specific joint. When it comes to the shoulders, both states are common, and both have the potential to result in pain. It may seem counterintuitive to work on stability when hypomobile, because you may associate the toughness or rigidity with stability. Stability is just part of the equation when developing healthy muscle tissue, but it is an important part of the equation.

Atici A, Aktas I, Akpinar P, Ozkan FU. The relationship between joint hypermobility and subacromial impingement syndrome and adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. North Clin Istanb. 2018 Sep;5(3):232-237. doi: 10.14744/nci.2017.35119. PMID: 30688930; PMCID: PMC6323568.

WATCH THE VIDEO: CROW POSE ON BLOCKS

SHOULDER STABILITY

An essential part of shoulder stability happens when the muscles around the glenohumeral joint (rotator cuff muscles) have the ability to contract and help the head of the humerus (upper arm bone) stay centered and secure in the joint. Having the ability to contract means that these muscles actually have less rigidity; it means that there is a suppleness to the tissues which allows them to contract, expand, move, and glide as they should. An arm balance like Crow Pose requires a sizable amount of shoulder stability.

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THE 2 MAIN ACTIONS

The actions Matt demonstrates in the video for shoulder stability in Crow Pose are protraction and external rotation. He explains that in scapular protraction, the tendency will be to internally rotate the humerus; however, if you can externally rotate the arm bones while in protraction, it will create a vast amount of shoulder stability in your arm balances. There’s actually a counteraction taking place. The goal is to apply these two actions simultaneously. Matt teaches us that internal rotation is fine—it’s actually something we want—but in the context of this arm balance, if you counteract the protraction with external rotation, there will be a tremendous amount of muscle activation that surrounds the joints. This in turn translates into better stability and better balance.

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IMPLEMENT THESE KEY ACTIONS FOR CROW POSE ON BLOCKS

Executing Crow Pose on blocks is not as simple as only doing the 2 actions (protraction and external rotation) for the shoulders, but bringing your focus and attention here might just be what is missing from actually realizing your full potential in the posture.

Here are the steps:

Stack 2 blocks horizontally on their first height
Place your hands wide on the ground, just ahead of the blocks
Step onto the blocks
Lower your hips down towards your heels
Take your knees wide and out to the sides (*The height of the blocks allow you to have a better handle on allowing your shins the space to rest on the upper arms for better support)
Squeeze legs into the chest
Get your fingers active (grip the ground)
Lean forward into fingers
Rotate elbows in (external rotation of the humerus)
Squeeze knees in towards your midline (activating the adductor muscles)
Push the floor away to protract the scapulae more (round your back more)

TAKEAWAYS

What you end up finding out about your body is whether or not your proprioception is accurate: Is your physical body able to respond to the cues so as to follow through with these actions? Do you require more strength? This helps you to map out your next steps and course of action.

A good step in the right direction is to sign up for Matt’s Shoulder Mobility immersion. In this immersion, you’ll learn more about how to strengthen key muscles of the shoulders. Matt also be teaches techniques that assist in increasing both active and passive range of motion.

See you on the mat!

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Video Extracted From: Shoulder Revelation Immersion

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A Yoga Treatment For The Shoulders

Reverse Tabletop Strength

Focus On Eagle Pose Legs

Build Connection On The Mat

Flying Revolved Half Lotus

Eka Pada Bakasana

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Chaturanga Alignment Part 2

by matt | Jan 25, 2018 | Home Page, Main Page Display

Chaturanga Alignment Part 2

3 Steps to Apply Shoulder Actions

CHATURANGA

CHATURANGA: Integrating Shoulder Actions

Integrating the 3 Necessary Shoulder Actions into your practice can be complicated, so to help you I have come up with 3 Steps to Master your Chaturanga. If you haven’t yet watched Chaturanga Alignment: 3 Necessary Shoulder Actions then it is best to start there and come back to this afterwards. The 3 step process will help you develop “Muscle Intelligence” or the awareness of how to create specific actions in your body to find less complicated positions which require less strength and give you the space to explore new sensations. If done consecutively, these steps will build the strength over time that will make chaturanga feel light and free.

Most of us sitting at our computers are not able to get up and start practicing, but if you do have the liberty of doing so, practice along with this video. If not, then simply watch and come back to it at another time so you can practice along. This is meant to help you apply the actions, not just understand them.

Be patient with yourself as you work through each of the exercises – techniques take time to embody.

The Intention

Perhaps the most confusing thing in the yoga community is the myriad of opinions about how to do each pose. Part of the reason for this is the differences each of us have from body type, to personality, to experience. Additionally, however, each of us offering a path has a different intention behind our set of alignment cues or muscle actions. It is for this reason that I want to be clear that this is only one approach, and I am happy to provide for you the benefits and the challenges that come with this way. This approach to Chaturanga comes with the intention to build strength in multiple forearm muscles, the seratus anterior, triceps, external rotators of the the humerus, and the pectorals major. With all of these muscles working together to build strength you will inevitably feel more stable and light in your chaturanga and jump back to chaturanga, and also you will be well prepared for arm balances. If you have no intention of building strength in your upper body or practicing arm balances, there might be better ways of practicing Chaturanga. If you have a movement pattern that does not allow you to do protraction without upward tilt of the scapula then you might be better suited to a softer approach for a while. If you are experiencing chronic strain or compression in your wrist joints you may find leaning back in your chaturanga may be either better or worse for you. I mention this not to deter you from fully understanding and integrating this approach to chaturanga, but to help you to understand that there is never and will never be one correct approach to anything. What is good for you now may not be good for you later, and what was good for you yesterday may not be good for you today. This may be hard to grasp but if you try to keep an open mind and let yourself explore various approaches with the utmost attention to detail, you may find a greater sense of mastery in your body than you could ever find by doing one posture “the right way.” If you are ready to build strength, and/or set your self up for arm balances and jump backs, then let’s get started together!

3 Step Integration

When learning to integrate new muscle engagements or structural alignments into your practice, it is beneficial to simulate the shape with less stress on the muscles and joints. This usually entails changing your relationship to gravity. In the video and in the 3 steps below, I show you how to do this by doing chaturanga at the wall first, and then on your knees before trying the full posture. Doing these steps often provides a greater proficiency than simply trying it all out right away. This is because your body will always fall into its normal patterns when it’s asked to hold all your weight. We have to shake things up a bit to learn something new.

Step 1 - Chaturanga at The Wall

Regardless of your level, doing chaturanga at the wall and applying the three shoulder actions is huge in helping build masterful proprioception. This is the most important step in my eyes, especially since you’ll have plenty of time in class to practice step 2 and 3. Taking all the weight off of your body and just applying the actions until it is fully integrated and completely clear in both mind and body will be the best thing you can do. Mastery is not about halfway getting something, but rather nailing it down so that it will never be forgotten regardless of how long you leave the subject of study. Rock this exercise several times for several days/weeks and you will be well set up for building strength rapidly. Strength builds rapidly when our actions are precise in our body.

Step 2: Chaturanga on Knees

To be honest, when I take a vinyasa class, I do the first 5-10 chaturangas on my knees to get my body and mind linked together prior to floating back. Chaturanga on the knees is a great way to practice the actions with slightly less body weight. This is where you will begin building muscles appropriately, so be as precise and mindful as possible so you are strengthening the muscles required for the 3 shoulder actions. My best advice is start with your shoulders a little bit past the wrists to simulate the leaning forward when coming from plank. With your knees on the ground you can’t actually shift forward so you’ll have to begin by placing your knees closer to your wrists than you normally would. Second, make sure you create one long line from shoulders to knees, without breaking at the hips.

Step 3: Plank To Chaturanga

When attempting full chaturanga with a block, it becomes easier to compensate and “fake it” and either over engage in muscles that are not efficient for the actions, or simply getting caught up in compression – placing your bones in the way of the movement in order to slow the movement down – SEE FIRST VIDEO when I talk about “Upward Tilt” of the scapula.

Mastering these shoulder actions will not only make your practice of chaturanga easier and more enjoyable, but will open up a whole new world of power and strength in your arm balances.

If you find yourself struggling to integrate the actions in this version, I highly recommend focusing on the first two options for about 3-5 months and then coming back to this.

Complexity

The shoulders are incredibly complex and as a result, it takes quite a lot of self-practice and study to gain any sort of mastery. I break things down into small steps so that you are able to integrate the actions in your body more easily, however these steps are just the beginning. Let these actions settle into your body over time; rather than forcing them into every chaturanga, pick one action to focus on in your classes and first observe what you are doing before you make changes. Little by little, try to apply the action and notice what it feels like each time. This is a highly effective approach that builds patterns in the body and awareness in the mind. If you are interested in more shoulder strengtheners and stretches check out the Handstand Training. It comes with several videos that directly target the shoulders. Thank you for stopping by. Please share your comments, questions, or requests for other blog topics!

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