Opening The Heart ChakrabackbendOPENING THE HEART CHAKRA Opening the heart chakra is not simply about reaching deeper into a backbend. Matt reminds us that this space is rooted in love, balance, and connection, both with ourselves and with others. It reflects how we...
A Yoga Treatment For The Shoulders
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.
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: Yoga For Strength Immersion
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