Poses for Your Shoulders

Add these asanas to your practice for proud posture, enhanced mobility, and an open heart.

These arm-strengthening postures will help you prep for challenging inversions. (And improve your posture, too.)

How to build a supportive structure for your yoga practice or any other pursuit.

The case for keeping it simple.

Step away from the computer.

A modification of Plank Pose, Forearm Plank strengthens and tones the core, thighs, and arms.

Bitilasana is an easy, gentle way to warm up the spine before a more vigorous practice.

This pose provides a gentle massage to the spine and belly organs.

This challenging posture is so much more than just a cool shape.

The relief you feel after moving through these five postures will astound you.

If you've ever silently cursed as your teacher started to cue Eagle Pose, you're not alone. Here's how to make it a lot more tolerable—and doable.

Plow Pose (Halasana) reduces backache and can help you get to sleep.

You need strength, flexibility, and endurance, and unwavering concentration for Eagle Pose.

Fold into Paschimottanasana to help your distracted mind—and your hamstrings—unwind.

Sometimes called the Sage's Pose, Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi III (Marichyasana III) is a wise addition to any practice.

Trade in your gym workouts for these postures, which shape stronger legs, arms, and core.

Adho Mukha Vrksasana boosts energy and confidence, and can literally give you a new perspective on life.

A standing posture centered around balance, Virabhadrasana III will strengthen your legs, ankles, and core.

A powerful arm and wrist strengthener, Side Plank takes its two-armed sibling to the next level, as an arm balance.

Start aiming for par with these poses.

Bump up your energy (and confidence!) by bending back into Camel Pose. Ustrasana counteracts slouching and relieves lower back pain with a generous, heart-opening stretch.

Purvottanasana counteracts the effects of Chaturanga by stretching the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and anterior deltoids.

Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose, or Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, offers a deep, vivid stretch to the side body paired with loving and heart-opening movement.

As a counterpose to Utthita Trikonasana and preparation for seated forward bends and twists, this pose is key to a skilled practice.

And yes, tons of planks are included.

Bend back into the shape of a bow to feel energetically locked, loaded, and ready to take aim.

This revolved variation of Utthita Parsvakonasana requires a lot of flexibility to twist so deeply and ground the back heel.

Want to fly? Fire up your core. Firefly pose is an arm balance pose that requires more core strength than arm strength.

Folding into Marichyasana I or Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi I calms your mind, extends your spine, and gives your internal organs a healthy squeeze.

Your upper body gets used frequently in yoga for stability, support, and to act as a strong base. Keep your arms and torso feeling fresh and ready for your next class.

Achy shoulders that can't move through a full range of motion may actually be "frozen." Here's what that means, and how yoga can help you get back to normal.

Stiff, tight shoulders? These five poses will loosen you up, improve flexibility, and increase your range of motion.

Try these yoga shoulder stretches from Sage Rountree to unlock tight muscles and ease upper-body achiness.

Everyday activities can put a strain on the complex muscles in your shoulder. Give them the care they need with these postures.

No matter how often you practice, and how deeply you twist, the answer is probably no. Here is the anatomy lesson and exercises every yogi needs to experience more ease both on and off the mat.

Start to understand, lengthen, and strengthen your teres major—a little-known muscle that can be the key to protecting your shoulders when you go upside down.

Try this strap trick to increase postural awareness in the upper back and shoulders—and relieve the excess tension that accumulates there.

Yoga and Pilates teacher Trina Altman shares why she practices and teaches a lot more than basic asana. Here, three big ways she’d love to see asana practice advance in the near future.

Practice these four poses to heal an injury or strengthen your shoulders to prevent one.

Binds are a wonderful way to open the shoulders, create a safe, stable haven in a pose, and build prana in the body. Within these 5 binds, you’ll find some of the most elegant, graceful shapes that ask you to rise to the occasion.

Stretch the upper back, spine, and shoulders; opens the chest; help release chronic tension in the shoulders and neck in Extended Puppy Pose.

We spend hours in front of our computers and phones, and the repetitive movement patterns can cause neck and shoulder strain. This sequence will help.

Practice these backbends and inversions for increased flexibility and strength and feel the freedom of greater range of motion in your chest and shoulders.

This minor muscle is a major player in backbends. Expand it—and its web of connective tissue—for greater range of motion in your chest and back.

Release tension and pain by working with your tissue. Bo Forbes shows you how to target hotspots in the shoulders and lower back.

Once you understand the anatomy, you can delve into making its parts work together more intelligently. Here, Tiffany Cruikshank teaches how to fire all its muscles at once.

Get to know the anatomy and better understand the actions of your body's most vulnerable joint to prevent injury intelligently.

UFC reminds Kathryn Budig of what else? Yoga. Her favorite shoulder opener bears a striking resemblance to Ronda Rousey's signature "straight armbar."

Find length and stay centered to lift step by step into the One-Footed Pose dedicated to the Sage Koundinya I.

For best results in the forward bend Parsvottanasana, use the alignment principles of backbends.

Amy Ippoliti's go-to shoulder opener to ease tension from sitting at a desk for too long.

Try this simple warm-up to promote safe practice and healthy joints.

Sage Rountree suggests stretches to do anytime during your workday to release tension from your upper back and shoulders.

Sage Rountree presents two key stretches for the shoulders.

Move toward advanced backbends while keeping your shoulders safe and supported.

Stave off back and neck pain with better posture.

Learn key actions to open tight spots and enjoy Shoulderstand.

Twister, anyone? The pose that ties you up in knots also loosens up your mind, as you ride the wave of wobble.

Liberate your upper body for better backbending by focusing on your latissimus dorsi muscles.

Take a spin in Bharadvaja's Twist to massage your abdominal organs and stretch your spine, shoulders, and hips.

The best preparation for a big backbend is a baby one. Locust Pose works the actions and strength needed for bigger bends.

Prepare for inversions by strengthening your arms and core in Dolphin Pose.

Frustrating as it can be, Parsvottanasana is key for increasing hamstring and shoulder flexibility. Learn how to work it.

Use your breath to open your chest and backbend mindfully into Upward-Facing Dog Pose.

The perfect microcosm of yoga, Downward-Facing Dog Pose can change your entire practice—maybe even life.

Learn how mastering the subtle actions of the rotator cuff in a Down Dog each day can keep painful injuries at bay.

"Four-Limbed Staff Pose" says it all. This pose becomes much easier when the rest of your body pitches in. Learn how to get the most out of this challenging pose.

Shoulder injuries are common among yogis, but they don't have to be. Here's how to care for your shoulders, not tear them down.

Bow Pose works against hunched shoulders by opening them from the front and strengthening them from the back.

Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya II tones the belly and spine, strengthens the arms and wrists, and gives your self-confidence a big boost.

A cross between Child's Pose and Downward-Facing Dog, Extended Puppy Pose lengthens the spine and calms the mind.

Eka Pada Koundinyasana I or Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya I has a lot going on—the twist, the legs going their separate ways, oh, and the arm balance. Master it.

Can you practice Wheel with straight arms and Headstand without strain? Then, you're ready.

Kapotasana invigorates your body and gives your spirits a lift. This extremely deep backbend is appropriate for advanced practitioners only.

This pose gently lengthens and strengthens even stubbornly tight hamstrings.

Sphinx Pose is the infant of backbends. It can be practiced with either an active or passive approach.

Ease up into Half Frog Pose, called Ardha Bhekasana in Sanskrit. This pose strengthens the back while gently opening up the shoulders, chest, and thighs—a loving treat for the entire body.

Dolphin Pose strengthens the core, arms, and legs, while also nicely opening the shoulders.

Deep, seated twists have the power to transform your spine. Learn how to twist right into Ardha Matsyendrasana.