Shoulder-Opening Yoga Poses

Few yoga poses actually target arm flexibility. Enter these powerful, passive poses, designed to do just that.

Good posture is possible even without your mom nagging you. One key is stretching and strengthening the muscles around your shoulder blades.

You may know Pincha Mayurasana or Feathered Peacock Pose by one of its common aliases: Forearm or Elbow Balance.

Open tight shoulders and an achy back in this beginner-friendly seated twist, Marichyasana III.

In this challenging version of a twist, your arms wrap around your legs so your hands can clasp behind the back, almost like a lasso or a snare.

Dance with cosmic energy in this challenging yet graceful balancing pose that relies on equal parts effort and ease.

After making alignment adjustments in Warrior I, let go and feel the wholesome integration of your entire body.

Take a leap of faith into Hanumanasana or Monkey Pose, named for a figure in Hindu mythology who did just that. And when faith doesn't get you all the way there, practice will.

Lay Virasana back and to take the stretch in the thighs and ankles up a notch.

Say hello to leg and ankle strength as you seek stability and extend into this balancing pose, Half Moon Pose.

If backbends are a struggle for your body, you may try these preparatory shoulder-openers.

Bharadvaja's Twist, or Bharadvajasana in Sanskrit, is a gentle and loving twist that inspires postural and body awareness.

This version of Shoulderstand is performed with blanket support under the shoulders.

By providing a conscious opening in the chest and stretch in the shoulders, Cobra Pose, called Bhujangasana in Sanskrit, fights fatigue and relieves lower back pain, boosting both the energetic and the physical body.