Asanas lowering shoulder

Hello all.

I rock climb regurarly and recently i noticed my left shoulder is sitting up and higher than my right. And if i bring my left arm all the way over my head in Tadasana (and rock climbing) i feel a weaknesses (small twinge) in the shoulder at that angle. I do not get this weakness in Tadasana if i pull my shoulders up and back in the proper alignment however.

I went to see a physio and apparently because my upper back is pretty tight and my lower traps weaker it has caused my left shoulder to rise up a bit. It’s fairly strong in every way i rock climb and do yoga on it without pain.

I have started yoga classes down the round again and it is helping but i was wondering of anyone could recommend some beginner poses that i could do additionally that would help to loosen the upper back (and shoulders) and strengthen the lower traps.

I plan to resume during Suyranamaskarya A and B every morning once i get a hang of the sequence and proper alignment in the postures again.

Any advice is welcome.

many thanks

Ahhh my friend, I think you might need some cat bows in your life!!
Do you have Mukunda Stiles’, [I]Structural Yoga Therapy[/I] book?
If not, search for [B]cat bows [/B]here and follow Mukunda’s instructions very closely. Let me know if you have any questions.

Keeping your shoulder joint safe is better accomplished by moving the scapula down and back rather than thinking about trying to move the shoulder joint in any way. When bringing the hands over head as you described from Tadasana or Samastiti, try beginning with palm up–in anatomical position–gently leading with your pinkies; this drops the scapula down and back properly by activating the glenohumeral motor pattern in the proper sequence. Try that and see if that helps with your twinge.

What kind of climbing do you? Aid?
Cheers

Thanks for your reply i will investigate cat bows right away :slight_smile:

I don’t have the structural thearapy book but i want to get my hands on it.

As for climbing I climb sport - so lead climbing and I top rope a bit if it seems too crazy. I haven’t had the chance to do any Aid yet though i am interested in it.

Otherwise i Boulder. I work in an indoor climbing gym so i get to climb indoor for free when its too hot or cold outdoors.

thanks for the info!

It is not the poses, it is the actions. You could do all the poses you like but doing so with the wrong action will “do” absolutely nothing for the issue you outline. The actions in question are very relevant for Adho Mukha Svanasana, Sirsasana, Pincha Mayurasana, Adho Mukha Vrksasana and others.

Do also keep in mind it is not the shoulders but rather the shoulder blades that are relevant here. The shoulder is a joint and a sketchy one at that - which is why we can do so many things with the arms.

In yoga poses it is important to learn the actions of connecting the humerus with the shoulder joint. Oddly, many do not do this and instead extend the humerus up and away from the joint which compromises its structural integrity.

The twinge in your shoulder may not be a weakness, it may be improper action or it could be some minor issue with the rotator cuff - Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, Subscapularis.

I believe the pertinent question may be “which muscle(s) depress the scapulae?”. Once that is determined then you could plot out a course.