Hi Cher,
Do you want to know what i think?
There’s no such things as a good posture to fix this ailment. Because optimally it,i.e yoga, [U]does’nt really work that way[/U] strictly speaking by tailoring poses according to what postural weaknesss are there. This is a n overly- structural approach that that does not taken into account the subtle bodies and their effect on the gross physical body. What we need in my view is an integrated appproach that takes in all the limbs into consideration to optimally get at whatever ails you on whatever level of being . So this mean you need a balanced yoga practice which means ideally if you have therapeutic issues you need alittle bit of pranayama, ideally a little of meditation and a little asana. But less is more. Both in terms of effort and amount. If there is resistance then you need to literally stop- what i mean by that is move the nervous system into the parasymapthetic state. If something part of your gross anatomy is stuck then forcing is likely to make it worse.
And another thing IMO the need to strengthen muscles in yoga is one the big myths out there. Most folks structual problems stem not from muscle weakness but abnormally high muscle tonus( in many cases abnormally high) which in turn is seet by the nervous system, the gross and the subtler still… So if you really want to get to the root of your problem you have to work on all levels starting with the breath, which is the bridge between mind & body, and the mind first.
So i would suggest a balanced practice.Asana is not going to do much if you’ve got some real obstructions going on,in the neurobiology i mean,- it may even makes thiings worse unless you combine movement with breath, ,and general awareness incl. practice of one-pointedness of mind ( otherwise it really is’nt yoga at all- it’s potentially just storing up injures for the future or making things worse)
ideally you would benfit most from a teacher that practices and teaches an integrated apporach, or a highly trained yoga therapist that really knows their stuff which is pretty hard to find in my opinion.
if you look at the body purely as a machine, as western meedicine and science tends to do, then you won’t be tackling it at the root.
so siimple pranayama twice a day 5mins, then add a alittle meditation and asana if that is agreeable.
but in therapeutic hatha yoga unfortuinately it is not as simple as - do this pose for hunched shoulder although the books in the stores will have you believe this can be done- yes it can but it’s not the whole picture. it’s what you can’t see that is much more important than what you can.
if you are really determined to fix your shoulders you need an integrated approach that adresses all the limbs and that means you need pranayam, a little meditation, asana and ideally coupled with a balanced and healthy lifestyle and nutrition.So the latter may be harder to stick to at first but generally means n moderating things that are not serving you , things we tend to do more out of rote habit than anything else. You will find the two, practice & living, will move more in line. Excess sugar,alcohol, feeling depressed, etc etc- these are just examples , and i am not saying you indulge in this but you want to get rid of everything that is not serving you, in order to heal. The body is a great healer if given a chance- it has an innate intelligence that can bring things more into balance… if we know which tools are most apporpriate at any stage or phase of our practice.
If you attend classes , you might want to avoid ashtanga yoga,power yoga and the like , & pick more gentle restorative or traditional hatha clasees. And choose your teacher carefully.Many teachers know how to move the body around but demonstarte little appreciation of the more subtler aspects-cultivating awarenss of this will really bring high dividends.Sometimes the quality of their instruction as to what a student can/should be feeling on a interior level is lacking. They’re just interested in putting you into a strange position. This might work for some, but not everyone.This is not necessarily the case but can be a clue.
Teachers with an iyengar or alignment-based training are generally speaking better than others.And Don’t be afraid to ask them what their trainings/background is aas any teacher worth their salt will not be afraid to tell you.
