Have encountered a couple of people in my classes with a similar complaint. They feel pain when they rotate their arm in a full circle, 360 degrees. The specific pose is a reclining twist (parivartanasana) with the extended arm moving in full circles (a Bartenieff Fundamentals exercise). I assume this might be some sort of rotator cough problem, maybe an inflammation that causes them pain when their arm goes up and rotates above their head? I always suggest that they stop anything if it hurts but I wonder if continuing to take the humerus through its full range of motion might be beneficial? Or maybe its best to do less? What would you suggest?
This motion is likely to be problematic as you are moving from external rotation to internal rotation above your head. By having the arm be passive as you move there is more likely a tendency to stress the rotator cuff and brachial plexus nerves. Safer is to have the entire arm actively turning as a unit. The motion is not a problem provided you are warned up for it. Suggest you do the individual motions of the shoulder joint first, as in my book.