SHOULDERS AND SCAPULAR BELT

In this sequence we are working on the SHOULDERS AND THE SCAPULAR BELT because a good parallelism between the shoulder girdle and the pelvic girdle and a good placement in relation to the vertebral axis of the body allows easy and more harmonious movements and develops the quality of postures.

The pelvis and lower limbs maintain balance and movement, and the shoulders and upper limbs provide fluidity and expression with a key tool: the hands.

In certain postures which oppose our nature to have the head up, the shoulder girdle also becomes the base of inverted postures such as Sirsasana, Adho Mukha Vriksasana,…

Since the shoulder belt is almost just sitting on the chest, you need to have strong muscles all around in order to keep it stable and to correctly follow all the parts of the body that are involved in an arm, shoulder or upper back movement, these are all connected. During these movements, the strong muscles prevent muscle contractures that create imbalances on this set. Yoga postures also develop mobility and awareness of the shoulders (eg Gomukhasana).

The complex shoulder joint being little interlocked and yet very stressed in everyday life must find with the effort precise and conscious axes of work in order not to injure oneself.

Adho Mukha Svanasana, the downward dog pose is a pose that easily tells the teacher if both sides of the body are working equally, if the shoulder and pelvic girdles are parallel, and where the body's muscle and bone resistance is.

The work of the shoulders and the scapular girdle opens the heart chakra, Anahata which symbolically connects the Earth and the sky. This opening helps to reduce feelings of tightness in the chest and blocked diaphragm, tension in the shoulder girdle and to increase energy. Anahata being well balanced, the subject will be more open to others and will develop his confidence in himself and in others. Forgiveness, gratitude and giving are attitudes that also open the heart chakra.

The clavicle is a key, as Annick de Souzenelle explains to us in “the symbolism of the human body”, a key to open a new door upwards. From a correct attitude of the shoulder girdle is born an opening, a better head bearing, a better field of vision. The eyes then sweep the horizon wide like the rays of a lighthouse on the sea. The mind unfolds, the heart opens. Isn't this region related to the heart, throat and forehead chakras!