This is one of my absolute favourite stretches. It’s a great way to feel more open in the chest, while gently rotating the spine. We spend so much time with our arms in front of us, usually with the arms internally rotated (think of your position when working on the computer, driving, and most hands-on tasks that are performed with our arms in front of us). This wonderful stretch brings our arms into the opposite position, allowing for a variation of movement into abduction and external rotation.
How it’s done:
Lay on your side, either on a mat on the floor or on your bed, with your bottom leg straight, and your top knee and hip bent to about 90′. You can cradle your head with your bottom arm, or use a pillow if that’s more comfortable.
Start by reaching your top arm up towards the sky, with your palm facing forward and spread your fingers. Gently begin to reach that arm behind you, as you move into a twist. Try to keep your top knee on the floor so that you don’t end up rolling, and move into a twist. Deeply exhale and relax your belly as you allow your arm to come closer to the floor behind you. You can hold this position as long as it feels good, around 30-60 seconds to start, and repeat on the other side. If your arm or hand gets tingly or numb, back off from the stretch or take a break until the feeling returns.
Try it out and make sure to post any questions or comments below.
Yours in health,
