Featured Pose: Warrior 1 for Upper Body Strength

by Baxter and Nina

Warrior 1 is the second pose in our upper body strengthening series because, like Warrior 2, Warrior 1 is an accessible pose that is very strengthening for your arms and upper body. Even though you don’t bear weight on your hands or arms, the Warrior 1 arm position entails resisting gravity. Because the arm position is different than Warrior 2, this pose strengthens different muscles, including those that raise your arms forward and up overhead, and all of the small muscles inside the joint that help you stabilize your arms in that position. In addition, because you are taking your arms through the range of motion in forward flexion (forward and up), this pose also helps increase flexibility in the shoulder joint.

Furthermore, as your upper back and chest move into a slight backbend (extension) in Warrior 1, your back muscles are also strengthened, including the muscles around your shoulder blades, your trapezius and serratus anterior, and all the muscles that line your back spine. These are important muscles for keeping your spine healthy and for maintaining good posture. Good posture is essential for healthy aging because it helps keep your spine healthy, supports your respiratory system, and keeps you more mobile.

This pose is accessible even if you have something going on in your shoulders that is challenging because you can control how far you raise your arms. You don’t need to bear weight on your hands, so if you have wrist or hand problems still can do it. And, of course, an added benefit is the pose is very strengthening for the legs as well as the upper body!

Warrior 1 can be challenging to hold (and balance in) for long periods of time, so if you’d like to focus on your upper body rather than your lower body, you can work with your back heel against the wall or try having your feet slightly closer together.

Because we’re focusing on upper body strength for next several weeks, we’re going to give you three different ways to strengthen your body with Warrior 1. Version 1 is the traditional pose, and Versions 2 and 3 use props to help strengthen different muscles in your arms, shoulders and upper body..

Instructions: Starting in Tadasana, step your feet about three feet apart and place your hands on your hips. Spin your right foot out 90 degrees. Then lift your back heel, pivot on the ball of your foot, and spin your back heel back about four or five inches. Next, rotate your hips and chest in the same as your right foot. Don’t force your hips to square with the wall you are facing. Instead, allow your left hip to turn slightly toward your back leg, but square your head and your torso ,from the navel on up,  with your front foot. Maintain a straight strong back leg throughout.

Now, release your arms to your sides and turn your palms to face each other. Keeping your palms facing each other, inhale your arms forward and up. If your shoulders are tight, don’t worry about your arms being exactly vertical. But do keep your arms parallel—don’t try to bring your hands together. On your next exhale, bend your front knee so it is directly over your ankle joint. Do not lean forward or back, but keep your torso directly over your pelvis.

As you breathe in the pose, encourage your outer shoulder blades to lift with your arms, while keeping the upper inner corners of your shoulder blade moving down your back (so the sides of your neck are relaxed and long). Keep your arms active and bring your awareness to your elbows, making sure they are not bent, and reach through both sides of your elbow joints. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds and gradually work up to longer periods of time.

To come out of the pose, inhale and straighten your front leg. Then exhale and release your arms to your sides. Pivoting on the balls of your feet, bring your feet back to neutral as your turn your head and torso to face the long end of your mat.

As you come up, check your back, neck and shoulders for any pain. If you experience pain, reduce the time or change the foot position or not force your arms as high or keep them in a V position if your shoulders are good. Preparing for the other side.

Version 2: With a Block

This version activates the muscles on the inner edges of your arms and increases the activity of your pectoralis muscles so you strengthen more muscles than when you do the pose without the block. Start with the lightest block or prop you have. When pose becomes easier with practice, you can use a heavier prop.

Start by holding the block and follow the instructions for the traditional version of Warrior 1. Before you raise your arms forward and up, place the block between your hands on the widest side. Keeping your arms straight, press firmly into the block with your hands without bending your wrists or hands. As you inhale, take your arms forward and over head, and as you exhale, bend the front knee. If you have tight shoulders you may not be able to bring your arms to vertical, so take them to a comfortable height.

Version 3: With a Strap

This version activates the muscles on the outer surfaces of yours arms and some of your side chest muscles that get extra strengthening.

Before you begin, make a loop with your strap that is sized so when put your arms through and  push your arms against the strap, your arms are kept parallel. Place the strap about two inches below your elbows on the fat part of your forearms (you’ll may have to experiment to find the right position for your head). Note from Nina: yes, yes, I realize the photograph shows the strap just above the elbows, but that seems to work for Baxter. I definitely need the strap higher toward my hands, as otherwise my head gets trapped.

Follow the instructions for the traditional version of Warrior 1. As you raise your arms forward and up, press outward against the strap on your arms as you also focus your awareness on keeping your elbows straight.

Cautions: If you have high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems, we recommend that you do not to stay in the pose for long periods of time. Try doing the pose dynamically instead, moving in and out of the pose with your breath (see Warrior 1 and Warrior 2 Dynamic Vinyasas), which will still strengthen your arms and upper body. When you use the block or strap, honor any sensations of pain in your shoulder joint. Keep the sides of your neck relaxed, and modify your arm position to see if that makes the pain subside. If pain persists, come out of the pose, and ask a teacher to check your alignment.

Featured Pose: Warrior 2 for Upper Body Strength

by Baxter and Nina

Warrior 2 is the first pose in our upper body strengthening series because it is a very easy and accessible pose that is very strengthening for your arms and upper body. Even though you don’t bear weight on your hands or arms, the arm position entails resisting gravity. This strengthens the muscles that lift your arms to your sides and all of the small muscles inside the joint that help you stabilize your arms at the shoulder joint, including the deltoid and supraspinatus, which are important for maintaining the health of those joints. In addition the pose provides equal strengthening of both your upper back, around the shoulder blades, and your chest, around the collar bones, as you build strength in your upper trapezius. And of course an added benefit is that this  pose is very strengthening for the legs as well as the upper body!

This pose is accessible even if you have something going on in your shoulders that is challenging because it doesn’t require full range of motion in the shoulder joints. And you don’t need to bear weight on your hands, so if you have wrist or hand problems you can still can do the pose.

Because we’re focusing on upper body strength for next several weeks, we’re going to give you three different ways to strengthen your body with Warrior 2. Version 1 is the traditional pose, and Versions 2 and 3 use a slightly different arm position.

Instructions: Starting in Tadasana, step your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees, then, pivoting on the ball of your back foot, shift your left heel back an inch or two to your left so the foot is slightly turned in.

Next, inhale and raise your arms up so they are parallel to the floor, with your palms facing down toward the floor. Keep your shoulder blades relaxed and moving down your back (not sliding up toward your ears) as you raise your arms. Then, on an exhalation, bend your right knee directly over your right ankle while keeping your torso centered over your pelvis (not leaning over your front leg). Allow your hips to rotate slightly toward your right knee but rotate your chest away from your right knee so your chest faces directly forward. Finally, allow your head and neck to turn so you gaze over your right hand.

Once you are in the pose, use your eyes to check both arms to make sure they are in an even line with the tops of your shoulders, that they are neither too high or low, and that they are parallel with the floor.

Because your purpose in doing Warrior 2 this time is to develop strength in your upper body, you should keep your arms out to your sides for a decent amount of time. Start with 30 seconds and work your way up to 1 to 2 minutes over time, gradually building up endurance. Of course if you’re very fatigued or shaking, come out earlier. Notice that the longer you hold your arms up, the more you unconsciously will slide your shoulder blades up toward your ears. If this happens, consciously move relax your shoulder blades back down your back.

To come out of the pose, exhale and release your arms. Then straight your knee, turn your feet to a parallel position, and switch to the other side:

Version 2: Palms turned up

Because of the external rotation in your shoulder joint required to turn your palms up, this variation allows you to strengthen areas that aren’t strengthened with the first version With your palms up you activate a different portion of your deltoid muscles (front portion) and other muscles deeper in your shoulder joint. You could do Version 2 of the pose immediately after doing Version 1 or you could alternate different arm positions on different days. activates a different portion of your deltoid muscles and activates other muscles deeper in the shoulder joint.

For this version, follow the instructions for Version 1. When it comes time to raise your arms, start by spinning from your upper arms to turn your palms to face front. Then as your raise your arms, keep spinning form your upper arms to turn your palms up toward the ceiling.

Version 3: Holding blocks

This version strengthens the same muscles as version 2, but provides increased strength building because you are holding a weight. You can use yoga blocks, same-weight books, or even bags of rice or beans. However, we recommend building up your strength practicing Versions 1 and 2 before trying Versions 3. We also recommend that you start off with lightest weight possible, such as foam blocks, and work up to heavier weights over time, such as cork or wooden blocks.

For this version, start by holding the props and then follow the instructions for Version 1. As you lift your arms, rotate your upper arm bones so as you arms come out to the sides, the blocks are resting on your upturned palms.

Because of the additional weight, you may feel the additional work, and you may need to reduce the time you stay in the pose! If you become fatigued or shaky, release your arms. Gradually, over time, increase your time in the pose to up to 2 minutes.

Cautions: In general, Warrior 2 is a very safe pose. However, if you experience pain in your shoulder joints or neck, come out of the pose and get some advice from a yoga teacher about your alignment. If you have a history of rotator cuff injury or dislocated shoulder, approach the pose carefully, especially Version 3.

Featured Pose: Locust (Dynamic Version)

by Baxter and Nina

Locust pose (Salabasana) is a simple backbend that strengthens the entire backside of your body, from the nape of your neck to the backs of your heels. Baxter loves this pose because it’s helpful for such a wide range of problems, including lower back pain, postural problems, and weakness anywhere along the chain of your back body, including your , including hips and hamstrings. And because the backbend is shallow and doesn’t put pressure on the wrists, it is accessible to almost everyone.

We’re recommending two versions of this pose: one with your hands on the floor and the other with your arms parallel to floor and hands lifted. The version with your hands on the floor provides more support, making the pose less demanding. The version with arms raised increases the amount of strengthening in your arms and shoulders.

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

•    lower back pain (it strengthens the muscles along the sides of your lower back)
•    hamstring injuries
•    arthritis of the knees (it strengthens the leg muscles)
•    postural problems (such as excessive rounding and head-forward syndrome)
•    arm strength (in the version where you lift your arms)
•    depression (accessible even when your energy is low)
•    general weakness

Instructions: Lie on your belly, with your head resting on the floor, your arms resting at your sides, hands palm down, and your legs stretched evenly back behind you, toes gently pointed. If your lower back feels vulnerable, press your hips gently down to the floor.

Think about your right leg being a bit longer then your left, and on an inhale, lift your right leg up a few inches off the floor without bending your knee knee, while also lifting your head and chest up a few inches. As you lift your chest and head, be careful not to overextend your neck (throwing it back) because this could cause neck strain. If you wish, raise your arms and hands so your arms are parallel to the floor and your palms are facing the floor.

Exhale and release back to the starting position. Repeat the process with your left leg.

Alternate right and left with every round of breath. Do about six times, side to side. Then rest.

Cautions: As with any pose, Locust might aggravate an existing problem or condition. In particular, if you have a pronounced lumbar curve, your back problems could be aggravated. Consult your favorite teacher for an alternative is you have any trouble. If you have asthma or any other breathing difficulties, this pose might make you short of breath. If this happens, come out of the pose and rest.

Arthritis, Exercise and Yoga

by Nina

Hey, I heard this really nice little piece on arthritis and exercise on NPR that I wanted to share with you. Fortunately, NPR has both the audio and a transcript of the piece on their web site (see here). What I liked so much about this particular piece was how simple and clear it was about why it is important to continue to exercise when you have arthritis (even though most people don't) because exercising, while it cannot reverse arthritis, is the only way to prevent the arthritis from getting worse. Here's why:

1. Arthritis breaks down your cartilage, the natural shock absorbers in your joints. As a result, blood doesn't circulate as freely and doesn't deliver adequate nutrition to your cartilage. Exercise massages the joints, improving the blood supply to the joints, providing your cartilage with more nutrition.

2. The stronger the muscles are around the joint, the more protection your body can provide for the joint. Your muscles take up the weight and pressure, instead of the joint itself.

The end of the piece even mentions yoga as a good way to improve the strength of the muscles around your joints! (That's refreshing because most people are under the misconception that yoga is only about stretching.) But yoga is also a good way to massage your joints to get the blood flowing because in a well-rounded practice you move your joints in every direction. Just think of all the directions in which your hip joints move in the various standing poses. And your knee joints are bent or straight, turning out to the side or even turning in slightly (such as in Eagle pose). Your shoulder joints really get a workout, too, as you hold your arms overhead, out to the side, behind your back, or across your body (again, as in Eagle pose).

For strength building, it's easy to think of standing poses (especially those with bent knees) and balancing poses that strengthen the muscles around the knees and hips. But what about your shoulder joints? Downward-Facing Dog and Plank pose spring immediately to mind because you are bearing weight on your arms as they extend forward. But there are also other poses that you can use to strengthen your shoulder joints in which you bear weight on your arms reaching sideways (such as Vashistasana, sometimes called Sideways Plan pose) or behind you (such as the backbend Purvottanasana, sometimes called Upward Plank pose). Here's Esther doing Purvottanasana:

That looks like it does a good job strengthening the hip joints, too! Yeah, it can definitely be a challenge to practice with pain in your joints or to practice modified versions of poses you used to be able to do without props (I know because I have mild arthritis in one of my hip joints), but enjoying more mobility in your daily life and possibly avoiding joint replacement surgery, well, that's a pretty big payoff.

Featured Pose: Hunting Dog

by Baxter and Nina

This week’s featured pose is one of Baxter’s favorite poses for lower back pain. Hunting Dog pose, which is a great precursor to strong poses like Warrior 3, is a wonderful way to tone and strengthen your upper body, especially the serratus anterior muscles, as well your pelvic stabilizers and core belly muscles. It’s also a good pose for anyone trying to improve core strength as well as strengthening the lower back.

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

• lower back pain
• balance issues
• fatigue (when standing poses are too tiring)
• improving right/left coordination
• building arm strength

General Instructions: Start by placing a folded blanket on the floor. Then come into a hands-and-knees position, with your knees on the blanket and your hands on the floor or yoga mat. Keep a neutral curve in your lower back and strong arms.

Next, slowly take your right leg back behind you into a lunge position, with your toes turned under and the ball of your foot on floor. Try to keep your pelvis area and lower back in the starting neutral position at all times—no tip, tuck or turn. 

If you are feeling stable, lift your right leg up until it is about parallel with the floor, but no higher. Again, no change to pelvic alignment!

Finally, consider reaching your arm forward parallel to the floor.

Hold the position for at least 6 breaths, and up to 16 breaths. When you release, shake out your left hand and wrist.  Repeat on the second side.

Cautions: If you are having lower back pain, keep the toes of your straight leg on the ground rather than lifting your leg. If you have wrist pain, bend your elbows and rest your forearms on blocks, rather than putting weight on your hands.