Sebastian Brosche · 21 min · 1,994 words
Previously titled: Shoulders - Yoga For Boulders
Hey everybody, in your session today you will need your Jiu-Jitsu belt or any type of belt. It will be a great all around session with a special focus on opening up those shoulders and this class has been designed for those who are a really stiff powerhouse, people have never done yoga before or if you simply just want to move. Stand on your back, make sure you have your belt handy. Put the belt above your head, we don't need it quite yet.
Hands beside the hips, palms up. Take a moment and feel the shoulders. Pull the shoulders towards the mat, try to tuck them underneath you. Obviously you won't tuck the shoulders underneath you, but just try.
Push them down to the mat, shoulder blades together behind you. Move the hands to the 90, so you are making a T shape. Pushing the hand into the mat, the arm into the mat. And again the shoulders down, feel that.
And lastly reach the arms above you, grabbing the Jiu-Jitsu belt, palms up, the back of your hands on the ground, palms up, grabbing the Jiu-Jitsu belt and feel that stretch. It will be quite a wide grip. Just feel how that is on your shoulders. Rolling to your favourite side, use the hands to push yourself up.
Meeting in a cross leg position or any sitting position. Taking the right arm, reach it across. With the left arm, grab pretty much anywhere, if you can grab the shoulder that's great. Or if it needs to be somewhere else that's okay.
Take the shoulder, pull it in and down. So it's not simply just grabbing the shoulder and kind of a stretch, making it an active stretch. Grab the shoulder in and down. My goal is to stretch between the shoulder blades.
Today we are stretching the front of the shoulders, the back of the shoulders, under the shoulders, inside out, upside down. As you pull that shoulder in and down, allow the back to round. Feel the stretch behind. Even if you don't feel much of a stretch, you probably won't.
That's okay. Before we move to the second side, grab that Jiu-Jitsu belt and place it in front of you, above you and maybe even behind you. Quite a wide grip again. You're simply warming the shoulders up, getting them moving.
This is a nice drill to increase the range of motion through the shoulders. Really important for shoulder health. Place the belt in front of you, this time taking the left arm, reaching it across, grabbing either the shoulder if you can or anywhere, pulling that arm in and down. Get a good grip in and down.
Allow the back to slightly round and feel that stretch. The technical name of this stretch is called arm barring yourself. Letting that go. Jiu-Jitsu belt, reaching it up and over.
Just enjoying getting the blood flow into the shoulders. Last one. Reaching the belt in front of you, we will be needing it again soon. Find your tabletop on the hands and knees for cat cow.
Dropping the lower back, middle back, upper back between the shoulder blades for your old cow. Creating the opposite, rounding the lower back, middle back, upper back for your angry cat. Stretching between these really gently. Inhale in your cow as that spine is arched.
Exhale in the cat and spine is rounded. Continue with the traditional cat cow. If you're feeling like a rebel today, you can do freestyle. So stretching the right side, stretching the left side, maybe even circles with the spine, I call this the tumble dryer.
Stepping the right foot forward, if you need to use your hand to help out, that's totally fine. Just planning ahead, take the jiu-jitsu belt, loop it around your neck. We will be needing it soon. Both hands on the front knee to sit up.
I just like having the jiu-jitsu belt so I don't have to come out of the pose to pick up the belt, so we're being efficient. Coming up, torso up into a low lunge. Holes in front and pulling them open for your Marikana arms. It doesn't matter if the forearms touch.
Your focus will be in your Marikana pulling the shoulders together and down, making this a very active stretch. It could be passive but active and strengthening. So close and open. Shoulder blades together and down.
One more. Right hand on the right hip, reach the left arm up and over to the right side. Sometimes when you wash your clothes you have white stuff from the dryer. Ends up on your live stream.
Back to center, grabbing that jiu-jitsu belt. Same as before, reaching it above in front of you, above you and behind you. Just two, three times. As slow or fast as you'd like.
Preferably slower. When in the spot that's tight, go ahead and move slower through that spot. The next time the belt is behind you, two things. You can either clasp the palms together to pull the shoulders down.
I actually like to use the belt. Sometimes I get more out of doing less. So grabbing the belt, palms forward, pulling the shoulders down, chest proud. Very nice.
Put the belt in front of you. Find your way to tabletop, hands and knees on the ground. Bring the torso to the ground for our skydiver. Hands beside the hips.
Paying attention to the shoulders first. So palms are down for your hands. Shoulder blades together and down. So the back of your shoulder blades should be pulled together and into your back pockets.
Lifting the heels first, the hands second. Bring the shoulder blades together and back for three, two, and one. Hands under the shoulders, hips to heels. For your turtle, allow the knees to be wide.
Just letting the back recover after that back bend. Into your tabletop. This time stepping the left foot forward. If you need to use your hand to help out, that's totally fine.
Grabbing that jujitsu belt, looping it around your neck so we are ready for the future poses. Placing both hands on the left knee, help yourself sit up into the low lunge. Take just a second in the low lunge. You may feel a nice stretch through the front of that back hip.
Starting with our American arms. So forearms together, doesn't matter if they touch or not. Opening, shoulder blades together and down. About three of those.
Left hand on the left hip, reaching the right arm tall over to the left side. You feel a nice stretch through the side body and maybe even the hip. Come to center, grabbing that jujitsu belt. Placing the belt in front, above you and behind.
This is not meant to be crazy intense. This is just meant to help improve the range of motion. The next time the belt is behind you, go ahead and either clasp the hands or palms forward. Pull the hands down, shoulders down, chest proud.
Put the belt on the floor in front of you. Find your way to tabletop, lowering the torso to the ground for our skydiver. Hands beside the hips, palms down. Paying attention to the shoulders first, pulling the shoulder blades together and down.
Together and down. Lifting the heels, lifting the legs, lifting the hands. For three, two, and one. Hands under the shoulders, hips to heels for your turtle.
Let the knees be wide. Hands can be in front of you or you can rest your forehead on the hands. Sling the back release after that back bend. Coming to tabletop, one more set.
Placing the right foot in front. Put your belt on, around your neck. Both hands to the front knee, torso up for low lunge. And americana arms.
Hands together and open. Making this very active when you're in the americana, shoulder blades together and down. Deep inhale. Exhale as you close.
Inhale open. Exhale close. Inhale open. Exhale close.
Open one more time. Place the right hand on the right hip. Reach the left hand up and over to the right side. Just enjoy the stretch to the side.
It can be kind of intense. It's a big stretch. Through the hip, through the side body. Under the shoulder.
Grabbing the jujitsu belt. Bringing it in front of you, above you and behind. Next time it's behind you, go ahead and grab the belt palms forward. Pulling the belt down, shoulders down, chest proud.
Let that go. Put the belt in front on the ground. Find your way to tabletop. Lowering the torso to the ground for your skydiver.
Hands beside the hips. Shoulder blades together and back, making them active. Lifting the heels first and the shoulders second. And the hands for three, two, and one.
Hands under the shoulders, hips to heels. Coming to your tabletop. This last time, bring the left foot to the floor in front of you. Put your belt necklace on.
Both hands to the left foot. And find your little wall to the left, quad. Left foot wouldn't do much. Find your cactus arms, your Marikana arms.
Inhale to open. Exhale to close. Staying active through the shoulder blades. And the next time your Marikana arms are open, place the left hand on the left hip.
Reach the right arm up and to the left side. Grabbing your Jujutsu belt up and over. Placing it in front of you, above you, and behind. For about three.
And the next time your Marikana arms are open, and the next time the belt is behind you, grab the belt with the palms forward, pulling the hands down, the shoulders down, chest proud. Let the belt go. We're all done with it for now. Find your way to tabletop.
Bringing the entire torso to the ground for your sky diver. Hands beside the hips, palms down. Pulling the shoulder blades down and back. Lifting the heels first, and the hands second.
For three, two, and one. Hands under the shoulders, hips to heels. And let the knees be wide for your turtle. Come to tabletop.
And find your way to a sit to transition onto your back. Knees above the hips, and bring them to the right side. For a spinal twist. And with the left arm, go ahead and create circles.
Really slow circles, so you can feel where it's tight. Maybe make the circles even smaller. I have the circles simply behind me now. Finding that tight spot.
And once you've found it, go ahead and leave the arm there. This is such a great stretch that is a staple to every yoga for BJJ practice, and I think should be done every day. Such a great shoulder opener, spinal twist, and stretch the outside of the hip. All these things get tight, so this is a great maintenance stretch.
Feet on the ground. Bring everything to center. And knees above the hips. Knees to the left side this time.
Big circles with that right arm. And then we're going to do a little bit of a stretch. Big circles with that right arm. And eventually making the circles smaller and smaller into actually half circles, a better explanation.
So I simply have the arm behind me now. Finding that tight spot. And once it's found, go ahead and leave the arm there. And placing the feet on the ground.
The spine always goes off center there, so bring it back to center. And if you have longer, go ahead and just stay on the ground. Or if you're working within that 20-minute time frame, roll to your favorite side, go ahead and push yourself up, and just recognize how good everything feels, not just those shoulders. Okay, everybody, thank you for joining me, and we'll see you next time.
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