December 9th - Shoulders & Thoracic Spine

- Lie on your back. (You can use a pillow under your head if it’s more comfortable.)
- Place one hand on your upper chest and one hand on your abdomen.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose, letting the air in deeply, towards your lower belly. Breathe through the belly so that the hand on your chest remains still, while the one on your belly rises.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles and let them fall inward as you exhale.

- Start on your hands and knees with hands shoulder width apart and knees directly below hips.
- Inhale, tilt your pelvis back so that the tailbone sticks up. Let this movement ripple up through the spine so that the head is the last thing to move. Gently gaze towards the ceiling.
- Exhale, tuck your tailbone. Draw your navel towards your spine. Allow the spine to round, bringing your chin towards your chest.
- Repeat the cat cow movement following your breath for one minute.

- Stand with feet wide apart.
- Hinge forward from the hips. The legs provide the support while the torso and head relax towards the floor. Hang one arm down and circle it around, going both clockwise and counterclockwise for thirty seconds.
- Switch arms and repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start lying on your stomach with arms extended overhead with palms facing each other.
- Raise arms toward the ceiling, keeping your elbows straight. Circle them around as far as you can until hands are behind your back.
- Reverse the arm circle motion. Rest your arms between each set of circular motions.
- Repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start on hands and knees with hands shoulder-width apart and knees directly below hips.
- Straighten the left leg out to the side and sit back towards the heel of your bent knee.
- Inhale, reach your left arm underneath your right arm.
- Exhale, reach your left arm up over your right shoulder.
- Return to the starting position. Repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start on hands and knees with hands shoulder-width apart and knees directly below hips.
- Straighten the right leg out to the side and sit back towards the heel of your bent knee.
- Inhale, reach your right arm underneath your left arm.
- Exhale, reach your right arm up over your left shoulder.
- Return to the starting position. Repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start in a half kneeling position with the right side near the wall with the left leg bent to a 90 degree angle with knee over ankle and right knee and shin on the floor (use padding under knee)
- Place the back of the right hand on the wall. Bring both hands together.
- Inhale, lift the chest, exhale, take the left hand away from the right, taking it towards the wall behind. Follow the movement of the left hand with the eyes. Bring the hands back together. Repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start in a half kneeling position with the left side near the wall with the right leg bent to a 90 degree angle with knee over ankle and left knee and shin on the floor (use padding under knee)
- Place the back of the left hand on the wall. Bring both hands together.
- Inhale, lift the chest, exhale, take the right hand away from the left, taking it towards the wall behind. Follow the movement of the right hand with the eyes. Bring the hands back together. Repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start in a half kneeling positon with the right side of your body near the wall with the left knee and shin on the floor (use padding) and the right leg bent to a 90 degree angle with the knee over the ankle.
- Gently place your fingertips on your head. Turn your torso towards the wall.
- Bring your right elbow down towards the legs, rotating the torso away from the wall, bring the right elbow down slightly then reverse the movement until your torso is facing the wall. Pause, then repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start in a half kneeling positon with the left side of your body near the wall with the right knee and shin on the floor (use padding) and the left leg bent to a 90 degree angle with the knee over the ankle.
- Gently place your fingertips on your head. Turn your torso towards the wall.
- Bring your left elbow down towards the legs, rotating the torso away from the wall, bring the left elbow down slightly then reverse the movement until your torso is facing the wall. Pause, then repeat for thirty seconds.

- Kneel, bring the knees apart and big toes together. Sit the buttocks back on the heels.
- Hinge forward from the hips, extend the arms and torso forward, resting the forehead on the floor. Hold this position for thirty seconds.
- Turn the torso to the right and bring your torso over your right leg. Hold for thirty seconds.
- Turn the torso to the left and bring your torso over your left leg, Hold for thirty seconds.

- Lie on your back. (You can use a pillow under your head if it’s more comfortable.)
- Place one hand on your upper chest and one hand on your abdomen.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose, letting the air in deeply, towards your lower belly. Breathe through the belly so that the hand on your chest remains still, while the one on your belly rises.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles and let them fall inward as you exhale.

- Start on your hands and knees with hands shoulder width apart and knees directly below hips.
- Inhale, tilt your pelvis back so that the tailbone sticks up. Let this movement ripple up through the spine so that the head is the last thing to move. Gently gaze towards the ceiling.
- Exhale, tuck your tailbone. Draw your navel towards your spine. Allow the spine to round, bringing your chin towards your chest.
- Repeat the cat cow movement following your breath for one minute.

- Stand with feet wide apart.
- Hinge forward from the hips. The legs provide the support while the torso and head relax towards the floor. Hang one arm down and circle it around, going both clockwise and counterclockwise for thirty seconds.
- Switch arms and repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start lying on your stomach with arms extended overhead with palms facing each other.
- Raise arms toward the ceiling, keeping your elbows straight. Circle them around as far as you can until hands are behind your back.
- Reverse the arm circle motion. Rest your arms between each set of circular motions.
- Repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start on hands and knees with hands shoulder-width apart and knees directly below hips.
- Straighten the left leg out to the side and sit back towards the heel of your bent knee.
- Inhale, reach your left arm underneath your right arm.
- Exhale, reach your left arm up over your right shoulder.
- Return to the starting position. Repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start on hands and knees with hands shoulder-width apart and knees directly below hips.
- Straighten the right leg out to the side and sit back towards the heel of your bent knee.
- Inhale, reach your right arm underneath your left arm.
- Exhale, reach your right arm up over your left shoulder.
- Return to the starting position. Repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start in a half kneeling position with the right side near the wall with the left leg bent to a 90 degree angle with knee over ankle and right knee and shin on the floor (use padding under knee)
- Place the back of the right hand on the wall. Bring both hands together.
- Inhale, lift the chest, exhale, take the left hand away from the right, taking it towards the wall behind. Follow the movement of the left hand with the eyes. Bring the hands back together. Repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start in a half kneeling position with the left side near the wall with the right leg bent to a 90 degree angle with knee over ankle and left knee and shin on the floor (use padding under knee)
- Place the back of the left hand on the wall. Bring both hands together.
- Inhale, lift the chest, exhale, take the right hand away from the left, taking it towards the wall behind. Follow the movement of the right hand with the eyes. Bring the hands back together. Repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start in a half kneeling positon with the right side of your body near the wall with the left knee and shin on the floor (use padding) and the right leg bent to a 90 degree angle with the knee over the ankle.
- Gently place your fingertips on your head. Turn your torso towards the wall.
- Bring your right elbow down towards the legs, rotating the torso away from the wall, bring the right elbow down slightly then reverse the movement until your torso is facing the wall. Pause, then repeat for thirty seconds.

- Start in a half kneeling positon with the left side of your body near the wall with the right knee and shin on the floor (use padding) and the left leg bent to a 90 degree angle with the knee over the ankle.
- Gently place your fingertips on your head. Turn your torso towards the wall.
- Bring your left elbow down towards the legs, rotating the torso away from the wall, bring the left elbow down slightly then reverse the movement until your torso is facing the wall. Pause, then repeat for thirty seconds.