Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free (25 page)

Droopy Shoulders

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All day long our shoulders tend to droop further and further forward. If we continue this drooping day

after day for years of our lives we will end up all hunched over, shrinking our size and causing our

bodies a lot of totally preventable tension. Whether your shoulders sag from computer use, poor

posture, or because you’re just hanging out trying to look cool, it’s way more cool to have good

posture and be able to stand up tall throughout your entire life. If you’re hunched forward, you’re going

to miss a lot of the action in life.

THE DROOPY SHOULDERS YOGA CURE

The yoga cure for droopy shoulders is to open the chest and get those shoulders down and rested back, where
they belong. Repetition is key. Just because you do this routine once, and you’re standing up taller

immediately after, doesn’t mean you’re finished there. Keep up the yoga and shoulder opener poses to have

perfect posture and tension-free shoulders that you can walk around proudly with for years.

Standing Forward Bend Shoulder Opener

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Stand comfortably with your feet a few inches apart. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, gently fold your torso forward over your legs. Interlace your hands behind you and let your arms fall over your back. If your hamstrings feel tense, bend your knees slightly and rest your belly on your thighs. Relax deeper into the pose with each exhale. Begin to lengthen your exhales a bit more than your inhales; this will encourage the body to open and the mind to settle. Stay here for five long, deep breaths.

Back Lengthener, Easy Twist

From your standing forward bend, unlace your hands and release your fingertips to the ground. Press your left

fingertips into the ground a couple inches in front of your feet, soften your left knee, open your torso toward your right, lengthening your right arm back and straight up over your shoulders. Simultaneously, lengthen out through file:///C|/...ures%20Simple%20Routines%20to%20Conquer%20Mlments%20and%20Live%20Pain-Free%20-%20Stiles%20Tara/index.html[5/29/2012 10:54:20 PM]

your tailbone and through the top of your head. Stay here for three long, deep breaths. Do the other side.

Standing Arm Reach

Now bring both fingertips to the ground, bend your knees slightly, let your head hang heavy and roll up to standing, one vertebra at a time. When your head is lifted, inhale and lift your arms out and up. Relax your tailbone and lift your chest. As you exhale relax and let your arms gently float down to your sides. Repeat this twice more.

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Exhaustion

Keeping up with our busy schedules and all the activities of our lives can lead to exhaustion, especially

if we are spreading ourselves too thin. A regular yoga practice will help you take an honest look at how

you spend your time, and naturally guide you toward filling your days with activities that inspire and

fill you with energy, instead of activities that drain you and cause stress and tension to build up.

Your attitude toward your day is a huge factor in your energy level. Sometimes, we just need to “get

through” big stretches of some activity that we really aren’t excited about. Working hard on something

you don’t like usually leads us right to exhaustion. When you wake up each day excited about what it

might bring, your energy levels will skyrocket, no matter how much busyness the day brings. To flip

your mood from dread-filled to excited, practice these simple yoga poses regularly and you’ll be re-

inspired and energized in no time. If a lack of sleep is causing your exhaustion, yoga can also help ease

your body and mind so you can sleep great at night. All you have to do is make the time to practice

and take care of yourself.

THE EXHAUSTION YOGA CURE

The yoga cure for exhaustion is simply getting up and doing these simple yoga poses. A little gentle movement
will awaken your entire system, and leave you with a fresh and lasting energy that you can take with you.

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