Like (almost) everyone and their (downward) dog, I was following Yoga with Adriene through her Breath practice in January.
Over and over again, I noticed that my upper back, my neck and my shoulders were annoyed with me. I’m pretty sure that the problem is starting behind my shoulder blades and extending from there.
I know why they are annoyed and I don’t blame them.
I keep hunching my shoulders up by my ears.
If I am really fighting to concentrate, I’ve discovered that I actually push against my desk with one hand or with my elbows while I work.
I spend a lot of time looking down at my phone, of course.
I do try to notice when things get especially bad and I do take the time to stretch my upper body fairly regularly but Adriene’s inclusion of Humble Warrior (Baddha Virabhadrasana) in this series of practices has made me realize that I haven’t been returning my upper back muscles to a relaxed state. I’ve been returning them to ‘somewhat less tense.’
So, I have decided to, in Adriene’s words, give my upper back muscles some attention this month.
I started on Monday with just some basic movements and stretches borrowed from my Taekwondo warm-ups and then I did some upper back yoga before bed. As the month goes along, I’ll add in some more specific physio type work and see what feels best.
I’m hoping that by the end of February, my upper back will stop being so frustrated with me.
Perhaps, we may even become friends.
Are any of your muscles annoyed with you on the regular?
How do you appease them?
