Last week, my upper back was tight and I tried a new (to me) video from Heart and Bones Yoga. While the movements were similar to many upper body yoga videos I have done in the past, this one included a small tweak that made a big difference for me.
The instructor was leading us through one set of seated twists and invited us to place our hand on the front of our waists and try the twists again.
The tweak in this twist? We were supposed to keep our hand facing forward and try to just turn from the ribs upwards. (She explains it better in the video but stick with me.)
WHAT A DIFFERENCE!
I thought that the untweaked twist felt pretty good but when I modified my movement as she suggested it totally changed the nature of the stretch. It felt purposeful, targeted, and it was absolutely terrific.
I swear that small change made my rhomboid muscles feel better than they have in ages.
I have been practicing that tweaked twist in my chair, while waiting for the kettle to boil, and while brushing my teeth and I think it has helped a lot.
Your mileage may vary, of course, but if your upper back is tight, why not give it a whirl? (Report back! Please!)
PS – If you have always done twists with that kind of alignment, I’m jealous. I have never picked up on that specific alignment cue before. But, since she included it in her video, I guess it must be a common-enough thing.
