Yoga as Therapeutic Exercise: A Practical Guide for Manual Therapists

6

Chapter

The basic exercises

3. Basic exercises for the thoracic spine 3. Basic exercises for the thoracic spine


4. Basic exercises for the thoracic spine 3. Basic exercises for the thoracic spine

Figure 6.68

9. If you can bring your elbows slightly more
   backwards and higher, do so; move 2–3 cm
   forwards or bend further forwards from your
   hips (Figure 6.69) and repeat points 4 and 5;
   otherwise repeat points 4 and 5 in your previous
   arm position (Figure 6.68).


10. Then rest your hands on your thighs, relax
    your arms, and feel your breathing movement
    between your shoulder blades for a few
    breaths.

Refined work

Practice pushing your bent elbows to the back of the

chair; play with different distances from the back

of the chair, different directions, and distances of

your elbows and different amounts of pressure to

find the best effect.

Exercise 3.9: Shoulder bridge

Aims: mobilizing the thoracic spine into back-

bending, strengthening the thoracic area against

gravity.

1. Lie on your back, knees and feet hip width
   apart, knees bent, feet one foot length away
   from the buttocks, soles of the feet on the floor;
   elbows bent, as close as possible to the sides of
   your trunk, fingers pointing towards the ceiling.


2. Keeping your throat relaxed, lift your pelvis as
   long as you can maintain the neutral lumbopelvic
   position (Figure 6.70); to help in keeping the
   throat relaxed, move the chin a tiny bit away
   from the sternum.


3. To lift further press your elbows into the floor,
   again keeping a soft throat; move the hands apart

Figure 6.67 Figure 6.69