Do you feel stiff in the shoulders, as a grandma? Me too! This video introduces the first Grandma Yoga exercise: a very very slow shoulder roll to free your shoulders.
Why "Grandma Yoga"?
I hear soooo many people telling me that they can’t do yoga. When I ask why, they tell me :
- I am not flexible.
- I am too old. (Even at 24!!!!)
- I am in pain / injured.
This makes me sad. Indeed, it’s better not to do a yoga that is too dynamic, or go to a class full of people where you might not feel comfortable. But there are so many forms of very gentle yoga, which might benefit you.
When I was studying dance, I was one of the least flexible. I was sometimes feeling pain during a whole class! But that is how I discovered another world: a world of somatic practices and gentle yoga to open the body. This really helped me to free the stiffest part of my body : the shoulders.
Simple slow exercise if you feel stiff in the shoulders
First, let’s have a look at Olga the skeleton. Here, we can see how free the shoulder joint is ! It is a ball-in-socket joint, so very free to move.
The goal is to find this mobility, freedom and fluidity again.
We also have a joint just there, at the beginning of the clavicle. This allows even more space and freedom. It is always good to know that you can move your arm from there, especially if you have tight shoulders.
We can now lie down in semi-supine. The feet can be on the floor, a tiny bit wider than the pelvis. The arms can rest on the ground, palms facing up.
Just take some time to settle and sense the ground. Really feel the weight of your body, getting heavier. It is as if you body was melting like a candle.
Sensing the weight of your head, take your time to roll your head very slowly to one side. How slow can you be? The slower, the better. Sense how this simple movement can help to free your neck, and your shoulders. Enjoy!
And again, take your time to come back. Can you be even slower? Sense the weight even more?
Repeat to the other side, enjoying the gentle slow movement to free your stiff shoulders, your neck and whole body.
It can be hard to be so slow at the beginning, but one really gets used to it with practice!
Keep moving
Movement is so important. Even if it is walking around or within your home. Movement is a way to help your body moving the tensions around.
Finding this fun?
You can have a look at other Body Mind Co videos here.