One of the most significant messages I received during my initial teacher training with Pixie Lillas was that the armpit chest must open. What she meant I have tried to demonstrate in the pictures below – the first two images keeping my shoulders down, the second two allowing my shoulder blades to move without jamming around the neck.
N.B. I am 5 months pregnant in these pictures and I have a carrying angle which means my arms will never appear to be straight from side-on!
Opening the armpit chest is important for a number of reasons:
- We have lung under there! Finding, lifting and opening those armpit chest ribs improves our ability to breathe properly and also release tension in the body.
- Opening the armpit chest creates length and lift through the whole spine – notice the extra length in the front view as my shirt actually pulled up where it was previously tucked in; the extra wrinkles in my shirt on the side angle as my side chest is lifted up; and the lift through the abdomen seen in the side images as less belly! It is important to note that I was not sucking in or engaging my abdominal muscles – this lift comes naturally as a consequence of the correct posture and the additional lift in the chest.
- When the armpit chest is open the body becomes more integrated – like a long flowing line of energy rather than a disjointed zig-zag appearance. This can be seen in the side angles above and in the poses shown below. The extension of the arms seems to start at the floating ribs or waist instead of just from the shoulders. The back ribs also come deeper into the body to open the chest.
- Grasping this concept is also crucial to working towards the ‘bigger’ poses like backbends. Without this lift the spine feels compressed and the poses become heavy and even painful for some students.
- Without this lift there is no organic effect – meaning the internal organs and body systems don’t benefit. The natural drawing in and up that occurs when the armpit chest opens helps to draw up the pelvic floor, lift and stimulate the internal organs, improve blood flow and create a positive effect on the lungs and diaphragm. In fact…
- BKS Iyengar was so convinced of the power of opening this area of the body that he said ” If you open the armpits, the brain becomes light. You cannot brood or become depressed.” Try it!
- Finally, from a skeletal perspective, keeping the shoulders held down when taking the arms up prevents the natural movement of the shoulder blades and creates a restricted shoulder position. (This explains why lifting up to urdhva dhanurasana or full wheel pose for me 5 years ago would often create a pinching feeling in my shoulder.)
(This image is from the article that inspired this one: http://www.griffinshill.com.au/Blog/The-tricky-question-of-the-shoulder-blades.html )
(Pixie Lillas in urdhva dhanurasana at her Balmain Yoga Studio – www.balmainyoga.com )
Our shoulder blades are meant to move. As students we need to practice quietening the upper trapezius muscles to prevent hunching around the neck and learn to lift and open our armpit chest to experience more freedom of movement and lightness as we progress in our practice.
(BKS Iyengar in natarajasana)
CLICK HERE to see the class timetable for Green Body Yoga Studio in Cardiff, NSW.