Looking for a quick way to understand the anatomy of your shoulder? Here are two different videos that each share shoulder information (plus a special offer at the end of the post).
Before we dive into the videos, let’s look at the shoulder joint itself. Built as a ball and socket joint, like the hip, it affords us great flexibility. We can move our arm around 180 degrees. We can lift the shoulders, depress them, roll them open, shrug them down. We can hug them closer to our back as we might notice in a Low Push Up position (ideally). We can squeeze the inner edges closer together of let the inner edges pull apart.
Here’s a picture of the shoulder joint (ignore the red):
The shoulders really take the brunt of our general posture because we’re hunched most of the day. If you’re someone that works on your feet all day, reaching up multiple times, that’s not so hot either ( for a different anatomical reason).
So, in order to understand the shoulder a bit better, it’s helpful to know the rotator cuff muscle group. Here’s an image looking at the front of the left shoulder :
This is an image of the back of the left shoulder:
Here’s a quick video about the muscles of the rotator cuff:
Bare Bones Yoga Anatomy Minute: Focus on the Rotator Cuff
Just reading through this much and looking at the images and the video gives you a better idea of the shoulder joint itself. But how can we apply it to movement so we can help people “move smarter?” This is my passion as a yoga teacher; how can I apply the details to the routine movements we do all day and suggest poses, changes in position and in many cases, “moving in the opposite way” in order to create more balance? Here’s a video that applies this anatomy information in that way:
Move Smarter: Focus on the ShouldersÂ
Once you’ve gone through this information and gotten here, you might be looking for even more information and how to apply it to your yoga practice. Well, I’ve got you covered! Here’s my latest online yoga anatomy course and it covers shoulders, hips AND backbends. You can preview the course here:
Learn the Anatomy, Practice It, Teach It: Hips, Shoulders, Backbends
If you purchase the course between now and Saturday, you’ll get it for $10 off. How? Just email me at karen@barebonesyoga.com for the discount code.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this primer on the shoulders. Have an anatomy related question? Join my Facebook group called “Bare Bones Yoga Anatomy Workgroup. “Â I’ll get your invite and I’ll gladly add you! You can also email me or comment below.
Move Smarter!