Embodied Health

Denver Clark, C-IAYT, ERYT500

February is upon us, Valentines Day is near and as such, the heart is likely to become the topic of conversation for many yoga classes.

The Heart is our most important organ. It processes the oxygen we breathe through an intimate relationship with our lungs, and it sends those molecules into the bloodstream for use as energy or Prana. Our heart health is connected to our nervous system health which affects all our organs. The Heart sits in the middle of the muscles and joints of our shoulders and therefore is also connected to our shoulder health and functioning as well as that of our arms and hands.

In addition to the health benefits of supporting the heart though movement and breath, as the centermost of the 7-chakra system the heart chakra represents the filter through which our karmic energy moves. Our lower three chakras, the root, sacral and solar plexus areas represent our basic needs and functions but when we get to the heart, we are presented with the opportunity to use love śṛṅgāra (pronounced shring-gara) to inform how we pursue our basic needs and desires. In yogic philosophy, śṛṅgāra is the mother of all emotions or rasas and the most important of the 9 basic human emotions. It is true that Love truly does concur all.

The following 5 practices can help you access the heart and integrate the mind-body connection in this area of your body.

1. Protraction and retraction of the shoulder blades. – The muscles of our chest, upper back and shoulders (including the rotator cuff muscles) all work together to support our chest and the organs inside. By balancing mobility with strength we can bring greater health to this area of the body, increasing blood flow to the heart and air through the lungs for better overall health. These actions also help to strengthen the shoulders reducing pain and stiffness in the shoulder joints.

Step 1 – exhale and round the shoulders forward creating a concave chest and drawing the heart back toward the spine.

Step – 2 inhale and open the chest, drawing the shoulder blades back and together toward the center of the spine.

This action can be done 10-20 times and the arms can be in any position. Try folding this action into your yoga practice in various positions for even better results.

• 2. Isometric engagement of the upper back and arms – By isometrically engaging the upper back muscles we bring balance between the front and back of the chest and heart. This helps reduce the sunken chest we might experience from poor posture, relieves pressure on the heart and lungs from tight muscles and can relieve upper back pain.

Step 1- using a yoga strap or exercise band, turn the palms up toward the ceiling and hold the band in your hands with the arms extended straight at shoulder width (or slightly wider

Step 2 – pull the band outward using the upper back and shoulder muscles. Lift the chest and breathe smoothly. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3-5x.

You can complete this action with the arms out in front of you at bellybutton level or play with moving them up and down to different levels, to access more muscle fibers across the upper back.

• 3. Isometric engagement of the shoulders – bringing strength and stability to the shoulders is an integral part of supporting heart health.

Step 1 – Hold a block or roll of paper towels between your forearms with the elbows bent at 90 degrees. Squeeze the arms inward to engage the rotator cuff muscles.

Step 2 – on an inhale, slowly raise the arms and the block up toward the sky, moving the block toward the back of the head. Keep the elbows tight inward.

Step 3 – on an exhale, draw the arms back down and tuck the elbows inward tight against the sides of the body. Complete this 5-10 times.

After raising and lowering the arms, you can also try making circles around the head with the arms in both directions, keeping the forearms and elbows close together.

• 4. Supported Fish Pose on a Block – Using gravity to release the muscles of the chest helps increase lung capacity, blood flow through the heart, helps improve posture and can open your heart physically and energetically to others.

Step 1 – lay down 2 yoga blocks (or a bolster or yoga blanket) in the center of your mat as shown below.

Step 2 – Lie down with the bottom of your shoulder blades against the bottom of the block and allow your shoulders to relax on either side of the block. Use the second block to support your head or let your neck relax fully backward if that is more comfortable for you.

Step 3 – place your legs in any position that is most comfortable for you and relax for 5-10 minutes.

• 5. Journaling to release what’s on your heart – Physical postures only take us so far in the attempt to create a healthy heart. Exploring our relationships to self and others and releasing what is currently resting in our heart space frees up our heart even more. Try the following prompts below and consider writing your answers and letting go of them by burning the paper or dissolving it in water.

• * What does self-love mean to you? How do you show yourself love on a weekly basis? What could you do to show yourself love more often?
• * What activities do you do that make you feel strong and stable in your arms and shoulders? How does that activity leave you feeling afterward?
• * What does unconditional love mean to you? Who shows you unconditional love? Who do you show unconditional love?

• * Write down your first broken heart, how it made you feel, and how did you move through it?
• * When growing up, did you openly receive love from your family? Did you genuinely feel the love, or did it feel awkward?
• * Do you feel worthy of love? Why or why not?
• * What lights up your soul and sparks passion in your heart? What are you truly passionate about? What actions do you take daily to honor your true passions?

Bonus activity: Place your hands on your heart and breathe deeply. What emotions are sitting in this space today? Can you acknowledge them verbally out loud and understand that these emotions are temporary? Try breathing out each emotion one by one, inhaling deeply and exhaling as you say the emotion, imagining it floating away on the wind to make space for the next one.

Please check out my free 40-minute heart opening gentle yoga class on YouTube for more.