Yoga is great for opening the chest and shoulder but with a strap it can be even more beneficial by allowing us to explore a great range of motion. Try this exercise with a strap from my Mindful Monday Series and see how it opens up your upper body.
This is a really good stretch for opening the front of the body and it uses a strap. If you don't have a yoga strap, use a tie or a scarf or any kind of rope that you have lying around the house. Find something that is tight, not loose like a stretchy band.
The strap is very helpful when your hands don’t connect easily or if they do but your arms bend when connected. Use a strap to bridge the gap between your hands so that when you draw the shoulder blades back, your arms get straight.
You decide how close to bring the hands together on the strap. Some days they might be most comfortable closer together and at other times you might need to keep them further apart.
Once you have your grip on the band, hinge at the hips and take the head down towards the floor as far as you can. Send your hands and strap up to the ceiling. Once in the fold, adjust the strap as you need to, going wider or closer together. Keep the hands moving as far forward as you can.
Be very mindful when rising out of the fold to keep your back strong and straight.
Once you release the strap, bring awareness to the sensations of your upper body.