Yoga and the Shoulder Joint

by Rachel Walsh – Wanaka Yoga

This assignment will focus on the Shoulder and its associated structures. Firstly I have
described the shoulder & its range of movements and then outlined the components of
the shoulder and described some of the issues with these components. I have then
outlined the benefits and noted some cautions in our yoga practice for the shoulders
and the recommended poses.
Movement of the Shoulder
Shoulder: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, and external
rotation.

About the Shoulder
The shoulder includes three different bones, the clavicle, scapula and the
humerus. These three bones are articulating together to some extent the scapula will
directly impact the movements available at the shoulder joint and vice versa. The arm
humerus head connects to the scapula then to the clavicle. The clavicle does not move
a lot but there will be much more movement in the scapula and the humerus. If you look
at the structure there is very little coverage of the shoulder joint which makes it much
more free floating. The shoulder joint is the most mobile of our joints making it lean
towards mobility and away from stability.

Main Components of the Shoulder
Glenohumeral is the main shoulder joint, where the humerus sits in the glenoid fascia.
As per the diagram above the head of the upper arm bone (humerus), this forms the
ball. The glenoid cavity on the shoulder blade (scapula) forms the socket.

Muscles of the Shoulder – the shoulder is made up of superficial and deep muscles.
Superficial muscles are bigger and more powerful. We can often see and feel these
muscles as they are closer to the skin they are much more visible. Deep muscles are
smaller and they are closer to the joint itself. Their job is to stabilize the joint. They are
much more subtle and you almost need to visualize where these muscles are. If the
superficial muscles override deep muscles, more wear and tear is created in the joint
itself. We are looking for a balance between the superficial and deep muscles.
This is where a sound yoga practice will help with accessing all the muscle groups in
the shoulders itself. My teacher Suzi Carson talks about action against restraint, this
has really made sense to me. I have had a shoulder injury in the past. I now have a
much clearer idea of what I am doing with my yoga practice under her guidance and my
own personal practice.

Scapular Stabilizers – serratus anterior a fan shaped muscle it covers the ribs
attaching to the medial border of the scapula. The prime mover in both scapular
protraction and scapular upward rotation.It keeps the shoulder blades against the
ribcage when at rest and during movement.
Scapular Stabilizers – rhomboids major & minor The rhomboid major is an extrinsic
muscle of your shoulder. It is located deep to the trapezius, and inferior to the rhomboid
minor. Actions retracts and rotates the scapula.

Humeral Stabilizers – Rotator cuff (subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres
minor) One of the most important actions that all four of the rotator muscles do is to stabilize the shoulder joint.

These muscles all contribute to keeping the head of the
humerus in the right place within the glenoid fossa, the socket of the shoulder ball and
socket joint.
Actions Supraspinatus – initiates abduction of the humerus
Infraspinatus – Lateral rotation of the humerus
Teres minor – lateral rotation of the humerus
Subscapularis – medial rotation of the humerus

Ligaments & Tendons of the Shoulder – There are ligaments that connect the
shoulder blade (scapula) to the Humerus which include: coracohumeral ligament and
the glenohumeral ligaments (superior, middle and inferior)
Cartilage of the Shoulder – The two main bones that make up the shoulder
(glenohumeral) joint are the scapula (shoulder blade) and the humerus (upper arm
bone). Where these two bones meet, the glenohumeral joint, they are covered with
cartilage. This allows for smooth joint motion with minimal friction.
Blood vessels & nerves – The main nerves of the brachial plexus are the
musculocutaneous, axillary, radial, ulnar and median nerves. Blood vessels travel along
with the nerves to supply blood to the arms. Oxygenated blood is supplied to the
shoulder region by the subclavian artery that runs below the collarbone.
Yoga Asana for the Shoulders – Benefits with Cautions
To create stability in the shoulder joint we need to stabilize both the scapula and the
humerus. When teaching yoga it would be good practice to be mindful about creating
stability in the shoulder joint action against restraint. The shoulder is a complex
structure and very easily can be damaged. I have been taught that the muscles support
the bones and joints and we want this to be apparent when we practice our yoga poses.
In the following asana’s I have identified poses and the specific muscles around the

shoulder. I have looked into this in more depth of how they work the origin and the
action of these muscles in our yoga practice.
I will look at how the muscular & skeletal joint actions are working in your shoulders in
the following poses. As I look into the following it has really become clear to me to slow
down in my own practice so I can apply the following actions. If you rush through your
practice it would be very hard to establish the actions and the stability around the poses.
As the asana’s become more complex this is a very important way of practicing.

Utthita Trikonasana – skeletal joint action – scapula abduction, shoulder adduction and
external rotation. Muscular joint actions – to abduct the scapula serratus anterior to
stabilize and abduct the shoulder joint (rotator cuff)

Parsvottanasana arms in Paschima Namaskarasana – skeletal joint action scapula
abduction and the final actions of adduction of the scapula moving them towards the
spine. This arm position can be challenging if you have limited mobility in your shoulder
girdle. This asana is great for improving mobility in the shoulders, elbows and wrists.
Restrictions in any or all of these regions will be highlighted in this pose while working in
Namaskarasana.

If the scapula is not able to move freely on the ribcage I would suggest keeping the
hands below the shoulder on bricks. Another alternative is to hold the elbows behind the
back. The caution here with hands in namaskar you may put excessive pressure into
the shoulder joints themselves. Muscular action required Trapezius, Rhomboids,
Subscapularis, Teres major, Latissimus, serratus anterior, Terres minor, infraspinatus
and the deltoid.

Paschimottanasana – skeletal joint action scapular abduction and upward rotation,
shoulder flexion and adduction. Muscular Action lengthening Rhomboids easing
yourself forward.
Kurmasana – skeletal joint action scapular downward rotation and abduction, shoulder
abduction and internal rotation. Muscular joint actions – to internally rotate and protect
the shoulder joint – rotator cuff especially subscapularis. To adduct the scapula once you

have the arm positioned under the leg. Rhomboids along with the deltoids. Cautions –
This is an advanced asana and a good understanding of the above is very important.
This pose is not done by using force. To get the legs into position you can overwork the
muscles against the push of the legs. I have put strain on my shoulder joint by forcing
myself into this pose (in my earlier days) . My approach now to these more advanced
asanas are more considered.

Gomukhasana – Skeletal joint actions top arm upward rotation, elevation, and
adduction, shoulder external rotation and flexion. Bottom arm scapular downward
rotation, adduction and depression, shoulder internal rotation and extension. Muscular
Joints – top arm upward rotation of the scapula serratus anterior, to adduct the scapula
Rhomboids, to externally rotate shoulder infraspinatus, teres minor. Bottom arm
downward rotation and adduction of the scapula lower trapezius, rhomboids. To
internally rotate the shoulder, subscapularis. To internally rotate and extend the
shoulder, teres major, latissimus dorsi. Lengthening of the serratus anterior. Cautions
Upward & downward rotation of the scapula needs to follow in the order of adduction to
avoid over mobilizing the shoulder joint. There can be too much movement in the
glenohumeral joint, causing over-mobilizing in the joint.

Salamba Sarvangasana – Skeletal joint actions scapular adduction, downward rotation,
and elevation, shoulder extension and adduction. Muscular joint actions to adduct,
elevate, and downwardly rotate the scapula, rhomboids, levator scapulae. To stabilize
shoulder joint and prevent protraction of head of humerus, rotator cuff. To extend and
adduct shoulder joint, teres major, posterior deltoid. Cautions The foundation of this
pose is the shoulder girdle you need to be able to come right onto the top of the
shoulders. The muscles that elevate, adduct, and downwardly rotate need to keep the
scapulae in position. Often we will see the cervical spine rounding going in the wrong
direction. The cervical spine receives the weight of the whole body in a flexed position,
which can make it very vulnerable to injury. Practice against the wall would be a good
option to learn the actions.

The following are additional asana out of Mr Iyengars book Yoga for sports for the
shoulders page 71 – 73

Rope Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

I like to practice this asana but I am very careful not to overextend. It is very easy to go
too far and push into the deltoid (front). This is a challenging asana to do correctly here!
That is my personal experience with this asana. I am not suggesting that this would be
everyone’s experience.

Urdhva Dhanurasana
Purvottanasana
Parsva Hastasana

Pasasana

This asana you need to have a lot of freedom in your shoulders to execute this with any
real skill. I would need to use a belt to have any chance at all getting access to the bind.
I am always grateful to have the use of the props to help access the poses otherwise I
think they would be un accessible for myself personally and my students.

Reference BKS Iyengar Yoga for Sports
Anatomy of Hatha Yoga – H. David Coulter
Yoga Anatomy – Leslie Kaminoff & Amy Matthews (second edition)