Anatomy and Asana: I Love Anatomy Ezine
www.anatomyandasana.com
By: Susi Hately Aldous

Releasing the Outer Core "Helpers" Part 2

Last month's ezine was part 1 in an exploration of the inner core, and what tends to happen when when the

"inner core muscles"- transversus abdominus, multifidi, and pelvic floor - are being underutilized.

In that ezine, we focused on the pelvic girdle. This month we'll move into the neck and shoulder girdle.

The Neck and Shoulder Girdle

The neck and shoulder girdle are connected through the spine and musculature of the torso. Think of the trapezius as

it spans from the base of the skull out to the tip of the shoulder, and down to T12; think of the levator scapulae, sternocleidomastoid,

scalenes and the multitude of other neck muscles that connect from the cervical spine to the scapulae and/or collarbone; and don't

forget about the other stabilizers of the shoulder girdle - serratus anterior and rhomboids.

Oftentimes, when working with core stability, the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle contract inappropriately It can feel like

jaw strain, neck pain, or a solid sense of tension in the chest or between the scapulae.

If this is your situation, or a situation your student is experiencing, try the following to bring awareness, ease, and

more functional strength.

Exercise (the photo for this movement is in Yoga for the Core: Finding Stability in an Unstable Environment)

Phase 1:

1. Lay on your back. You can place your legs on a ball, or have knees bent, feet on the floor.

2. Place one hand on your belly and feel yourself breathing.

3. As you exhale, let your head turn to the left - ear to floor. As you inhale, let the head effortlessly return to start.

4. Once you have the connection in point 3, activate your inner core mildly (a "3" on a scale of 1-10), and repeat.

5 Feel the release in the neck, the connection to the core, the breath and your stable body.

6. Explore your inner core/movement connection. Shift so that you move your ear to the floor on the inhale and return it

to start on the exhale. Is anything different? Does your stability change?

Phase 2:

1. With your position the same as above, lift your right arm to the sky and over your head on the inhale. Be sure the lower ribs are

comfortably connected to your pelvis, but don't hold them "hard".

2. Exhale your arm back to your side.

3. Feel the activation of the core stabilizing the spine, ribs, and pelvis while the arm and shoulder girdle move freely.

4. Try to feel the breath subtly moving on the moving-side arm.