Break It Down Series: Part 3- Opening Up The Chest- Warrior 2

Have you ever tried to take a deep breath but when you did you felt tightness in your chest or upper back? While sometimes this is due to anxiety, it may also be due to tightness in the chest or in your back muscles (honestly, muscle tightness and stress/anxiety do go hand in hand so you may have a combination of factors going on and I’d love to chat with you about that 1:1)

This is where chest openers are AH-MAZING!!!

Chest openers specifically target those muscles that are limiting your ability to take a deep breath. While there are lots of chest opening poses you can do, Warrior 2 is my favorite since it is what I call a “multi targeting pose” which means that it works and targets lots of yummy areas all at once, thereby, providing LOADS of benefits!

So let’s take a look at Warrior 2 and what it can do-

#1- Increases breathing capacity by expanding the chest

#2- Relieves lower back pain and joint stiffness

#3- Tones the abdominal muscles

#4- Increases stamina

#5- Lengthens and strengthens the spine

See what I mean about loads of benefits?

So let’s talk about how to safely come into our Warrior 2 pose.

Starting with the exhale, take a big step back a comfortable distance with the left foot, hands come to rest on your hips.

Point your right toes (front foot) toward the top short edge of your mat. Bring your left foot (back foot) parallel to the back edge of mat. Align heel of front foot with arch of back foot

Bend into your right (front) knee, stacking knee over ankle.

Align your hips with the long edge of your mat. Draw your abs in and create length in the torso.

Bring your shoulders directly over your hips, inhale arms up over head, exhale arms to a “T” shape, palms face down. Gentle Gaze over right (front) middle finger.

Allow your breath to be steady. Relax your shoulders away from your ears.

To come out of the pose, shorten your stance by scooting the back foot forward, use the abdominal muscles to mindfully step to the top of your mat bringing the feet to meet, prepare for second side.

VARIATIONS/MODIFICATIONS

Front knee behind ankle instead of stacked

If you have trouble with your balance, you can practice with your back against a wall

If you have a shoulder injury, feel free to lower your arms down and rest your hands on your hips.

Did you give this pose a try? I would love to know what you think and if you have any questions about it!