Transform Your Yoga: Supporting the shoulders and spine
What happens to your spine when you raise your arms?
Yoga frequently asks us to reach our arms overhead, outwards or behind us. Yet these movements do not happen at the shoulder joints in isolation. The shoulder blades move in relationship to the ribs, which in turn connect to the thoracic spine.
When movement through the shoulders is limited, the body intelligently finds another way to complete the action — often through the ribs and spine. What appears to be greater shoulder movement may include the ribs moving forwards or increased extension through the thoracic or lumbar spine. Becoming aware of how the movement is being shared gives us more choice.
In this practical workshop, we’ll use accessible anatomy, movement and guided awareness to explore the relationship between the shoulders, rib cage and spine, and how thoughtful support can reveal new possibilities throughout the upper body.
Suitable for all levels of yoga practitioners, from beginners to experienced teachers.
Join live or watch the recording
The workshop will be held live online via Zoom, giving you the opportunity to learn, ask questions and explore the practice together.
If you can’t make it live, or would simply like to revisit what you’ve learned, everyone who books will receive access to the workshop recording for 7 days.
There will be opportunities to ask questions during the live workshop. If you’d like personalised guidance specific to your own body or practice, one-to-one consultations are also available.
This workshop forms part of Transform Your Yoga, a series exploring the relationship between the spine and the rest of the body — and how support, awareness and curiosity can change the way we experience yoga. Each session brings together accessible anatomy, imagery, movement and guided awareness, inviting you to notice your own patterns and understand your body more deeply through your own experience. Each workshop can be enjoyed on its own or as part of the complete series.
About Loulou James MCSP
Loulou is a Spine Health Specialist, retired physiotherapist, yoga teacher, educator and founder of the Buttafly. Drawing on more than 40 years’ experience, her work explores how the body’s innate intelligence expresses itself through the spine, and how the right conditions can support greater ease, adaptability and balance.
Don’t have a Buttafly yet? You’re still very welcome to join. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of how thoughtful prop use can support your practice and help you decide whether the Buttafly is right for you.