Reverse table pose is an intense, yet liberating chest opening experience, grab your foam roller or yoga blocks to aid in proper shoulder positioning and let’s get ready to tone and open every inch of our unique body’s.
To begin:
1. Sitting with your foam roller behind you, place your palms on the foam roller slightly wider than your shoulders with your fingers facing you (unless shoulder/ scapulae issues).
2. Plant your feet hips width with a possible block between the thighs or mini ball to help with pelvic-core recruitment.
3. Bend your elbows and with a deep exhale lift the hips, being mindful to engage your inner thighs and pelvic core rather than death squeezing your glutes (they will contract, but they are not the only muscles).
4. Let your elbows be the last thing to extend, but keep them bent if you have very tight shoulders. Feel the lift of your chest and either extend your head back reaching through your chin or keep your chin tucked, both offer a neck release (do not extend the head back with vision issues or nerve issues).
5. Try to hold this pose for five to ten breaths and repeat 1 to 3 more times.
This pose is a great release, challenge for the wrists, stretch for the forearms and upper arms, opener for the shoulders as well as a toner for the legs and core!
Rock on and have fun!