Stretch of the Week: Lateral Child’s Pose

September is here!! This month we will be focusing on the Latissimus Doris muscles. These are the broadest of the back muscles and they connect from the bottom of the humerus bone (under the arm pit) to the spinous processes of the vertebra from T7-L5; so a large area. The lats help to internally and externally rotate the arms and are a powerful rotator of the trunk of the body. Sometimes if you have trouble rotating the torso it’s because these muscles are tight. So let’s stretch them out!

I call this one a Lateral Child’s pose stretch. There are no contradictions for this stretch. You may need two yoga blocks and a blanket or two.

How to:

1. Lay a blanket or yoga mat on the floor and come to all fours. Bring the big toes together and widen the knees so they are slightly wider than the hips. On the exhale bring the hips back towards the heels as far as you can. If you have difficulty bringing the hips all the way to the heels place a folded blanket right behind the knees and then shift back.

2. Extend the arms out in front of you along the floor. Keep the arms active, elbows off the floor. Start to walk the hands over to the right until the torso is inline with the right knee as shown in the top photo below. Spread the fingers wide and check to make sure the thumbs are even with each other. Sink the left hip back down to the heel. Inhale and feel the stretch through the left latissimus Doris and little muscles between the ribs.

Tip: if you want to intensify the stretch you can lower just the left elbow towards the floor, but keep the thumbs even as shown in the middle photo. For even more intensity you can place your hands on yoga blocks, again keeping the hands even, and lower the left elbow towards the floor as shown in the bottom photo.

3. Stay here for 30 seconds or as long as up to 3 mins. Then walk the hands back to center and then to the left repeating instructions for the left side.

Enjoy!