8 Power Yoga Poses for Flexibility in the Shoulders

Open Your Heart, Strengthen Your Flow, and Create Space Where You Need It Most

If you’ve ever felt stiff in your upper back, tight in your chest, or achy after long days at a desk (or wrangling toddlers), you’re not alone.

Shoulder mobility is one of the most commonly overlooked areas in yoga. And in power yoga especially, we need strong, flexible shoulders to flow safely — think Chaturanga, Downward Dog, and every arm balance you love (or dread).

The good news? Yoga gives us everything we need to stretch, strengthen, and stabilize the shoulders — without needing any fancy equipment. Just breath, intention, and a few solid postures.

Let’s dive into my go-to shoulder openers that show up in my teaching and practice again and again.

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🧘‍♀️ Why Shoulder Flexibility Matters in Power Yoga

Your shoulders are the most mobile joints in the body — but also some of the most vulnerable.
Tightness in the chest, lats, or upper back can cause:

• Poor posture + rounded upper spine
• Strain in Chaturanga or Plank
• Wrist pain (yep — often linked to shoulder tightness!)
• Blocked breath + shallow inhales
• Extra tension in the jaw + neck

By building flexible strength in the shoulders, you create space for deeper heart openers, stronger flows, and less compensation through other joints.

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🔥 8 Power Yoga Poses for Shoulder Flexibility

These poses help release tension, open the front body, and strengthen the supporting muscles so you stay safe and powerful in your flow.

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1. Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)

A heart-melting, shoulder-opening favorite

Knees stay under hips, arms walk forward, chest melts down. Great for tight traps and front deltoids.

🔹 Cue: Keep your arms active (don’t let elbows splay) and gently press palms down.
🧘‍♀️ Bonus: Add a block under your forehead for support.

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2. Thread the Needle

A sweet spinal twist that opens the upper back and outer shoulders

From Tabletop, thread one arm under the other and lower onto the shoulder. You’ll feel the stretch across the back of the shoulder and traps.

🔹 Cue: Gently press the supporting hand into the floor to deepen the rotation.

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3. Eagle Arms (Garudasana Arms)

A standing or seated bind to stretch between the shoulder blades

Wrap arms around each other, lift elbows, and gently pull away from the face. This targets the posterior deltoids and rhomboids.

🔹 Cue: Can’t bind? Grab opposite shoulders or use a strap.

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4. Cow Face Arms (Gomukhasana Arms)

Deep internal + external shoulder rotation — a classic for good reason

One elbow points up, the other down, with hands clasped behind the back (or holding a strap).

🔹 Cue: Keep ribs from flaring — this isn’t a backbend.

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5. Reverse Prayer (Pashchima Namaskarasana)

Opens the chest and builds wrist + forearm flexibility too

Bring hands into prayer behind the back, pressing palms together. If that’s too much, just hold opposite elbows behind you.

🔹 Cue: Roll the shoulders back and down before you begin.

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6. Cactus Arms in Warrior I or Lunge

A powerful variation that opens the heart during heat-building sequences

From High Lunge or Warrior I, bend elbows to 90° and draw shoulder blades together.

🔹 Cue: Gently press forearms back as if hugging a beach ball behind your heart.

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7. Downward Dog with Bent Knees

Lengthens lats, stretches deltoids, and creates decompression

Bend your knees generously and press your chest toward your thighs. Keep arms active and ears between the biceps.

🔹 Cue: Think “lift hips, soften chest.”

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8. Bridge Pose with Shoulder Shimmy

A sneaky chest opener — especially when you roll shoulders under and interlace fingers

Focus on lifting the sternum while hugging shoulder blades toward each other.

🔹 Cue: Press into your pinky fingers and upper arms to deepen the opening.

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💪 Want Shoulder Flexibility in a Flow?

Try one of my strength-and-mobility flows that build shoulder range without sacrificing stability:

• 🔗 Power Hour: Strength-Building Flow for Energy
• 🔗 45-Min Flow for Strength + Mental Clarity
• 🔗 Prenatal Flow for Breath & Space in the Upper Body

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Final Thoughts: Flexible Shoulders, Strong Practice

You don’t need to force a wheel pose or contort your arms behind your head to improve shoulder mobility.
All it takes is a little daily attention and intentional movement.

Shoulder opening doesn’t just improve your yoga poses — it helps you breathe deeper, move smarter, and feel lighter in everything from downward dog to daily life.

Try one or two of these postures in your next flow and notice what shifts — in your body and your breath.