Featured Pose: Upward Bound Hands (Urdva Baddha Hastanana)

Upward Bound Hands pose

by Baxter and Nina

This simple pose allows you to stretch and strengthen your shoulders, arms, hands and wrists, providing the perfect antidote to working with your arms down by your sides all day. Raising your arms overhead with bound hands reverses the effect of gravity on your arms and reestablishes the full range of motion of your collar blades and shoulder blades.

This pose releases muscular tension in your shoulders and upper back from sitting, driving, and/or traveling, and builds strength in your shoulder girdle muscles. It is also helpful for people who tend to develop swelling in forearms or hands, or those who have undergone cancer treatments with removal of lymph nodes.

Version 1, in which your palms are turned up toward the sky, takes your wrists into extension, which is a good is a counter-pose for people who are working with their hands all day, whether typing at a computer or using tools for your job. In addition to releasing the wrists, this version stretches the inner surface of your forearms, which could be beneficial to people with golfer’s elbow (inflammation at the inner elbow).

Version 2, in which your palms are facing the floor, you get a good stretch on the opposite side of your forearm, which could be helpful for people who have tennis elbow. Because the yoga practice typically requires a lot of wrist extension (think Downward-Facing Dog pose, Cat/Cow pose, and Plank pose), Cat Cow, Version 2 of this pose is an effective counter-pose for yoga poses where you bear weight on your hands. 

Because both versions of the pose are beneficial in different ways, we recommend you practice both of them, either on the same day or alternating them. This pose takes up very little space, which is why we’re including it in our office/travel yoga practice. If standing isn’t possible, you can do the arm position from a seated position.

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

•    upper back shoulder and arm stiffness
•    as a counter-pose for kyphosis (Dowager’s hump)
•    elbow conditions, such as tennis or golfer’s elbow
•    carpal tunnel syndrome (or prevention of)
•    arthritis of shoulder, elbow, wrist or finger joints
•    dullness of mind or fatigue, (it is slightly stimulating)
•    weakness in the shoulder girdle area (it strengthens the shoulder and arm muscles)

Instructions:

Version 1: Start by standing in Mountain pose, with your feet about hips-width apart (or sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor). Now, interlace your fingers and turn your palms toward your feet. Strengthen your legs, pressing from your hips into your feet. Then, on an inhalation, bring your arms forward and up. Lengthen your spine and lift your collarbones as your lift your shoulder blades. Move your arms toward a vertical position, keeping your head in a neutral position. Once you encounter resistance in your shoulders or upper back, resist the impulse to take your arms further back. Stay in the position for about one minute, possibly working up to two minutes.

To come out of the pose, lower your arms forward and down before releasing the clasp of your hands. Pause for a few minutes and notice the effects of the pose on your whole upper body (hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders).

Version 2: Start by standing in Mountain pose, with your feet about hips-width apart (or sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor). Now, interlace your fingers and keep your palms upward. Strengthen your legs, pressing from your hips into your feet. Then, on an inhalation, bring your arms forward and up. Lengthen your spine and lift your collarbones as your lift your shoulder blades. Move your arms toward a vertical position, keeping your head in a neutral position. Once you encounter resistance in your shoulders or upper back, resist the impulse to take your arms further back. Stay in the position for about one minute, possibly working up to two minutes.

To come out of the pose, lower your arms forward and down before releasing the clasp of your hands. Pause for a few minutes and notice the effects of the pose on your whole upper body (hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders).

Cautions: If you have rotator cuff injury, approach this pose cautiously to be sure you don’t aggravate the injury. And even though this pose can be helpful for tennis elbow, golf elbow, and arthritis, please practice cautiously to be sure you don’t aggravate those conditions. Because this pose can potentially raise your blood pressure, if you have a history of high blood pressure, heart conditions, or strokes, move dynamically rather than keeping the arms overhead. Raise your arms up with an inhalation and then down with an exhalation.

Because this pose creates a backbend in the thoracic spine, those with osteoporosis or osteopenia should be cautious and aware as you go into the pose that it does not precipitate pain. Those with thoracic outlet syndrome should either skip this pose or do the dynamic version, moving in and out of the pose with your breath.