How to Do Shoulder Flossing With a Yoga Strap

Shoulder and other upper-body tension are incredibly common, whether it’s from hunching over a laptop or hitting your Chaturangas a little too hard. With the help of a yoga strap, Shoulder Flossing, not to be confused with tissue flossing, can help work out deeply held tension in your shoulders, pecs, and upper back.

This move is popular in restorative yoga classes, but it makes a great warm-up for Vinyasa flows, weightlifting, and any other physical activity that uses the upper torso. Try it first thing in the morning as part of a relaxing wake-up routine.

Read on to learn how to do Shoulder Flossing from Alo Moves instructor Naya Rappaport below — and give your shoulders even more love with her full-length Shoulder Release class.

Benefits of Shoulder Flossing

Loosens and stretches shoulders
Decreases neck compression
Releases tension in pectoral muscles

How to Do Shoulder Flossing

Find an even seat like Hero’s Pose, or stand if you prefer.
Open up your strap wide and grasp one end in each hand.
Still holding the strap, raise your arms up, then bring them behind you.
From behind, lift your arms up again and bring them down in front of you.
If the exercise is too intense, widen your arms — or if you want more intensity, narrow your grip.
Repeat.

How to Do Shoulder Flossing Without a Strap

If you don’t have a strap, make circles with your arms in the same pattern. It might not be as intense, but it works the same areas of your body.

Practice shoulder flossing and more shoulder stretches with Naya Rappaport’s Shoulder Release class, available for free with a 14-day trial to Alo Moves.