Pose of the Month – Broken Wing

Pose of the Month – Broken Wing

What is it?

Broken Wing is a yin yoga pose which targets the 6 upper body meridians of the lungs, large intestine, heart, small intestine, pericardium and triple heater. From a physical perspective, this posture is a great release for the pectorals and shoulders.

How to approach this pose?

1. Lay on your stomach and extend the left arm out to the side at roughly shoulder height.
2. Keeping the left arm on the floor, roll your body on to the left hip, so that your torso is now facing the opposite direction from the arm.
3. Your head can rest on a small cushion, and the right hand should be placed in front of the torso to help steady the position.
4. Legs can be curled up towards the torso.
5. Stay here for up to 3-minutes and then roll onto stomach, taking left arm down by the side to recovery before moving to the opposite side.

Modifications

1. If you feel very restricted in this position, try taking it to the wall. Stand facing the wall, extend left arm out to the side at shoulder height and place right hand on wall in front of torso. Gently rotate the body away from the left hand and stay for 5 slow, deep breaths before coming to the other side.
2. To intensify the sensation, instead of keep knees curled into chest try placing the feet flat on the floor with one or both knees pointing up towards the ceiling. Please be careful as this is an intense position and should only be approached if you are not experiencing any sensation in the other versions of this position.
3. The small intestine meridian can be more easily targeted here by extending the opposite arm behind the body, parallel with the arm on the floor.

Props

Use a cushion or rolled blanket underneath the head.

Benefits

• Stretches the pectorals and shoulder area.
• Improves neck mobility, easing recurring headaches.
• Stimulates the lung meridian which can help with breathing.
• Helps to counteract ‘text neck’ by correcting posture.

Variations

Try heading to the wall as detailed above for a less intense option. Here you could slowly increase the time you hold the pose, starting with 5 slow, deep breaths and progressing at your own pace. Go easy and be kind to yourself.