FYB Feel Your Best - Yoga Teacher Training, Pilates Teacher Training and Stress Management Teacher Training

Mind, Body & Spirit:

Question and Answers

About Yoga, Pilates & Stress Management

By Debra Mundt, RYT500, CPT
FYB (Feel Your Best)^®

Yoga, Pilates & Stress Management

Teacher Certification Training School

Yoga & Pilates: Winged Scapulae

Q: I was recently told by my Yoga teacher that my shoulder blades are “wingy”. But when I asked her to explain what it meant, and what I could do about it, she wasn’t able to give me any information…and now I’m worried! Does this make sense to you, and if so, can I do anything to make it better? -- P.D.

A: It sounds like your instructor was referring to your having winged scapulae (shoulder blades), which she probably observed when you were in a plank (pre push-up) position. Winged scapulae can be quite common, and nothing to be too concerned about, unless you are experiencing acute pain during specific poses or movements of the shoulders (since you didn’t mention this, I will assume that you are not). If this condition is not corrected, however, you may be susceptible to injury (particularly when lowering from plank position to the floor—in a pose called stick, or “chaturanga dandasana”).

Winged scapulae typically occur because of instability of the shoulder girdle (resulting from muscular tightness and / or weakness), generally in conjunction with poor posture and inefficient breathing. Some simple techniques can help you release muscles that may be tight (such as the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulders and the pectoralis major, which is the large muscle of the chest), and develop strength in muscles that are weak (such as the serratus anterior, lower trapezius and rhomboids). Please refer to HealthWise Magazine’s February ’06 “Off the Mat” article (or visit The Press Room of www.FeelYourBest.com, for an archive of this article), for a detailed description of an exercise called the Shoulder Clock. This exercise will help you gain stability of the shoulder girdle, and release tight muscles surrounding the shoulders and chest. In addition to this, to strengthen weak muscles surrounding the scapulae, practice holding a modified plank pose (with the knees to the floor). While you hold plank, consciously draw the scapulae into the ribcage and down the back (rather than the tendency to “draw the shoulders back toward one another”, which is a cue often heard by Yoga teachers, and can create greater instability). Have a friend observe this, looking for the “winging” your instructor was referring to in class. Once you have gained stability in the shoulder girdle (your upper back will appear “smooth” rather than “winged”), you may progress to practicing full plank with the same awareness.

Focusing on efficient breathing can also help to release tightness of the upper body and free the shoulder girdle for greater movement and stability. See below (“Did You Know?”) for details on Conscious Breathing. This type of breathing may be practiced during your Yoga practice, as well as throughout the day (especially when you may be experiencing stress, which tends to create shallow, inefficient breathing patterns).

In addition to the above stabilization exercises and breathing techniques, be aware of your posture throughout the day…avoid collapsing in the chest & slouching, which can create weakness of the muscles you are trying to strengthen. Sit or stand up tall, and practice bringing the shoulder blades down (shoulders away from your ears!) and into the ribcage. To feel what this should feel like, bring your arms out to shoulder-height, with your thumbs up & palms forward. Now, internally rotate your shoulders so that your thumbs face down with the palms back. You should feel a subtle difference in stability, and this can be replicated during your Yoga practice, and even while sitting at your desk!

Best of luck with releasing your physical “wings” and finding new ways to soar in your Yoga practice!

Did You Know?

A typical American only uses 18% of his / her lung capacity; that leaves us with a whole lot of unused space in our lungs, doesn’t it?! And when we’re not using our full lung capacity, we’re typically breathing in a way that creates tension in the upper body, which can also create a lack of mobility in the ribcage, and a tendency to hold the breath rather than allow it to move freely.
To breathe more efficiently, and increase our lung capacity, we must allow the breath to begin as low as possible. This means that the diaphragm is moving within the abdominal cavity, and allowing the lungs and ribcage to expand and contract as they should. Let’s practice: first, lie down on a bed or floor, and place your hands on your belly. As you inhale through the nose, allow the belly to expand upward as if it were a balloon filling with air. Exhale forcefully through the mouth, and feel how that draws the belly back in. Now practice with soft breaths, inhaling and exhaling through the nose, allowing the belly to rise with the inhales and fall with the exhales. Happy breathing!

Do you (or does someone close to you) have a medical condition, or have an injury that you think Yoga, Pilates or Stress Management might be helpful in treating? Perhaps you have general or specific Yoga, Pilates or Stress Management related questions. I’d love to hear from you! Please send your question to Info@FeelYourBest.com. I regret that I will not be able to personally answer each question submitted, due to time and space constraints.

Debra Mundt, RYT500, CPT, is the founder of FYB (Feel Your Best)^® Yoga, Pilates & Horizons (Stress Management). She is also Director of the FYB Teacher Certification Training School. Debra and the School Faculty members may be reached at 262-241-8796, or by e-mailing Info@FeelYourbest.com.