The Shoulder Blades aka the scapulae WELCOME TO MONTHLY THROUGH LINES Hey Chromatic Crew - Patrick here again We’ve been on an incredible journey together these past three months, diving deep into the body with our Monthly Through-Lines—exploring everything...
Monthly Through Line: April 2025
The Shoulder Blades aka the scapulae
WELCOME TO MONTHLY THROUGH LINES
Hey Chromatic Crew – Patrick here again
We’ve been on an incredible journey together these past three months, diving deep into the body with our Monthly Through-Lines—exploring everything from the hips to the spine. You’ve shown up with such passion, and I’m beyond thrilled to keep the momentum going with a fresh focus for April. Get ready to zoom in on a part of your body that’s a game-changer for your practice and daily movement—the shoulder blades!
For April, the Chromatic Monthly Through-Line will be (drumroll, please…)
SHOULDER BLADES!
Imagine doing yoga without considering your shoulder blades. Impossible, right? You know poses like Plank and Cobra, which rely on how your shoulder blades move to stabilize or open your chest…
But what about protraction, retraction, upward rotation, and anterior tilt?
The shoulder blades are crucial for your practice, from arm balances to backbends. They can transform your practice, whether you’re building shoulder stability, improving posture, or moving with more ease.
Here’s our map for the month:
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Week 1: Protraction – Shoulder blades spread apart, like in Plank or Child’s Pose.
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Week 2: Retraction – Shoulder blades draw together, like in Cobra or Locust Pose.
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Week 3: Upward Rotation – Shoulder blades lift and rotate outward, like in Down Dog or Warrior I.
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Week 4: Anterior Tilt – Top of the shoulder blades tips forward, like in Thread the Needle or Chaturanga prep.
Chromatic Yoga is a global community. No matter where you are in the world, we hope you’ll join us this April for a deep dive into the Shoulder Blades. Share your journey by tagging us on IG and in our Global WhatsApp Group—we can’t wait to repost your shares!
PATRICK’S TOP TIPS
PEAK POSTURES TO USE:
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Protraction: Plank, Chaturanga, Child’s Pose – MONDAY, APRIL 7
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Retraction: Cobra, Locust, Bow – MONDAY, APRIL 14
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Upward Rotation: Downward Dog, Warrior I, Handstand – MONDAY, APRIL 21
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Anterior Tilt: Thread the Needle, Chaturanga Prep, Low Push-Up – MONDAY, APRIL 28
FOR TEACHERS: VERBAL CUES
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Protraction: Instead of saying “spread your shoulder blades,” try: “Push your hands into the mat to spread your shoulder blades apart until you feel your serratus anterior engage.”
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Retraction: Instead of saying “squeeze your shoulder blades,” try: “Draw your shoulder blades toward your spine until you feel your rhomboids turn on.”
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Upward Rotation: Instead of saying “lift your arms,” try: “Reach your arms overhead to lift your shoulder blades outward until you feel your trapezius kick in.”
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Anterior Tilt: Instead of saying “press down,” try: “Lower your chest toward the ground until you feel your pectoralis minor turn on.”
FOR CHROMATIC STUDENTS:
As a practitioner of Chromatic Yoga you can of course expect to experience these PTL’s in Chromatic Classes around the world. You can also practice these within any yoga class without the guidance of a teacher. For example, within a vinyasa class you can try squeezing your feet toward each other throughout the standing posture sequence and observe what that creates for your practice.
CHROMATIC TEACHERS:
Let’s see what you come up with this month. What peak postures will you be using? After you teach your class, share in our Global Facebook Group which layering postures worked best for you, which did you find students struggled with? We look forward to our collective collaboration to offer top level yoga experiences world wide.
~Patrick Heffernan
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