The Shoulder Squeeze and Breathe

Try this effective technique to get blood flowing to the upper back and help support upright posture. This maneuver is sometimes referred to as "Cracking the Walnut", as you might imagine attempting to open a walnut shell with the pressure of the squeezing. 

Set Up:

       Sit or stand with your arms resting at your sides and take a few slow, 

       deep breaths that fill the ribcage and get a nice flow of breath going. 

       Inhale a full breath while raising your shoulders up to your ears, leaving 

       your arms fully relaxed. Once you are full of air, pause and bring the

       shoulders straight back. 

 3 Stage Squeeze:

       Now begin your exhale while squeezing the upper 3rd of the 

       shoulder blades together.

       Release the shoulders, big inhale and squeeze the middle portion

       of the shoulder blades together while exhaling.

       Finally, release shoulders, big inhale and squeeze the bottom 3rd of the 

       shoulder blades together while exhaling. 

Repeat 3 times, or more, and enjoy the warm sensations and new energy

that comes to the back muscles. This practice also benefits the front of the 

chest due to mobilizing and stretching open the ribs.

An alternate approach is to do the 3 part squeeze during one long exhale, dropping the shoulder blades down the back for each position.