Cow face arms

From a shoelace, square or any other basic seated yin pose, reach your right hand up into the sky, bend the elbow and place the hand on your back. Bring the left hand behind your back and reach as high as you can. If it's in your practice, interlace the hands. Otherwise you can use a belt or even your ponytail.

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Come out of the pose slowly and push your arms away to either sides as if you're opening the curtains in the morning. Make some movement and return to stillness. Repeat on the other side after a few minutes. 

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Benefits

• Opening in the chest and shoulders

• Loosening the shoulders

• Releasing the shoulder blades by compressing them

• Stretching the biceps and triceps 

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Contra indications  / modifications and prop use

• Upper arm injuries: If it feels better on the lower arm you might extend it overhead and clasp your elbow instead. Or use a belt to keep it very soft 

• Shoulder issues: Try reverse prayer, rotating the biceps, not from the shoulder 

• You might want to skip out on all upper body yin poses if you have a severe arm or shoulder injury. If you do take a pose, make sure that you don't hold the pose for longer than a minute. 

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Alternative pose

Variations are paschimanjali (reversed prayer) or eagle arms