Yoga for good posture

Setup

1. Mats in a row with a clear stretch of wall behind them; a strap and a folded blanket per student. Chairs available for the strap work.
2. Before starting, ask students to say if they are pregnant, injured or managing a health condition; they get advice from a health professional and use the gentler options.

How it runs

1. Wall check: stand with the heels a few centimetres from the wall and let the back of the head, shoulder blades and buttocks lightly touch it. Notice the space behind the neck and lower back. Five breaths, no forcing anything flat.
2. Walk to the mat for Mountain pose (Tadasana): feet hip-width, weight spread across both feet, knees soft, ribs stacked over the pelvis, crown lifting. Ten breaths.
3. Strap shoulder openers: hold the strap wider than the shoulders, inhale raise it overhead, exhale lower it in front. Ten slow reps, only as high as is comfortable; widen the grip if the shoulders pinch.
4. Cat-cow (Marjaryasana–Bitilasana) in tabletop for eight rounds, then Sphinx (Salamba Bhujangasana): forearms down, slide the shoulders away from the ears and draw the chest forward. Five breaths, twice.
5. Locust (Salabhasana) with the arms reaching back beside the hips, palms facing in; lift the chest a little on an inhale. Three rounds of three breaths.
6. Kneel or sit tall for five slow chin glides (draw the head straight back over the shoulders), then stand in mountain again and notice any difference.

Coaching points

• Think of a stack, not a brace: feet, knees, pelvis, ribs, head.
• Shoulder blades slide down and back without squeezing together hard.
• Back of the neck long and the chin level, neither tucked nor lifted.
• Lift the chest by working the upper back, not by arching the lower back.
• Breathe into the back of the ribs; posture should feel easy enough to keep breathing.

Common mistakes

• Over-correcting: chest pushed out and lower back arched.
• Clamping the shoulder blades together.
• Lifting the chin to look tall.
• Locking the knees in mountain.