Self-Hug Stretch

Wrap your arms around yourself to stretch the upper back between the shoulder blades. 3 breaths, twice.

08 / 14Seated figure with arms crossed, hands reaching toward the opposite shoulders
The dark figure shows the position; orange dotted arrows show which way to move. Front-view pictures work like a mirror: copy them as if they were your reflection.

How to do it

  1. Wrap your arms around yourself.
  2. Reach your hands toward your opposite shoulders.
  3. Let your upper back round gently.
  4. Breathe into the space between your shoulder blades. Switch which arm is on top.

How many Hold 3 breaths, twice

Gentler version

Hold your elbows instead.

Who should skip this or take care

Move only in a comfortable range, and stop if anything hurts.

Read the safety check if you have a heart, bone or joint condition.

Common mistake

Hunching the shoulders up. Let them drop while you hold.

The chair yoga chart

  1. 01Belly Breathing5 slow breaths
  2. 02Seated Mountain PoseHold for 30 seconds
  3. 03Seated Neck Stretch3 times each side
  4. 04Shoulder Rolls5 circles each way
  5. 05Seated Cat–Cow6 rounds
  6. 06Seated Side Stretch3 times each side, hold 2 breaths
  7. 07Seated Spinal Twist2 times each side, hold 3 breaths
  8. 08Self-Hug StretchHold 3 breaths, twice
  9. 09Wrist and Finger Exercises5 circles each way, 5 open-and-close
  10. 10Seated March30–60 seconds
  11. 11Seated Ankle Exercises10 rocks
  12. 12Seated Leg Lifts8 times each leg
  13. 13Seated Figure-4 StretchHold 3 breaths each side
  14. 14Seated Hamstring StretchHold 3 breaths each side

More for neck and shoulders

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