In this episode of Deepen Your Yoga Practice, Lauren Leduc breaks down the shoulder in a way that is practical, accessible, and grounded in sustainable movement. This is Shoulders 101 — an anatomy-forward conversation about mobility, stability, pain patterns, and how to care for your shoulders in yoga and daily life.

Lauren explains that the shoulder is not just one joint, but a complex system of joints, bones, muscles, fascia, and ligaments that work together to create both range of motion and support. She explores how yoga places many different demands on the shoulders through poses like Downward Dog, Plank, Chaturanga, arm balances, binds, and backbends — and how better understanding this area can help create longevity and ease in practice.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why the shoulder is a complex, not a single joint

The 4 key joints of the shoulder system

The role of the scapula, humerus, clavicle, rib cage, and thoracic spine

How the rotator cuff, serratus anterior, traps, rhomboids, pecs, lats, and deltoids affect movement

Common pain patterns and restrictions in yoga

Why the shoulder wants mobility, but demands stability

How to approach Downward Dog, Plank, Chaturanga, overhead shapes, and binds more skillfully

Why shoulder health is about capacity, coordination, and awareness, not perfect alignment

Foam rolling the upper back / thoracic spine

Dynamic Thread the Needle

Open Book twists

Doorframe pec stretch

Downward Dog at the wall / melting the chest with the breath

Overhead lat stretch with side bend

Child’s Pose with hands walked to each side

Cross-body posterior shoulder stretch

Scapular push-ups

Wall slides

Banded external rotation

Side-lying external rotation

Y raises / banded Ys

Incline tricep push-ups / Chaturanga prep at the wall or on a bench

Arms overhead test

Wall slide test

Plank tolerance test

Choose one mobility drill and one strength drill to practice 3 times a week for a month and notice how it changes your Downward Dog, Plank, and daily posture.

If you enjoyed this episode and want more anatomy deep dives, let Lauren know at [email protected]