by Barrie 

Our Stenciled Heart by Miriam Shapiro

In honor of Valentine’s Day, here’s a short sequence that wastes no time getting to the heart of the matter, so to speak. In this case, that’s freeing the chest, mobilizing the shoulders, releasing tightness in the upper back, and lifting the sternum—all essential actions that, together, can create the uplifting and heart-opening experience of supported backbends. It begins with some quick and effective shoulder openers followed by three supported backbends. Enjoy!


Props needed:

  • A mat
  • 1 blanket
  • 1 bolster (or 2-3 extra blankets)
  • 2 blocks
  • 1 belt

Heart-Opening Sequence

1. Arm Sweeps.

Begin in Mountain pose. Inhale and stretch your arms out to the side and up overhead. Exhale and release them back down to your sides. Repeat 5 times.


2. Overhead and Side Shoulder Stretch with strap.

Take hold of a strap behind you with your hands wide. Keeping your arms as straight as possible (go wider with your hands if you need to), inhale and reach the strap up and overhead. Then exhale and lower it in front of you. Repeat 3 to 5 times. Then holding the strap overhead, stretch side to side.

3. Simple Standing Backbend.


Hold a strap behind you with your hands about 6” apart. Keep your elbows bent, roll the tops of your arms back, lift and open your chest.

4. Cow-Face (Gomukhasana) Arms.

Raise one arm overhead and bend it behind your head. Bend the other arm and reach it behind your back. If your fingers don’t touch, hold onto a strap as shown. Repeat 2 times on each side.

5. Supported Backbend (Paryankasana) with blanket roll or 2 blocks.

Lie over a rolled blanket or 2 blocks as shown. Bend your knees and place your feet hip width on the floor if your back feels uncomfortable. Stay for 2-3 minutes.

6. Supported Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana) with bolster, blocks, and belt.

Fasten a strap around your upper thighs. Lie back over a bolster or 2-3 firm blankets in line with your spine. Move off the bolster until the tops of your shoulders touch the floor. Rest your heels and knees on blocks as shown, or bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Stay for 3-5 minutes.

7. Mountain Brook Supported Corpse pose (Savasana).

Lie back over a blanket roll to support your upper back and support y our knees over a bolster angled using a block (as shown). Place a folded blanket under the base of your neck. Stay for 5-10 minutes.

Download Barrie’s free Guide to Home Yoga Practice right here. Learn more about her book Evolving Your Yoga: Ten Principles for Enlightened Practice and her online classes at www.barrierisman.com.

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