Upper Body Techniques
Neck Release
- Lie on the ground with the balls under the base of your skull, your hands under each ball.
- Slowly press into the balls, turning your head from side to side.
- The focus of this movement is on relaxation – allow your head to melt into the balls. Breathe slowly and deeply as you add pressure into any tender points you find. You may wish to nod your head up and down, or move ear to shoulder – whatever movement you find helps.
Back-Shoulder Roll
- Place the ball between your shoulder blade and spine, holding the cord over the top of your shoulder with your opposite hand. Lean against a wall, with your knees slightly bent and feet 40-60 cm from the wall.
- Rock up and down 1-2 cm at a time, working in small increments over the whole of the back of your shoulder. Look between your spine and shoulder blade as well as on your shoulder blade.
- If you find any tender points, spend extra time there, breathing slowly and deeply as you add pressure into the ball. You may wish to move your treating side arm slowly and evenly to increase and decrease the length of the muscle you’re addressing.
Top Shoulder Roll
- Place the ball at the crook of your neck and shoulder and lean against the close edge of a cornered wall. Move your body and the ball as you need to locate the tender points.
- When you find these points, breathe slowly and deeply as you add pressure into the ball.
- Where possible, support the ball with the opposite hand to the shoulder you are working on. Allow the worked-on arm to relax by your side.
- You may also wish to address these points while on your back, knees bent and ball under the top of your shoulder. Gently rise into a pelvic curl to increase the load on your tender points.
- In both positions, you can add traction on the ball by pulling the cord with your opposite hand in the direction of need, for example towards your opposite hip.
Front Shoulder Roll
- Place the ball on one side of your breastbone, and lean against a wall with your head turned away from the side you are treating.
- Move side to side 1-2 cm at a time, working towards the top of your underarm.
- Repeat the same movement toward the underarm, only this time with a different starting point. We’re aiming to cover as much of your pectoralis major muscle as possible.
- If you find any tender points, spend extra time there, breathing slowly and deeply as you add pressure into the ball. You may also wish to move your treating side arm slowly and evenly to increase and decrease the length of the muscle you’re addressing.
More Techniques
-
Middle Body Techniques
Explore Middle BodyTechniques to relieve those sore spots in your back and side body... most people's favourites!
-
Lower Body Techniques
Explore Lower BodyTechniques to relax your hips, glutes, feet and anywhere else from the waist down.