Standing Arm Swings

Coat Sleeves

"Asanas performed with a deep sensitivity to the breath are ten times more beneficial than those without breath awareness." - Kripalu

Standing Arm Swings

HOW TO PRACTICE Standing Arm Swings

Benefits, How to Instructions, Modifications, and Common Alignment Mistakes for Staff Pose

Standing Arm Swings/Coat Sleeves

This simple and somewhat unconventional movement practice warms up the spine and the lower and upper back muscles. 

This dynamic yoga movement is practiced while standing with the feet a little wider than the hips. 

This warm-up helps to release habitual holding and tension in the arms, neck, shoulders, forearms, and the entire spine. The goal is to consciously let go of the weight of your arms, so they respond passively to the twisting in your torso. As your spine rotates, your arms get “tossed” through space without any effort of their own. They move because they are relaxed and responsive to the movement in the torso.

Practice Tips

To really feel this movement, you have to surrender all control of your arms. This can be difficult to find, but once you get into a rhythm it becomes easier to let go and allow the arms to be moved by the momentum of the torso.

Recommended Use

This would be a great way to warm up the spine for any deeper yoga twisting practice. It also does wonders to release tension in the upper body. Because this warm-up requires a deep sense of connection to your body, it also serves as a great practice to work on body-awareness/interoception. You could also use this warm-up before a yoga class themed around trust and/or letting go.

How to do Standing Arm Swings

  1. Start in a standing position with your feet just wider than your hips. 
  2. Rotate your spine to one side and wrap your arms around your waist. 
  3. On an inhale, rotate from your navel and bring your torso to the other side. 
  4. Allow your arms to go limp and float around to the other side. Do not move the arms themselves; instead, allow them to be flung away from the body because of the rotation in the torso. 
  5. As your torso stops its rotation on the other side, allow the arms to drop and wrap again around your abdomen. 
  6. Repeat this movement several times in each direction.

Try Us Free! Get a Sample Pose Report to Experience the Full Benefits of the YogaU Pose Library.

Click Here

Check out our premium content

Video practice examples

For every yoga pose

Learn Common Alignment issues

And how to deal with them

Tips for beginners

Learn the best prep poses for each yoga pose

sign up now

Try Free for 7 Days

FAQs

Curious to learn more?

See all FAQs

FAQs

How to personalize my practice?

The Yoga 2.0 Pose Library helps you fit yoga poses to your individual body. It provides tools for you to customize yoga poses to your body's needs in order to gain the benefits of each yoga pose. 

When working your way through the Yoga 2.0 Pose Library, pay particular attention to the Yoga 2.0 Poses section as well as the Preparatory Poses under the Teaching Tips tab. This is where you will find some of the juiciest content in the Yoga 2.0 Pose Library!

What do I get When I sign Up?

When you register for a basic account, you get access to basic pose information about each yoga pose. You can also view three Pose Library blog articles or three yoga pose video tutorials each month. 

If you choose to register for a premium account, you will have access to our library of 1000s of unique Yoga 2.0 pose modifications, video tutorials for each yoga pose, preparatory yoga poses and common misalignments for every yoga pose, precautions, and more!

If you choose to subscribe to our premium Plus membership, you will also get access to our Yoga Sequence Builder, which allows you to create a yoga practice sequence with any and all of the yoga poses featured throughout the Yoga 2.0 Pose Library!

What are Yoga 2.0 Poses?

The idea behind Yoga 2.0 is that yoga poses should be individualized for every person. 

Yoga 2.0 Poses give you a foundation to begin designing your own customized yoga practice that suits your body's needs.

Choosing the right Yoga 2.0 Pose begins with your relationship with your body and making healthy choices that respect your personal boundaries. 

Is this for beginners too?

The Yoga 2.0 Pose Library is for every body! 

Whether you are a beginner or already far along on your yoga journey, the Yoga 2.0 Pose Library has something for everyone. 

Are you looking for creative, fun ways to modify yoga poses? Check out our collection of Yoga 2.0 Poses, which features 1000s of Yoga Pose Modifications. 

Looking to expand your practice or teaching? The Teaching Tips and Deepen the Pose sections provide fun ways to challenge your yoga practice as well as practical tips for learning and teaching new yoga poses. 

Can't find a certain pose

Our Yoga 2.0 Pose Library is an ever-expanding library. 

We will be adding new yoga poses over time - keep checking back for our latest yoga poses!

Share

Check out our Mastery content!

Get access to all the Pose Library has to offer by signing up for our Mastery membership.

Includes Pose Precautions and special access to our state of the art Yoga Sequence Builder.

 

View options

Sorry, You have reached your
monthly limit of views

To access, join us for a free 7-day membership trial to support expanding the Pose Library resources to the yoga community.

Sign up for a FREE 7-day trial

You need a free account to do this

Register for a free account to save your Favorite Poses! You can return to them again and again!

Click below to join us!

Simply click below to register and join us. Your Favorite Poses will appear in your private Dashboard section of the site.

Get your free account

Login

Check out our premium content

Get access to all the Pose Library has to offer by signing up for one of our premium memberships.

 

1000s of pose modifications & more!

The Yoga 2.0 Pose Library features 1000s of yoga pose modifications, video tutorials, teaching and practice tips, best prep poses, and common alignment issues for every yoga pose.

 

View options