Shoulders, upper back, neck and lower back

Energy Breath: Cactus Arms and Rounded Spine

An energising breath practice that moves rhythmically between an open chest and a gentle rounded spine: a mildly activating way to transition from stillness into movement.

How to do it

1. 1

   Sit tall and comfortable to begin

   On a chair or on the floor, sitting so the spine is long and the ribs can move freely.

2. 2

   Set your arms into a cactus shape

   Elbows out to the sides at about shoulder height, bent so the forearms point upward and the palms face forward.

3. 3

   Breathe in and open the chest

   As the breath comes in, draw the elbows back and let the chest widen and lift, with the upper back gently lengthening.

4. 4

   Breathe out and round the upper back

   As the breath leaves, bring the arms forward until the elbows come close together and let the upper back round softly.

5. 5

   Let the breath lead the movement

   Each in breath opens, each out breath closes, at an unhurried pace. Make the arm range or the rounding smaller if you want less, and keep the gaze forward if moving the head does not suit you.

6. 6

   Continue for about 85 to 105 seconds

   Then stop, rest your hands in your lap and take a few normal breaths before moving on.

What to watch for

Speeding up, or driving the elbows further back than the shoulders want, which turns an comfortable rhythm into strain. Keep the range small, and stop if the arm position or the repeated rounding starts to hurt, or if you begin to feel light headed.

Ways to adjust it

• Smaller cactus-arm range
• Smaller rounding range
• Keep gaze forward

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

• Arriving with the Breath

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.