Trust the Process: Melt Your Heart!

If you have ever been to a yoga class, you have probably (or should have) heared the teacher make one or more of these commands:
“Melt your heart!”
"Inner Body Bright!"
“Melt in between your shoulder blades!”
“Press your chest forward, and move your shoulders up, and back!”

What do all of these commands have in common? You might find yourself asking the question: “what the heck does he/she mean by melting my heart?”

The answer is a muscle group located in between the shoulder blades, known as the rhomboids. The rhomboids are so named, because of their rhombus or diamond shaped structure. These are the main muscles which the instructor is referring to when he/she says something like “melt your heart”. The rhomboids are located on either side of the upper thoracic spine, in between the shoulder blades. Of course, all of our muscles work together in a general area, and the rhomboids as a muscle group need an antagonist group (one which works against) and synergist group (one which works with) in order to function properly. The main antagonists of the rhomboids are the serratus anterior (SA) and the pectoralis minor (PM). The main synergists are the levator scapulae (LA) and the more medial fibers of the trapezius. The SA is located below the rhomboids on both sides of the spine, and the PM is located between the rhomboid and the SA, under the armpit; these muscles work to pull the shoulder blades down. The LA is located on either side of the cervical spine (the neck), and the trapezius connects to it; together, these muscles help to pull the shoulders and shoulder blades up. Engagement of the abdominal muscles, as well as keeping the chin lifted away from the chest are also helpful and essential in improving shoulder alignment.

http://www.mece.utpa.edu/~rafree/all/IntroBioMech/ShoulderComplex/Human%20Arm...

We use the rhomboid muscle group an incredible amount in yoga asana practice. We use them in most asanas, and a few good examples would be: downward facing dog, head stand, hand stand, shoulder stand, back bends like full wheel or scorpion (also a balancing pose), arm balances like chaturanga dandasana (bottom of a push-up), the warrior postures, and many, many more. A few images have been included at the end of this post, if you are unfamiliar with any of these poses.

The openness of the shoulders has very much to do with the strength and flexibility of one’s rhomboid muscles, thus it is important to pay close attention to this area when practicing. Misalignments in the shoulders due to improper muscular engagement can result in injuries, such as shoulder dislocations, wrist and elbow issues, and so on. A great place for someone to start working these muscles is to be aware of their current posture. As you are reading this, are you hunched over your computer, iPad, or phone? Are you slouching when you are standing in line at the grocery store? What do you notice when you are walking to class? Is your backpack constricting your ability to stand up straight? We have the power to make a conscious decision about how we hold ourselves. We can choose to engage and hold ourselves tall and strong with an open heart, or to hunch over and hide in our insecurities. However we choose to be will manifest itself over time. By creating the habit of hunching over, we can expect to become hunch backed like grandma by the time we are 50. By making a habit of lifting our chest and pulling our shoulder blades to the back plate of our bodies, we can expect to reduce our chances of back problems later in our lives. All we need to remember is to be aware and to stay aware. It is a practice, which, like anything, is improved with time, patience, and persistence.