Release Back Tension (and More) With This Restorative Pose

A new therapeutic tip of the month with maximum benefits for minimal effort.

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blanket inversion joanne bto

A gentle, shoulder-blade inversion can be just what is needed to release stress from the upper back, plus open the heart and lungs. Placing the edge of a blanket (or more blankets depending on personal preference) directly under the center of the shoulder blades creates gentle pressure, allowing the blades to release. This upper part of the back has quite a few nervous system responders, and stimulating the shoulder blade area allows the nervous system to settle down once tension is released. This posture also gently opens the shoulders, heart, and lungs, creating spaciousness and expansiveness in the upper torso.

Picture of Joanne Varni

Joanne Varni

Joanne's philosophy as a yoga teacher is to help people who seek personal empowerment feel connected to their bodies, quiet their mind, stimulate a healthy nervous system, and release tension in the body caused by stress, anxiety, or trauma. Her teaching technique uses a combination of breath work, meditation, gentle asanas, somatic yoga, and neurogenic tremoring. Additionally, Joanne specializes in helping those with trauma (including PTSD) and has attended and completed her Level II certification in TRE (Trauma/tension release exercises) with Dr. David Bercelli. She is also certified as TSY teacher (Trauma Sensitive Yoga) under the renowned guidance of trauma researcher and pioneer Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (The Trauma Center at JRI). Joanne teaches classes, workshops, teacher trainings, as well as running retreats locally and internationally. She also teaches Yoga for Trauma Recovery at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and San Jose, California and has voluntarily taught yoga to women incarcerated at the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas and the Center for Survivors of Torture in San Jose. Joanne is an ERYT500 and earned her 200 hour and 500 hour YA certification through Jennifer Prugh’s YA certified “JOY of Yoga” teacher training. She completed her Therapeutic Yoga teacher training with Cheri Clampett and Arturo Peal and her Yin Yoga Teacher training under Paul and Suzy Grilley. A twenty-year resident of Los Gatos, she enjoys spending time with her husband John, and children, Anthony, Steven, and Nicole.

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