Welcome back! I’m Tiffany, a local physical therapist and yoga instructor. In this series, I share simple movement tips to help you feel stronger, move with confidence, and get the most out of your yoga practice—both on and off the mat.

Many people experience neck or shoulder pain during yoga, after working at a computer, or simply after being on their feet throughout the day. While tight muscles often get the blame, the underlying issue is frequently an imbalance in the muscles that control the shoulder blades and upper back. When these muscles aren’t working together efficiently, the neck and upper shoulders often compensate, leading to soreness, stiffness, and pain.

These muscles coordinate the movement and stability of your shoulder blades whenever you reach, lift, push, or practice yoga. For example, every time you raise your arms overhead in poses like Warrior I, Downward Dog, or Sun Salutations, your shoulder blades should rotate and glide smoothly. If that coordination isn’t happening, other muscles, often the upper trapezius and neck, work overtime.allenged.

Massage, stretching, and rest can certainly help calm symptoms, but if muscle coordination and strength are the root cause, the discomfort often returns. Improving how these muscles work together can provide more lasting relief.

Try it out this week:

4. Serratus Anterior
Reach both arms straight forward (or toward the ceiling if lying down). Continue reaching by allowing your shoulder blades to glide forward “off” your rib cage. You should feel the muscles underneath your armpits working.

5. Put It All Together
Slowly raise your arms overhead, like making a snow angel. Notice how your shoulder blades move throughout the motion.

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Do you feel one area, perhaps your upper shoulders or neck, doing most of the work? If so, slow down and see if you can invite the other muscles to participate. Better awareness is often the first step toward better movement.

Small improvements in muscle coordination can make a noticeable difference in both everyday activities and your yoga practice.

Welcome back! I’m Tiffany, a local physical therapist and yoga instructor. In this series, I share simple movement tips to help you feel stronger, move with confidence, and get the most out of your yoga practice—both on and off the mat.

Tendinopathy, often referred to as tendinitis, is a common source of pain. You may have heard of conditions like Achilles, patellar, or gluteal tendinopathy, as well as golfer’s or tennis elbow.

Anatomically, tendons connect muscle to bone. Muscles are designed to generate force and handle load, while tendons help transmit that force. When a tendon becomes painful, it’s often a sign that it’s being asked to handle more stress than it can comfortably manage.

This is where yoga and PT come into play—to build a stronger foundation. Muscle reeducation, proper strengthening, and coordinated movement create a more stable base, so your body can handle stress with greater ease.

So when you feel pain at the tendon, the question becomes: how can we better engage the muscle to support the movement?

Try it out this week:

If you’re experiencing tendon-related pain, try shifting your focus to the center of the muscle instead of the painful area. Bring awareness to gently contracting the muscle belly, rather than guarding or bracing around the tendon.

This can feel unfamiliar at first, especially if the area has been painful for a while. You can use light touch to help: try tapping or holding a soft contraction for 10–30 seconds.

For example, if you’re feeling lateral hip pain near where the tendon attaches, shift your focus to engaging the deeper muscles in the center of your glute. Think of creating a steady, controlled contraction from the middle of the muscle.

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