This class focuses on opening the chest through something most people don't expect — building strength in the upper back.
We tend to think of chest opening as a stretching practice, something passive that happens when we pull the shoulders back or fold into a backbend. But the chest stays closed for a reason. Years of sitting, screen time, and forward-leaning posture gradually shorten the front of the body while the upper back muscles weaken from being chronically lengthened and underused. To genuinely open the chest, we need to rebuild the strength that holds it open.
The challenge is that upper back extension is genuinely hard. Because the upper back is stiff and unfamiliar with this work, the body almost always defaults to the lower back instead — which is far more mobile and far more willing to move. This compensation is so automatic that many people spend years doing what feels like upper back work while their lower back quietly does all the heavy lifting, reinforcing both the stiffness above and the overload below.
Learning to find true upper back extension requires understanding the relationship between the ribcage and the pelvis. When this connection is lost, the lower back compresses and the upper back stays closed. Restoring this stack — and pairing it with correct shoulder placement — is what allows the chest to genuinely open and the upper back to finally get strong.
You will need a mat and a wall. A yoga brick or folded blanket may also be helpful.
This class teaches you to open your chest from the inside out — building the upper back strength and body awareness that creates lasting change in your posture and how your whole upper body feels.