A Yoga Treatment For The ShouldersSTABILITYA YOGA TREATMENT FOR THE SHOULDERS Shoulders tend to speak up when stability is missing. Matt reminds us that building strength isn’t about aesthetics, it’s about support, resilience, and keeping the body working as one...
Reverse Tabletop Strength
Reverse Tabletop Strength
MECHANICS
REVERSE TABLETOP STRENGTH
“Solid” implies strength, yet in yoga, we can easily lose sight of how intentionally building the back body supports everything we do. Reverse Tabletop may look simple, but it asks a lot from the posterior core: the Quadratus Lumborum, Erector Spinae, glutes, and the muscles between the shoulder blades all work together to lift and stabilize the spine.
Matt guides us through these drills while his wife, @dancinbecka, demonstrates each shape, showing how accessible movements can become powerful when done with purpose. The focus isn’t flashy transitions, it’s learning how to wake up the back body in ways that actually translate into better posture, stronger backbends, and more resilient shoulders. What seems basic becomes deeply effective when we slow down and recruit the right muscles.
YOGA FOR STRENGTH
YOGA ASANA, CALISTHENICS, BODY WEIGHT TRAINING
- 8 Chromatic Yoga practices with founder Matt Giordano
- Physically Invigorating Yet Accessible
- Calisthenics and Body Weight Training For Improved Strength and Functionality
- Improve Joint Integrity, Mobility, Balance, Stability, and Muscular Health
- All Major Movement Joints
- Designed as “Your Daily Yoga” 60 Minute Classes
- Non-dogmatic, Anatomy informed Alignment
- The Perfect Blend of Knowledge and Practice
- Chromatic Slow Flow Style: Moderate Vinyasa Pacing Infused with Technique and Non-dogmatic Alignment
- 8 Continuing Education hours with Yoga Alliance and American Yoga Council
- 8 Accredited Practice Hours with the Chromatic School of Yoga
- Step-by-Step instruction for increased accessibility
- Sweat, Breath, Strengthen, Stretch and Feel Amazing!
BRIDGE POSE ON YOUR BACK
We begin on our backs in Bridge Pose to establish spinal extension without the complexity of weight-bearing on the hands. Matt cues robot arms first, drawing the shoulder blades together as the heart lifts upward. From there, the hips rise using the buttock muscles, not momentum.
Interlacing the hands behind the back adds another layer, pressing the arms into the floor to activate the upper back. This creates a full posterior-chain engagement: glutes drive the pelvis up while the muscles between the shoulder blades help open the chest.
It’s a simple setup, but it teaches an important pattern, which is lift from the back body, not just the front core. Bridge becomes our rehearsal space for what Reverse Tabletop will soon demand.
WATCH THE VIDEO
REVERSE TABLETOP STRENGTH: BUILD A SOLID BACK
REVERSE TABLETOP DRILL
From Bridge, we transition into Reverse Tabletop. Hips lift, shoulders draw back, and the chest opens like Upward Dog, only now we’re facing the sky. Hand placement is personal; Matt reminds us to choose whatever feels best for the shoulders, since today’s priority is spinal strength.
Pressing through the heels activates the glutes, while the back muscles keep the pelvis buoyant. Then comes the unilateral challenge: lifting one knee at a time. As one leg floats, the pelvis naturally wants to dip and this is where the QL and spinal muscles step in.
Matt cues us to keep both sides of the pelvis level, switching legs and noticing imbalances. Flexed feet increase glute engagement, making the drill more demanding and more rewarding.
200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING
GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE
- Deepen your yoga practice
- Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
- Learn foundational class structures and templates
- Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
- Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
- Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program
STRAIGHTEN UP
Next, we refine alignment by starting in a Dandasana-like shape: shoulders back, heart open, shoulder blades drawing together. Only after establishing spinal extension do we kick down through the heels and send the hips skyward.
Matt emphasizes relaxing the front body so the back muscles do the real work. This isn’t about crunching, it’s about opening the chest while strengthening the spine. From here, we add controlled repetitions: lifting on the inhale, lightly tapping the hips down on the exhale, then rising again.
Each round reinforces the same message, which is to maintain shoulder position, keep the heart leading, and power the movement from the back body. These small pulses build endurance and coordination where we need it most.
300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING
GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER
Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!
- Get 500 hour certified
- Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
- Expand your teaching skills
- Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
- Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
- Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang
BUILD YOUR BACK, CHANGE YOUR PRACTICE
Reverse Tabletop teaches us that lasting strength comes from repetition, awareness, and effort. As Matt directs and his wife @dancinbedka demonstrates, we see how consistent engagement of the glutes, spinal muscles, and upper back creates a more supportive relationship with gravity.
By pairing Bridge, Reverse Tabletop, single-leg variations, and controlled lifts, we train the posterior chain to hold us upright, not just in this drill, but across our entire practice. Strong backs lead to better backbends, steadier arm balances, and healthier posture off the mat.
Sometimes the most transformative work happens in unassuming shapes. When we commit to building a solid back body, everything else starts to feel lighter.
If you’re ready to move beyond surface level strength and truly understand how to recruit your body’s potential with precision, join Matt inside his Yoga For Strength online immersion and experience these principles layered into a full, progressive yoga practices.
The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date
The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date
Article by Trish Curling
Video Extracted From: Yoga For Strength Immersion
ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE
- Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
- Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
- Appropriate for both teachers and students
- Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
- Demystify yoga poses and transitions
- Release aches and pains
- Learn how to avoid common injuries
- Caters to all levels with modifications and props
- 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
- 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
- Lifetime access
Continue Learning
A Yoga Treatment For The Shoulders
read more
Reverse Tabletop Strength
Reverse Tabletop StrengthMECHANICSREVERSE TABLETOP STRENGTH “Solid” implies strength, yet in yoga, we can easily lose sight of how intentionally building the back body supports everything we do. Reverse Tabletop may look simple, but it asks a lot from the posterior...
Focus On Eagle Pose Legs
Focus On Eagle Pose LegsMECHANICSFOCUS ON EAGLE POSE LEGS When we focus on Eagle Pose legs, it’s tempting to assume the bind is a flexibility test. But this posture quietly reveals something more nuanced: timing, joint mechanics, and how efficiently the legs organize...
Build Connection On The Mat
Build Connection On The MatGROUNDINGBUILD CONNECTION ON THE MAT Building connection on the mat starts at the place we tend to overlook: our feet. If we only practice the “shape” of a posture, we can miss the biomechanics that change how the whole pose feels from the...
Flying Revolved Half Lotus
Flying Revolved Half LotusARM BALANCEFLYING REVOLVED HALF LOTUS Some postures don’t arrive through imitation; they arrive through investigation. Flying Revolved Half Lotus is one of those shapes. It borrows familiar ingredients like Side Crow mechanics, hip opening,...
Eka Pada Bakasana
Eka Pada BakasanaSINGLE LEG CROWEKA PADA BAKASANA Eka Pada Bakasana asks us to balance curiosity with patience. This one-legged crow variation isn’t just about lifting a leg, it’s about organizing pressure, timing, and trust in unfamiliar territory. The posture...
THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK
When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to
- the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
- exclusive online course discounts
- exclusive blogs and videos
