Root to Rise: A Rainy Spring Yoga Sequence to Open the Heart and Shoulders

As April showers continue to roll in, we’re reminded of the balance between grounding and growth. Rainy spring days often call us inward, offering a quieter space to expand from the inside out. In this week’s practice, we’re building on last week’s front body opening by bringing our awareness specifically to the chest and shoulders—areas that often hold tension from long days at a desk, on the bike, or just holding it all together.

This flow stays mostly standing to help you feel rooted in your body while inviting space across the front body. Think of it as a practice to soften the armor, breathe deeply, and stay steady even on gray, misty mornings. This sequence blends strength and openness through standing postures, focusing on creating space across the heart and shoulders while staying connected to the earth.

Props: Optional strap or towel

 Rainy Spring Standing Sequence

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with Shoulder Rolls – 1 min
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart. Begin with a few slow shoulder rolls, breathing deeply. Let the movement feel like a clearing out. As you settle into stillness, feel the strength in your feet and the gentle rise of your breath.

2. Standing Cactus Arms with Breath – 5 breaths
Inhale, sweep the arms up. Exhale, bend the elbows wide like cactus arms, drawing the shoulder blades together. Gaze slightly up or forward. Repeat for 5 cycles of breath, expanding through the chest.

3. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) – 5 breaths each side
Step wide and turn your front toes out. Bend into the front knee, arms extended. Press into the outer edge of the back foot to stay grounded. Breathe into the spaciousness across the collarbones.

4. Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana) – 3–5 breaths
From Warrior II, flip the front palm and reach up and back. Keep space in both sides of the waist, lifting through the heart.

5. Wide-Legged Forward Fold with Chest Expansion (Prasarita Padottanasana C) – 5–8 breaths

• Keep a wide stance, interlace fingers behind the back or use a strap.
  

• Inhale to lift the chest, exhale to fold forward.
  

• Let your crown release down and arms stretch overhead.
  

• Soften the jaw and breathe deeply into the shoulders.
  

6. Lunge with Heart Opener (Anjaneyasana variation) – 5 breaths

• Release the hands to the mat, turn toward your right foot.
  

• Step into a lunge—knee down or lifted.
  

• Option to interlace hands behind the back again and open the chest.
  

• Root down to rise through the heart.
  

7. Pyramid Pose with Reverse Namaste (Parsvottanasana) – 5 breaths

• Step the back foot in slightly. Straighten both legs.
  

• Bring palms into reverse prayer behind your back (or hold elbows).
  

• Inhale, lengthen the spine. Exhale, fold forward over the front leg.
  

• Keep the chest open and the shoulders drawing away from the ears.
  

8. Repeat flow on left side

• Step back to a wide stance or transition through standing.
  

• Move through Wide-Legged Fold → Lunge → Pyramid on the left.
  

9. Standing Forward Fold with Shoulder Opener (Uttanasana variation) – 5 breaths

• Feet hip-width apart, interlace fingers behind the back again.
  

• Fold forward and let the arms gently fall overhead, giving the shoulders one last rinse of release.
  

10. Mountain Pose with Hands at Heart – 1–2 min
Rise slowly to standing. Bring palms together at the heart and close the eyes. Feel the steadiness in your feet, the lightness in your chest.
Let the breath move freely—like fresh rain softening the earth for something new to grow.

This practice is your invitation to root down and rise up. Even on rainy days, especially on rainy days, we can tend to our bodies with compassion and create space in the places we tend to hold most tightly. Let the season soften you. Let your breath remind you that every storm passes—and that expansion can happen even under cloud cover.

✨ Stay grounded. Stay open. See you next week.