Upper Body

Shoulders & Chest

The shoulders and upper arms tend to be internally rotated, which comes with shortened pectoral muscles. Because of hunching in the upper back and this internal rotation, the chest tends to drop inferior. We can use the clavicles as a landmark: in a healthy position they should be nearly horizontal; with poor posture they compress medially and drop inferiorly.

Pectoralis minor muscle
Pectoralis minor — the deeper chest muscle. Its attachment at the coracoid process is a primary driver of internal shoulder rotation.
Shoulder joint anatomy
Shoulder joint anatomy — the coracoid process (pec minor attachment) pulls the shoulder into internal rotation
Upper back musculature — superficial and deeper layers with release annotations
Deeper upper back layer showing levator scapulae, rhomboid minor/major, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor — the primary muscles involved in scapular depression and external rotation.
Back narrowing and widening — scapula position and shoulder alignment
Back lengthening and widening (ideal) vs. narrowing with pulled-down or held-up shoulders. The collar bones align with the top edge of the shoulder blades in optimal shoulder position.

Manual Release

Fingers Pec Minor & Coracoid Process

The pec minor runs diagonally — its origin is medial and superior (near the sternum), and it attaches to the coracoid process: a bony protuberance on the front of the shoulder. The coracoid attachment, along with other attachments on the humerus, gets pulled medially and inferiorly into internal rotation.

  1. 1
    Find the coracoid process — it's just below the collarbone, about 1–2 inches medial to the front of the shoulder. Press in from below the clavicle and you'll find a small bony point.
  2. 2
    Slowly sink your fingers into the soft tissue around this point. Take your time exploring the attachment sites.
  3. 3
    Use the diagonal direction of the pec minor as your cue: draw the tissue superiorly and laterally — opening the chest and shoulder into external rotation.
  4. 4
    Explore medially along the chest, working the pec minor fibers from the coracoid back toward the sternum.
Direction of Release

Everything in the shoulder wants to go superior, lateral, and posterior — lifting up and opening outward, reversing the internal rotation pattern.

Upper Body & Head

Neck & Head

Forward Head Posture (FHP) is the central pattern of neck and head dysfunction. It occurs when the chest and clavicle line drop into a hunch — the head reflexively thrusts forward to keep the eyes level with the horizon. For every inch the head moves forward from neutral, the gravitational load on the neck increases by approximately 10 pounds.

Additionally, fascial restrictions build up at the base of the skull (occiput), which can restrict blood flow and even the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. The anterior neck muscles become weakened from chronic overlengthening, while the posterior muscles stay overactive and tight.

Forward head posture
Forward head posture — the head shifts anterior relative to the spine, dramatically increasing the load on neck muscles
Sternocleidomastoid muscle
Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) — a primary driver of forward head posture and a common source of headaches
Forward head posture measurement — 6cm neutral vs 12cm forward head
Measuring forward head posture: neutral alignment places the ear over the shoulder (~6 cm from wall). For every centimeter the head shifts forward, neck muscle load increases. A 12 cm forward position represents roughly double the effective head weight.
Planes of the head — coronal, sagittal, transverse — The Yoke
"The Yoke" — a body from soles to shoulders supports a head balanced in all three planes: coronal, sagittal, and transverse. The right-angled relation of these planes is the definition of structural equipoise.
Before postural correction — forward head, neck poked, lower back curved, knees locked
"Before" — head back and down with neck poked forward; lower back thrown forward with pelvis tipped; knees locked back. The chain of compensation from pelvis to skull.
During postural correction — head forward and up, neck releasing back, knees forward
"During" — head releasing forward and up; neck releasing back and up; lower back releasing backwards; knees forward and away over toes. The corrective chain in motion.

The "Push the Dime" Correction

This simple technique repositions the head into neutral alignment. Use it throughout the day whenever you notice your jaw has jutted forward.

  1. 1
    Locate the landmark: Find the small bump at the exact center-back of your skull.
  2. 2
    Set the dime: Imagine a dime resting between that point on your skull and an imaginary vertical plane just behind your head.
  3. 3
    Trap the dime: Glide your head straight back (without tilting) to press the dime against the plane.
  4. 4
    Tuck the chin: Gently tuck your chin downward — this pushes the imaginary dime upward along the plane. Your head is now in neutral.
Using This Exercise

You don't need to hold this position exhaustively. Simply notice when your jaw has drifted forward, make the correction, then relax. Over time, neutral becomes the default. Perform reps of the correction to strengthen the deep anterior neck flexors.