Spacious Shoulders: April’s Theme and the Unexpected Journey
- Sam Turner
- May 7
- 4 min read
Hello curious person
It’s not often that I write the following, but I’m glad to be waving goodbye to Spacious Shoulders. It felt like a hard month, with a holiday, Easter, and fluctuating numbers. Come and join me as I break down the journey through this theme.
As I sat down to plan April, I chose Spacious Shoulders as our theme with a healthy dose of apprehension. I’m more of a hip/lower-body person when it comes to poses, and if you’ve been coming for a while, you’ve likely heard me say this. But I’ve been pushing myself outside my yoga teacher comfort zone this year, so I was excited to explore this theme after seeing it so popular in the votes. After all these years of teaching, it felt good to dust off old resources and dive back into study.
Unlike with previous themes like Let It Flow, my apprehension wasn’t about pace or timing, but more about an old injury I’ve struggled with — that muscle running from the shoulder to the neck. So, when offering shoulder movements, I tend to approach them with unnecessary caution. I didn’t want to push too hard, but I just had to follow my own advice — take your time, pause when you need to, and opt out if it feels right. So, I soothed those concerns through my own practice, reminding myself to follow my own advice (it's like I’m good at this?!).
The plan was to use this theme to introduce a series of props into the classes, including the belt — such a great tool for extending the arms. We spent one week using it quite a bit, but I can honestly say I’m not a fan. It’s clunky, and I worry someone’s going to wallop themselves in the face with the buckle.
After our first week, I started to realise — especially from post-class chats — that people would be dipping in and out throughout the month. I knew the belt wasn’t going to work for those joining only at the start and end of the month. It made sense though — with Easter approaching, life’s rhythm naturally shifted. Schedules filled up, commitments overlapped, and the consistency we usually build together started to feel just out of reach.
And that didn’t just apply to those attending — it was happening to me too. I had a couple of days off, a half-term break, and the bank holiday weekend, which meant even my usual rhythm was scattered.
The impact of that may surprise you. I’m not really a single-class type of teacher — if you attend regularly, you’ll know we typically build on things over the month. A one-off class is great, but you reap the benefits of yoga over time. April didn’t offer that consistency for any of us!
So, I had to shift when these challenges came up and accept that this month was going to be different. Instead, I planned a series of stand-alone classes that still focused on the shoulders. I scrapped the belt and leaned on bricks and blocks instead.
Although the month didn’t follow the initial plan, we stayed true to the theme and still explored the shoulders throughout April. There are a few movements and poses that deserve a shout-out for this one:
Bridge pose (chest broad, with the arms wrapped beneath the body with an optional bind or a tug of the yoga mat)
Corkscrewing the arms
Prone shoulder stretch
All those fantastic scapular push-up movements whether that’s lying down, seated or in tabletop
This month wasn’t my favourite. Teaching this sequence in an hour format proved more challenging than expected — oddly, it flowed much better in the 30-minute format at the Joshua Hills Academy. But I’m not one to back down. Though I didn’t enjoy it as much, I definitely needed it. It reminded me to plan ahead and make sure those more technical themes land on months with fewer distractions (a.k.a don’t go complicated during months with big bank holidays!).
And just like that, the month flew by and we’re already well and truly into May. I was ecstatic at the response I had in my polls for May's theme selections, by the way. The response was high. It actually helped me decide on May and June. It’s great when you let me know what you want, but it’s even better when it looks like people are loving the look of these themes I’m offering!
We spent a month on the shoulders. We’re now spending a month on the hips. Next month, we’ll be shifting into a whole body focus that gives me the chance to reflect on what worked, let go of what didn’t, and blend it all into the next chapter of our practice (and yes, I’m already excited for what’s coming).
You can practise Free-Flow Hips with me online or in-person throughout May. Come along if you fancy trying it out.
Thanks for being with me through this one.
Sam
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