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Hey there,
Yesterday, you did four spine tests. You have your results written down (right?).
Let's make sense of them.
Today, we're connecting the dots. What your spine results mean. How they tie to your hips, ankles, shoulders, and breathing. What patterns showed up?
This is where it starts to click.
Let's go.
What Your Spine Results Mean
Your spine results aren't just about your spine. They explain things that didn't make sense in your other assessments.
🔍 If Your Thoracic Extension Tested TIGHT (Test 1):
Remember when your shoulders couldn't reach overhead? That wasn't just your shoulders.
What's actually happening:
Your upper back is stuck in a rounded forward position.
Your shoulders are trapped in that position
They physically can't move up because your spine is pulling them down
The connection:
Fix your thoracic spine → your shoulders suddenly have more room to move
And your breathing?
Rounded upper back = collapsed ribcage
Your ribs can't expand because your spine won't let them
One restriction. Multiple symptoms.
🔍 If Your Forward Fold Tested TIGHT (Test 2):
Remember when your hips tested tight in flexion (bringing your knee to your chest)?
You probably thought: "My hip flexors are tight."
But here's what might actually be happening:
Your spine won't round forward
When you bend down (tie your shoes, pick things up, get out of bed), your hips do ALL the work
Your hips aren't the problem; they're compensating for a spine that won't bend
Test this:
Try the seated forward fold again. If your spine stays straight and you're hinging only from your hips → your spine is the restriction, not your hip flexibility.
🔍 If Your Rotation Tested TIGHT (Test 3):
Remember when you couldn't reach across your body? Or when one shoulder was way tighter than the other?
That might not be a shoulder problem.
Here's why:
Rotation comes from your thoracic spine
If your spine can't twist, your shoulders try to make up for it
They reach farther, twist harder, compensate constantly
The result:
One shoulder gets overworked (the side you always reach with)
The other gets locked up (the side you never use)
Asymmetry
Your spine's rotation restriction created your shoulder asymmetry.
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🔍 If Cat-Cow Tested TIGHT (Test 4):
This one's big. If your spine moved as a block, no wave, just chunks, certain sections are completely locked up.
Where did it feel stuck?
Upper back (between shoulder blades):
This is why your shoulders won't move, and your breathing is shallow
Everything up there is frozen
Mid-back (behind ribs):
This is why rotating feels impossible
This is the rotation center of your spine
When it's stuck, your neck does all the twisting (hello, neck pain)
Lower back:
This is why your hips are compensating
Your lumbar spine should help with bending and extending
When it doesn't, your hips take over—and get tight
One locked section = a cascade of compensations everywhere else.
✅ If Your Spine Tested MOBILE (All Easy):
This is rare. And very good.
What this means:
Your spine is doing its job
It's supporting movement, allowing rotation
Helping your shoulders and hips function
But here's the important part:
If your spine is mobile and you still have pain or restrictions elsewhere, that tells you something:
The problem ISN'T your spine.
It's the specific area that tested tight:
Tight hips? → Actually tight hips (not spine compensation)
Tight shoulders? → Actually tight shoulders (not thoracic restriction)
Your routine should focus on those specific areas, not your spine.
Your spine is working. Don't waste time "fixing" it.
📍 The Big Picture:
Your body doesn't have separate problems. It has one pattern with multiple symptoms.
Common patterns:
Tight thoracic spine → tight shoulders + shallow breathing + forward head
Tight lumbar spine → tight hips + lower back pain
Locked rotation → neck pain + shoulder asymmetry
This is why we tested everything.
Because:
That shoulder pain you've been trying to fix? Might not be your shoulder.
That hip tightness you've been stretching? Might not be your hip.
That neck tension that won't go away? Probably your thoracic spine.
One Thing You Can Do Today
The goal isn’t to fix anything yet, but here's one gentle movement you can do today:
Cat-Cow Breathing (Spinal Mobility + Breath)
If you can get on your hands and knees:
Inhale and arch your spine (cow), belly drops, chest lifts
Exhale and round your spine (cat), tuck your tailbone, and drop your head
Move SLOWLY, like a wave
Do 5-10 rounds
If you can't get on the floor:
Stand, hands on a wall at shoulder height, hinge slightly at the hips
Inhale and arch your back, look up
Exhale and round your back, tuck your chin
Move slowly
Do 5-10 rounds
This doesn't "fix" the restriction, but it reminds your spine that it can move.
Do it once today. Tomorrow. The day after. It’ll only take 2 minutes.
A Final Thought
You did it. Five body areas. All tested.
Hips. Ankles. Shoulders. Breathing. Spine.
That's your complete mobility map.
You now have the complete picture.
Keep all your results safe; you’ll need them in the final issue of this mobility series, where we'll put it all together.
Your unique mobility fingerprint. Your patterns. Your personalized routine. What to focus on. What to let go.
This is what you've been building toward.
With care,
The Yoga Daily Team
