Which cue helps align the shoulders in Warrior I by rotating the wrists and relaxing the shoulders?

Which cue helps align the shoulders in Warrior I by rotating the wrists and relaxing the shoulders?

• A. Rotate your pinkies in and relax your shoulders down your back
• B. Keep shoulders shrugged toward ears
• C. Tuck your chin toward your chest
• D. Keep arms straight without bending elbows

Answer: (A)

The key idea is to keep the shoulders broad, open, and relaxed in Warrior I by guiding the arms into a position that frees the shoulder girdle. Rotating the wrists so the pinkies turn in creates a gentle external rotation of the upper arms, which helps the chest lift and keeps the armpits open. When the shoulders are allowed to drop down the back, tension in the neck and trap area releases and the shoulder blades sit on the back instead of creeping up toward the ears. Together, this wrist rotation and downward release align the shoulders with the spine, supporting a stable, tall pose. The other cues pull in different directions—shrugging toward the ears adds tension, tucking the chin affects neck alignment, and keeping the arms straight on its own doesn’t address shoulder release—so they don’t promote the same clean shoulder alignment.

The key idea is to keep the shoulders broad, open, and relaxed in Warrior I by guiding the arms into a position that frees the shoulder girdle. Rotating the wrists so the pinkies turn in creates a gentle external rotation of the upper arms, which helps the chest lift and keeps the armpits open. When the shoulders are allowed to drop down the back, tension in the neck and trap area releases and the shoulder blades sit on the back instead of creeping up toward the ears. Together, this wrist rotation and downward release align the shoulders with the spine, supporting a stable, tall pose. The other cues pull in different directions—shrugging toward the ears adds tension, tucking the chin affects neck alignment, and keeping the arms straight on its own doesn’t address shoulder release—so they don’t promote the same clean shoulder alignment.