[khadiya]

Hi everyone

I've been dancing for about 5/6 years and I've alway had a lot of trouble with flexibility/movement in my upper body, particularly in my arms and shoulders. In comparison, my hips are quite flexible and controlled and my chest isolations are coming along slowly. I also do ashtanga yoga every week to improve my general health and flexibility and have noticed that the movements I stuggle with are all upper body related (I cannot come close to 'binding' in any position in comparison to all sorts of bendyness in the stuff that focuses on hips).

A couple of years ago, when I was living in another area, my then teacher devoted a great deal of time to improving my flexibility 'up there' and got me to the point where I was able to do a sort of shoulder shimmy (yes, that's how stiff everything is!). However, things haven't really improved much since then and I'm becoming so frustrated, partly because this problem holding me back and partly because I understand the 'theory' of engaging the middle and lower trapezius and the ribcage in shoulder movements but try as I might, the practice just doesn't happen.

It has been suggested recently that I could do with getting more in touch with/strengthening my serratus anterior muscles so I was wondering if there are any particular exercises/stretches that are good for this.

It may not be relevant, but I work in publishing which means computer-based, sedentary work and I also have arms that are a little shorter than would be expected for my height.

Help!! I'm getting so dispirited with my inability to crack this problem.