CH.13 THE HAMMOCK ATLAS
Arm LinesAL
Connects shoulder and arm to hand
Four lines connecting the trunk to the fingers
Four lines run down the arm, two in front and two behind, divided into superficial and deep: the superficial handle large movement, the deep provide support. All four connect back to the trunk, which is why a problem in the hand often has to be addressed at the shoulder blade and the ribs.
Where this line runs
- 01Pectoralis major · latissimus dorsi
- 02inner upper arm
- 03forearm flexors
- 04palm and all five fingers
- 05Pectoralis minor · clavipectoral fascia
- 06biceps brachii
- 07radius
- 08thumb
- 09Trapezius
- 10deltoid
- 11forearm extensors
- 12back of the hand and all five fingers
- 13Rhomboids · levator scapulae
- 14rotator cuff
- 15triceps
- 16ulna
- 17little finger
What this line does
The arm carries four lines, two in front and two behind, each split into a superficial and a deep layer, running through the shoulder, elbow and wrist to the fingers. The superficial layers handle large movement and the deep layers provide support; together they make movement smooth.
How to train it
The Arm Lines are easy to overlook and used every day. For anyone with a rounded back or a tight neck and shoulders, releasing them is the foundation of trunk care: when the fascia around the ribs tightens, movement is limited and the breath grows shallow. The aim is for the shoulder blade, the collarbone and the arm to be able to move independently of the trunk.
Go deeper
Nerves travel from the neck into the arm, and specific stretches can improve how well they glide, helping to ease tiredness through the neck, shoulder and arm.
Clues
The neck and shoulders stay hung up all day and never come down
- Ten minutes on your phone and the shoulders draw forward on their own
- You have to shrug in order to raise your arm high
- Hold something for a while and the tightness climbs into the side of the neck
- Your arm goes numb in the night and you keep having to change position
When the Arm Lines are tight, the side of the neck is dragged into the work. The shoulder girdle is never really supported; it hangs from the trapezius.
Once the arms are handed over to the hammock, the shoulder girdle finally has a chance to release. If the neck and shoulders can come down, you will not spend the night hunting for a position.
Test it yourself
Stand with your back to a wall and slide the backs of both hands up it. See whether the arms can stay in contact with the wall all the way overhead.
The rest of it, a book can’t carry
What this line feels like when it releases, I can’t put into writing.
Lie into the hammock and find out for yourself.