The Joy Of Open Ribs

The Joy of Open Ribs

Shimmy, Breath, Asanas

Staying with the ribs this week. After pressing the ribs against the floor to really feel them (Shimmy!) , then bringing attention to the different 'faces" of the chest, this week's lesson uses the floor to explore how softening the ribs can get rid of some pains in the neck. Literally and metaphysically. And give your twists more range, your alpine turns more fluidity.  (More on skiing to come!)


The stop light lesson below recaps last week's lesson on using the breath to expand the ribs by paying attention to the your front, back, sides, top and bottom. 

If you have 15 seconds (say at a stop light or right now), try this mini-lesson:  Sit in a comfortable chair that supports your upper back.  Focus your attention on the front, right side of your chest and INHALE.  Notice how ribs move apart, how the chest expands right up to the collar bones.  Exhale.  Now focus on your back, right side of your chest and INHALE.  Notice how the ribs underneath the shoulder blade expand outward and how the shoulder blade slides with the expansion.  Exhale.  Then breathe into the front and back of the upper right of your chest and feel the expansion.  Bring that awareness to your yoga asanas and be amazed at how much more open your chest feels.

This week's lessons continue the riffs on the shimmy and full chest breathing.  We will lie on our fronts to let the floor amplify the ribs' movement, with different turns of our heads to loosen our necks and jaws. This lesson has been transformational for me as I rework the way I hold my head - 50 years after a childhood fall put a "crimp" in my upper spine.  Enjoy the feeling of more freedom in sitting, standing, and bingeing on apples!