Awareness Through Movement #218

On the side, bending and twisting the chest and spine - EXPLORATION

With the lesson this time…
scroll to the bottom :)

“It is the lack of control over all the muscles of the ribs
that makes the chest into what it is.” Moshe Feldenkrais

We continue with some of last night’s exploration, plus some. Moshe seems to be having us get more familiar with our chest, the sternum and ribs. To give us all a clearer example of the areas we’re dealing with I found this guy, his accent makes me smile, plus what he has to say about the sternum is also interesting:

and this video gives us a stronger sense of the connection between the ribs and sternum:

The thoracic spine is complicated due to these connections, and most people keep this area stiff… all boxy, like a cage or a chest.

Providing movement to this area provides great relief for the WHOLE body, once it’s free not only does the skeletal system, the organs also have room to move - literally.

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Something to think about: the xyphoid process is a quirky little part that sits at the end of the sternum, and on every single body it’s really different shape (or so I learned from Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen). Bonnie says it’s possible to move it, and given the importance of its role in anchoring the abdominal muscles.. it’s position can make a huge difference in how we stand.

Enjoy exploring more of your Self with this lesson… if you so choose to be all curious… like a space cadet.