Allow your ribs to hang from your pointing spine.
Holding your chest high, like a military posture, stiffens the ribs and impedes breathing. Instead, allow your pointing spine to support you so that your ribs can swing easily in response to your breath.
Take a moment to notice the difference between your pointing spine and your hanging ribs. Although your spine and ribs are attached to each other, they do very different things. Without trying to change your breathing, notice the gentle movement of your entire ribcage (back, front, and sides) as it responds to breath. Allowing for this gentle movement improves the ease and effectiveness of every breath. For more information, try this breathing investigation.
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Thank You Leland!
Happy New Year!
Hi Alice, two comments up. Thanks for your support!
Leland
Hi Alex,
I guess this is your favorite tip. In this case your question gets to the heart of upright posture and breath. In a sense, really everything.
In some quarters (or many actually) people say that your contracted stomach is what you should use to hold yourself up. This is a bad idea because a tight stomach impedes breathing and it’s tiring (impossible) to hold your stomach in all the time. I suggest instead that you rely on your spine. The abdomen should remain soft so that the diaphragm and ribs can can move freely allowing for easy breathing. The stomach won’t protrude unless the spine isn’t well directed upward along its length or if there is a lot fat of in front of it (and that generally can’t be hidden anyway).
Hi Leland , If the abdomen softens, you will get a protruding stomach. Not many people wish that. I cannot imagine that this is what you mean?
Hi Leland,
Thank you for all your tips so interesting and useful and a
Happy New Year!
Alice
Hi Alex,
Standing or lying down, allow your spine to point, your abdomen soften, and your ribs to gently swing with your breath.
Hi Leland,
When I did the lying down exercise the lower ribs feel expanded (out and up)-not collapsed, the stomach is down/flat. Is it the way it has to feel when standing?
Thank you
How can I avoid rising my chest when pointing the spine? If I relax my chest I feel my abdominals also relax and the stomach goes out, that make it difficult to avoid pulling the body together. Thank you
Hi Alex,
The spine is like a tree, the ribs are like branches. Allow your ribs to hang from your pointing spine. You can try exploring this while lying down – https://freeyourneck.com/blog/alexander-technique-weekly-tip-29/ and also while exploring your breathing – http://www.freeyourneck.com/free-your-breath-mp3-download/
Leland
These email tips mean more to me than I can say. When I feel like I’m “losing it” – physically and emotionally, I read a few tips and settle right down. Even those I’ve read numerous times always bring some new understanding. THANK YOU!!!
To day i noticed
SACRUM JOINT vs SACRUM SPINE.
The sacrum joint need to be kept inline with hip joint with neck free head forward and up while pointing the spine.
I noticed the sacrum joint is a cunning joint might been out of focus for me since a long period.
What is raising the chest?
How i can know, i raised the chest?
What is chest?
Chest vs ribcage?
What are bad habits or directions of chest and ribcage?
What are the relationships of chest with other mechanisms?
What are good directions of chest?