In my work and my personal practice, I am on a mission to end #RibThrusting one body at the time.
In my previous post you read about the spinal misery this common postural havoc creates and how you can create better position –STARTING NOW! Today I am going to break down for you 2 specific techniques to help you release tangled & glued spinal muscle tissue that rib thrusting has created in your body.
GUT MASSAGE:
Watch this video of Jill Miller with Dr. Kelly Starrett where she breaks down the art and science of gut rolling.
HOW IT HELPS:
Poor spinal alignment associated with rib thrusting creates a severely tense psoas muscle. Massaging the abdomen will promote circulation and penetrate through multiple gut layers, eventually accessing the psoas. This takes care of the rib thrusting business from the front; rolling out the Quadratus Lumborum (our second technique) targets the issue from the back.
QL BLISS:
- Start in Constructive Rest Position
- Place Yoga Block under your lower spine
- Pin 1 Yoga Tune Up ball/ Alpha Ball on your Quadratus Lamborum (I personally love the Alpha )
- Stretch your arms overhead & bend your knees
- Take several deep breaths; directing them into your deep lower back
- Chug yourself (propel from your feet) from north to south, so the ball can go up & down the QL fibers. Maintain for 2 minutes; then switch sides.
HOW IT HELPS:
Rib thrusting goes hand in hand with anterior tilt of the pelvis (commonly known as swayback). This puts serious pressure on your QL muscles, leaving them tight and spastic.
This technique will help to untangle muscular restrictions in the back body, releasing tightness and allowing the QL to function more properly.
Read “Confessions of a chronic rib thruster.”
Learn about our Therapy Ball Programs.
Had a really difficult time understanding the video. The sound quality was very poor. I really wanted to know what they were saying. A lot of background noise prevented me from knowing what they were saying. I know proper breathing techniques will help me prevent rib thrusting.
Thank-you Dagmar! Swayback, anterior pelvic tilt and rib thrusting are all things I’ve got going on in my body and I have been slowly educating myself to understand what exactly is going on. I like the simple breakdown of the two moves with your explanation of “how it helps”. This was very ‘helpful’!
=:0)
Both these poses have also helped me to improve issues in my low back (tissues). I’ve always struggled with my posture but am using these techniques to help improve my body alignment.
Thank you for these great tips! The coreagous ball has helped me find awareness in my belly, a part of my body I’ve always tried to hide. I spent years trying to suck my in, which led to my rib thrusting and anteriorly tilted pelvis.
I’ve been working on this issue since I began learning yoga three years ago (at age 63). I much appreciate the clear identification of this issue with an anterior tilt (clear enough for me to understand!), or the fact that the abdominal massage and rolling the QL as described here can address this problem–I have done the abdominal rolling (and improving), but had never made the connection. I decided to look up the entry for the QL in “Trail Guide to the Body,” by Andrew Biel, who writes: “Although it would seem to be the deepest muscle of the low… Read more »
Rib thruster…Me too! with anterior tilt of the pelvis. Pinning a YTU ball on my QL has helped me so much to release. From time to time, when I experience some pain in the back, I go there right away. But now, I understand from your post, that I need to work on my rib thrusting. And, I had not made the link with rolling the belly on the Coregeous ball. Thanks for the detailed explanations!