Movements Afoot’s Blog

I have a problem with the cue: Press your shoulders down.

Many are pressing the shoulders down from the wrong place.  This is compressing the ribs and the spine down as well as locking the scapulae.  Sometimes teachers see the shoulders are up and try to solve shoulders pressing down.  The real source of the problem could be somewhere else.

This last weekend Lisa Love had this wonderful cue about the first rib.

Feel the first rib lift in the front and slide down in the back.

The placement of the ribs will influence the spine.  How the ribs and spine can affect the placement of the shoulder girdle.  Slump and feel where the shoulder blade comes.  Pressing the shoulders down from the wrong place could make your posture worse.

Lift the first rib up and now slide the back of the rib down.  Feel how lifting the first rib changes the other ribs.  With the change of the ribs, observe how it changes your shoulder girdle.  Lift your arms up and feel the ease.

Go back to back version with the ribs compresses and lift the arms.  The arms lifting do not have the same ease.

My image is the first rib is a necklace, diamonds of course.  I want to place the necklace on a horizontal plane over my pelvic floor. Practice this image throughout your workout.  Especially in plank pose, see how you use your core and arms differently.