Breath & ribcage
Low Cobra Rib Extension
Open the front of the ribcage without crunching the low back.
6 slow breaths
Floor
Why we use it
Desk and driving postures shut the front of the ribcage. We open it a little without turning this into a big backbend.
Start here
Lie face down. Elbows under the shoulders. Keep the pubic bone on the floor. Think long and low, not a big backbend.
How to
- 1Lie face down. Elbows under the shoulders. Keep the pubic bone on the floor.
- 2Press the floor away so the collarbones widen — a long, low cobra, not a crunch of the low back.
- 3Breathe into the side ribs. Keep the buttocks quiet. Treat the neck as part of the spine, not a look-up.
Feel for
Width across the collarbones and side ribs. Pubic bone still on the floor.
Breathing
Breathe in into the sides of the ribs. Breathe out without collapsing the chest.
Do this
- — Press the floor away to widen the collarbones.
- — Breathe in into the sides of the ribs.
- — Keep the buttocks quiet. Treat the neck as part of the spine.
Common mistakes
- — Folding hard through the low back.
- — Looking up and jamming the neck.
Regression · Progression
Easier: Stay on the forearms with almost no lift.
Harder: Straighten the arms only as far as the ribs stay wide.