5 Reasons To Study Spine & Ribs for Yoga Teachers

Trish Corley Author

Yoga teachers can teach better when they understand the connection of the spine and ribs.

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If you have ever practiced or taught yoga, you relied on the connection of your ribs and spine - even if you didn't know it. 

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You have 12 pairs of ribs and each of them connects to the spine. When your spine moves, your ribs move. When you breathe, your ribs move. When your ribs move from breathing, your spines moves. You catching on? There's an important connection between the spine and the ribs in yoga. 

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It seems that yoga teachers sometimes get worried about understanding anatomy. "It's too complex." Sometimes they just doubt they can ever get it. "I was never good at science." Hear me out! When anatomy is broken down into small, digestible lessons, it can be understood! I've been told by sooo many yoga students they really value yoga teachers that understand anatomy.

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Do you want your students to value you more? Here are 5 Reasons Why Yoga Teachers Should Learn about the Connection of the Spine and Ribs in Yoga.  

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1. Impact on Breathing

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The diaphragm (the red structure in the picture of the skeleton) is the primary muscles for breathing. We cannot live without adequate function of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is connected to the ribs and the spine. Therefore, the alignment of the spine and ribs in yoga will impact how someone is breathing. Sometimes students are struggling to breathe because of their positioning. And for those who may not be struggling, they will be thrilled to access deeper, easier breathes when they learn how to best align their spine and ribs. 

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It seem like the impact on breathing, should by itself, be enough reason to learn more about the spine and ribs. But let's look at the other reasons anyway. 

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2. Decreased Back Pain

Since the ribs are connected to the spine, their position will impact the alignment of the spine. Some people tend to flare open their ribs and it put's increased strain on a specific area of the spine. Simple changes to the alignment of the ribs can move the strain out of one specific area of the spine. This allows the whole spine to work to create mobility, and typically leaves the spine a lot happier. Back pain is often the result of one area taking all the force or being the area that allows all the mobility. Pain free activities including backbending yoga postures are possible even people who have experienced chronic back pain.

3. Increased Strength & Mobility

As mentioned in reason #2, with better aligned spine and ribs the entire spine can work to create mobility. This results is more available movement for the whole body. The abdominal muscles attach to the ribs and are often the key muscles activated to align the ribs. When the abdominals are activated, they tend to create more strength. Therefore, if you align your spine and ribs in yoga postures in optimal ways, more strength and mobility becomes available. I have seen simple alignment changes give students access to postures they never thought were available to them.
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4. Increased Confidence as a Yoga Teacher

Yes! When you understand some anatomy and teach from it, your students get the experiences described in reasons #1, #2, and #3. When you know what your are talking about AND your students get great results and feel better, you are bound to be left with increased confidence. So many teachers know they want to share the benefits of yoga with other people and get stopped by lack of confidence. Let's change that!

5. Improved Health of Your Students (and Society)!

This last reason is the most important to me! Confidence tends to lead to even more effective teaching. This creates a continuous cycle. You keep gaining confidence and your students keep getting stronger, more mobile, healthier, and happier! Your confidence and motivation to teach increase. So you teach more and you teach better. Then more students get the benefits of great yoga. That's winning! 

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This is why I started Yoga Anatomy School. There are so many benefits to yoga. As a doctor of physical therapy, I chose to spend more time teaching yoga than practicing physical therapy. Physical therapy (or physiotherapy) is by all means a valuable profession and is often the best choice for overcoming injuries or rehabbing from a surgery. That being said, a regular yoga practice can help prevent injury and disease. I've seen yoga be more effective in treating chronic pain than traditional physical therapy. In the last two clinical jobs I had as a physical therapist, some of my best results were with patients who practiced yoga as part of their physical therapy! I am still a licensed physical therapist and I don't plan to stop being one, but I just see so much value and accessibility in yoga. The world needs better yoga teachers to change the health of society. 

Are you on this mission with me?

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If you are a yoga teacher looking to give your students a healthy and effective yoga class, it's time to learn some yoga anatomy. And it doesn't have to be that hard!

The Anatomy of the Spine & Ribs Course was created for yoga teachers who want more knowledge and confidence. This course breaks down yoga anatomy into simple, digestible lessons. You will learn how to cue your students and give them the yoga experience they deserve!

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If you are ready to be a more confident and impactful teacher equipped to 

change the health of modern society through yoga, the Spine & Ribs for Yoga course if for you!

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Register today for free!

Categories: : Effective Teaching Techniques, Spine, Yoga Anatomy, Ribs