Search

Yoga for a Happy Skeleton part 3: Align your upper spine and have a good day!

Ahimsa
Sep 20, 2015
4 min read

Your beautifully designed and aligned spine rises out of its somewhat stocky foundational base (lumbar spine) then curves out gently towards the world, becoming the thoracic spine (waist to neck).

Energetically, this is the region of anahata chakra and hridayakasha, which literally means ‘heart space’, sometimes called the ‘cave of the heart’. It is here that the light of your spirit is said to glow.

Structurally, the thoracic spine plays two key roles: supporting the ribcage and providing a mobile base for the neck, which in turn must support the rather large, unwieldy weight of your wonderful head.

Join the dots when thinking about the relationship of the upper spine to the ribs and a close association with the respiratory system is revealed. Your 12 wrap-around ribs attach to the spine between the vertebrae, forming a protective housing for your heart and lungs as they work ceaselessly and rhythmically your whole life through.

For comfortable, complete breathing the ribs and thoracic spine need to be kept mobile. Sarah Key says, “You can see, therefore, that lung capacity and efficiency of breathing are directly related to the freedom of the chest hinges (joints) and elasticity of the soft tissues.”*

She also acknowledges that, “this is just as important to our mental processes – and sense of wellbeing – as it is to the more tangibly important issues, like getting oxygen in for the body’s metabolism and expelling the waste gases.”* This is exactly what yoga teaches, although we seldom consider that the health of our upper spine is so involved with our mind and feelings.

In relation to the neck, the mobility of the thoracic spine is essential for the even greater mobility of the neck to be realized. A rusty thoracic spine means an unhappy, frustrated neck, limited in its range, and suffering unnecessary wear and tear.

Apart from its architectural importance, the thoracic spine is a busy hub for the autonomic nervous system. Our friend Sarah Key paints a rather lovely picture of this: “Your autonomic nervous system is a lacework of nerves that drapes over the rib-to-spine junctions on both sides.”*

These nerves are involved with the functioning of the arms and the visceral organs, including the digestive system. This means that mechanical problems in your thoracic spine can affect your digestion and the soft tissues of your arms. Tennis elbow, carpel tunnel syndrome and tendon sheath problems may all have their source in years of thoracic spinal stiffness.

Having talked about the importance of mobility and flexibility in the upper spine, it’s time to mention that it’s not really very flexible! Compared to the lumbar spine and cervical spine (neck) its range of movement is quite limited. All those ribs coming and going don’t make for great bendability.

HOWEVER! The thoracic spine is great at twisting and twisting is the best way to keep the ribs mobile and flexy. And guess what, yoga is the best way to stay twisty – there are standing twists, sitting twists, lying down on the back twists, lying down on the tummy twists – get the picture? Yoga cares a lot about your upper body – it respects the importance of healthy breathing and says that your soul lives deep in hridayakasha, the cave of the heart.

Thoracic Spine’s Favourite Things

Attend to its simple needs, alignment and posture, and all will be well.

Optimal alignment – this means your upper back is neither ramrod straight nor slouching forward. The gently rounded hump of the thoracic spine is referred to as thoracic kyphosis. It can become exaggerated due to chronic respiratory issues like asthma and emphysema. Scoliosis (lateral twisting) is another potential problem of alignment.
Good posture – this, of course, is one of the keys to optimal alignment. Posture is a concern to us all in these screen-dependent times. As if desktop computers weren’t bad enough, the proliferation of laptops has unleashed a rampant enemy of good posture. Beware the temptations of lazy laptop ergonomics! That sounds like the topic of another blog, please feel free to remind me if I overlook to blog this in the future.

Keeping good relationships between thoracic spine, ribs, neck and arms.

Pay attention to posture and alignment in daily life activities. Avoid the chin jutting forward or being pulled too far back. Same with your shoulders. Sarah says, “If the back is too rounded, you must get it to go straighter. If the back is too straight, you must introduce some

bend, and if it is twisted, you must work towards prising it out straight.”* Regular yoga will do all this for you.

Ensure good ergonomics when working on a computer or at a desk.
Move regularly if you have to sit a lot. Remember that twisting is the easiest way to keep your upper back and chest mobile.

Yoga sadhana for the thoracic spine

All asanas are named according to Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar Yoga Publications. Buy here

Shoulder rotations
Lateral stretches - tiryaka tadasana (swaying palm tree), Trikonasana (triangle pose).
Twisting asanas – all, but particularly held sitting ones e.g. meru wakrasana (spinal twist), ardha matsyendrasana (half-spinal twist).
Vipareet karani asana (half-shoulder stand)
Halasana (plough pose)
Garudasana (eagle pose) – you can just do the upper body arm twist while sitting at the desk.
Gomukasana (cow’s face pose) - great counterpose to garudasana
Kandharasana (shoulder pose), setu asana (bridge pose), matsyasana (fish pose) and other back arching postures.
Abdominal breathing, thoracic breathing, full yogic breathing and viloma pranayama.
Sarpasana (snake pose)