This News Drop series offers principles and practices for living in sync with nature. For living “osteopathically”, in Flow.

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This week I want to shout from the rooftops about how the way our ribs move help us connect, create and heal.

This NewsDrop series is all about things we can do to treat ourselves osteopathically through the way we move, breathe and communicate in the world.

Last week we dove into PolyVagal theory, and I now realize that I shared about how Social Engagement benefits our nervous systems without actually using the term. This tickles me, and now I’m going to rib you!

Last week was about cooing and how the lyric of our voices helps us connect with others (a form of vocal prosody), and that compliments of our Polyvagal faculties, we are prone to turning toward, to gazing into the eyes of loved ones, and make silly sounds.

This week, I want to shout from the rooftops about how the way our ribs move helps us connect, create, and heal. I’m thinking about what I wrote above and wondering if we can add some arcs, spirals and backbends to our silly sounds.

Here’s why. Per Polyvagal theory, the key neural pathways that move us to connect with others live entirely within our ribcage. I’m referring to the 3% of the vagus nerve responsible for Social Engagement that wanders through our torso and lives in intimate connection with our heart and lungs.

I am certain that Lao Tzu was referring to Flow when he said, “The Perfect Man Breathes as if he is Not Breathing.” It’s true. When we’re connected to our hearts, when our anatomy is fluid and our ribs are free, we breathe deeply with no effort at all.

Most of us could use a little help getting our ribs free enough for this level of vital energy to begin flowing.

Freeing our ribs also awakens our hearts, liberates our lungs, and wakes up the very small aspect of our vagal pathways that allow us to connect, create and heal. 

Consider paying special, yummy attention to how your ribs are moving this week. A nice cat stretch (termed Pandiculation) at moments of stagnation can get the juices flowing at the computer, in the kitchen, or even subtly while doing errands, etc. I’m even known to do a little gentle unwinding in my car seat at stoplights; I’ve got a whole stoplight series I’m excited to share with you soon.

Arching backward can be potent as most of us slouch and collapse around our hearts. Imagine yourself unfurling like a baby fern leaf frond becoming a broad, open leaf.

Connecting with your inherently spiraling nature is a powerful way to keep your energy fresh and soothe and warm your body in these colder months. What a lovely way to be generous with yourself in this season of giving.

We’d love to hear how it goes! And if you don’t have my new free eBook Get into Flow, which is filled with osteopathically inspired gems for going deeper, you can download it here, for free!

I look forward to sharing this transformational hour with you.

In Celebration of your emerging Glow & Flow,

Dr. Michelle Veneziano

& the Flow is Medicine community