Softening the ribs

I am still at my MBS training with Mia and Leora. Tomorrow is our last day. We have spent the past 8 days doing Awareness Through Movement® lessons that work on the ribs, specifically softening them.

It has been a fascinating exploration of this area of my body. I have (like so many other horse people) had a fair amount of damage to my ribs not to mention the times I landed on my back and knocked all the wind out of me. Two events I recall clearly happened to the left side. While in Italy in 1998 a horse kicked me and broke three ribs on the lower left. It was very painful, breathing difficult, bending impossible and I stopped sneezing for six weeks!

Now we are working on softening the ribs and I recall this injury because all of my ribs on the left feel more stiff than on the right. Funny thing, my horse bends better to the right just like me. As we continued with the lesson I have felt various areas in my back become more flexible, more alive. Even so there are whole areas of mystery that I become aware of when someone else places her hand on my back. All of this reminds me of my horse, Al.

He is softer to the right. His lower ribs on the left do not want to get closer together. When I work on his spine he looks at me over his shoulder like he doesn't understand his own landscape along the top line. He is so interested in what I am doing that he stands quietly with his eye on me while I work.

Now that my ribs move differently I wonder what will happen when I ride him again. That is going to have to wait until April 14th as I will not be home until then. I can't wait!