Understanding the connection from ribs to wrists.
We live in a very hands-on society. We use our hands to accomplish just about everything, so naturally, when something isn’t working, our instinct is to fix it with our hands.
As riders, we spend countless hours developing correct contact. Quiet your hands, soften your elbows, stop pulling, follow the movement. Sound familiar?
Our hands often bear the brunt of the criticism. But what if they’re simply showing us a problem that originates somewhere else?
Meet Your Upper Powerhouse
In Pilates, I teach the importance of our upper powerhouse: the relationship between our ribs, shoulders, and arms.
Just as our lower powerhouse organizes and supports movement through the pelvis and trunk, our upper powerhouse provides the connection that allows our arms and hands to function effectively.
When that connection is missing, we often compensate by gripping, stiffening our elbows, lifting our shoulders, or holding everything rigidly in place.
The goal isn’t to control the hands. It’s to give them the support they need to work freely.
Learning the Connection: Ribs to Wrists
One of my favorite ways to teach this is through Teaser on the Cadillac using the push-through bar.
Rather than lifting the body as one solid piece, we break the movement into stages.
First, lift the head while keeping the shoulders on the mat. This teaches the neck to participate and introduces articulation rather than moving in one rigid chunk.
Next, use the eyes to guide the front ribs together and down. This action allows the shoulders to separate from the mat and push the bar farther upward.
As we continue into Teaser, we maintain the feeling of the ribs connecting through the shoulders and pushing into the wrists.
Ribs to wrists.
On the way down, we reverse the process, maintaining that connection as we articulate toward the mat, releasing the shoulders before the head.
Once my clients recognize that ribs-to-wrists connection, we begin advancing the work and discovering how that same relationship exists throughout the Pilates method.
The apparatus gives us the resistance and feedback to discover it. The mat challenges us to maintain that connection without the assistance.
And the saddle? That’s another opportunity to put what we’ve learned into practice.
Now, Let’s Pick Up the Reins
Think about the last time your contact felt inconsistent. Maybe one rein felt heavier, your elbows became stiff, or your hands wouldn’t stay quiet.
Instead of immediately correcting your hands, consider what’s supporting them.
The ribs-to-wrists connection we explore in Pilates is just as relevant in the saddle. When the upper powerhouse is properly organized, our arms can follow the horse’s movement while our hands remain available for subtle communication.
This isn’t about bracing or holding the shoulders still. It’s about developing enough stability to allow freedom of movement.
Quiet hands aren’t hands that are held still. They’re hands that are free to respond.
☕ This Week’s Takeaway
The next time you’re struggling with your contact, think ribs to wrists.
Ask yourself whether your hands are doing their own job or compensating for a missing connection farther up the body.
Sometimes the solution isn’t found where we feel the problem, but in understanding what’s happening behind it.
Until next time, keep moving, keep exploring, and keep Spilling the Pilateas!
Brooke Centrella
Pilates In Motion LLC