Functional Synergy:
Power of Pure Movement: The Intelligence of the Thoracic Spine & Rib Cage in Whole-Body Integration
Monday March 10 & Wednesday March 12, 11:00 AM -12:30 PM MDT
(this training will be recorded)
A Professional Training for Yoga Teachers Who Want to See Beyond the Symptoms and Help Their Clients Reduce & Eliminate Pain
You See It All the Time in Your Students…
🔹The yogi with tight shoulders and wrist pain who can’t find stability in Downward Dog.
🔹The student who’s strengthened their core but still has SI joint and low back discomfort.
🔹The hypermobile practitioner who has plenty of flexibility but lacks stability in movement.
🔹The client who does “all the right things” but their knee pain keeps coming back.
No matter how much you cue better alignment, modify poses, or focus on engagement, the same stuck patterns show up.
Why Traditional Anatomy Training Falls Short
Most yoga teachers are taught to break down movement joint by joint or muscle by muscle:
– If the wrists hurt, adjust hand placement.
– If the knees hurt, strengthen the quads.
– If the low back hurts, engage the core.
When we rely solely on alignment-based cueing, we assume that if we get students into the “right” position, the pain will resolve.
But positioning alone doesn’t change movement patterns—and often, it reinforces the very compensation patterns that keep people stuck . . . or it creates new ones.
That’s why real pain resolution isn’t just about where it hurts – it’s about how the whole body organizes movement.
And one of the most overlooked players in pain reduction and optimizing performance is the thoracic spine and rib cage.
Did you know…
🔹 Limited thoracic mobility can overload the wrists, elbows, and shoulders?
🔹 A locked-up rib cage can lead to SI joint and hip instability?
🔹 Subtle thoracic spine restrictions can cause inefficient gait and knee strain?
When we move beyond alignment-based, “right position” cueing and start seeing how the body actually moves, we stop playing whack-a-mole with pain and start creating real change.
Enter Power of Pure Movement: The Intelligence of the Thoracic Spine & Rib Cage in Whole-Body Integration—
Designed to help you see movement as a whole-body system, improve both your instruction, and teach with greater confidence and impact.
In this two-session training, you’ll learn how the thoracic spine and rib cage act as hidden influencers in movement efficiency, pain resolution, and whole-body integration.
Instead of relying on isolated alignment cues, you’ll develop the ability to see movement as an interconnected system—allowing you to make more precise instructions, and guide students toward lasting relief, and refine your teaching with a deeper understanding of how the body truly works.
Now, let’s dive into what you’ll learn
This 2-session professional training will help you uncover the hidden role of the thoracic spine and rib cage, and bring more ease and flow to movement across the whole body.
Session 1: The Thoracic Spine, Rib Cage & Upper Body Connection
- Why do some students struggle with weight-bearing poses like Down Dog, Plank, and Crow—even when they seem strong enough?
- How does the thoracic spine influence motor coordination, neuromuscular control, and stability in the shoulders, elbows, and wrists?
- What subtle movement patterns determine whether a student finds ease or strain in arm balances and upper-body weight-bearing poses?
- Explore how thoracic mobility and rib cage positioning affect weight distribution, muscle activation, and coordination in the upper body.
- Learn how thoracic spine and rib cage limitations contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome, elbow pain, and repetitive strain injuries.
- Identify and refine movement sequencing to improve proprioception, coordination, and strength without compensation.
Session 2: The Thoracic Spine, Rib Cage & Lower Body Coordination
- Why do so many students struggle with SI joint and hip stability, even with a strong core?
- How do thoracic spine and rib cage limitations disrupt motor control in hip flexion, knee tracking, and standing balance?
- Why do some students still experience instability in standing poses, even after strengthening their legs?
- How does breath influence neuromuscular coordination, movement efficiency, and injury prevention?
- Learn how thoracic spine and rib cage mechanics influence motor control in the hips, knees, and SI joints.
- Discover how breath, rib cage - pelvis connection enhance proprioception and movement efficiency.
- Explore subtle refinements that build sensory awareness, motor coordination, and whole-body integration.
Who Is This Training For?
✔ Yoga Teachers – Who want to refine their ability to observe motor control, coordination, and compensatory patterns to guide students toward more efficient movement.
✔Movement Professionals – Who want to improve their skill in assessing and retraining neuromuscular control, stability, and movement sequencing in real-time.
✔Therapists & Bodyworkers – Who want to bridge the gap between hands-on techniques and active movement re-education, helping clients develop better motor coordination and control.
✔Coaches & Trainers – Who want to integrate whole-body movement intelligence into strength, mobility, and rehab work by improving proprioception, motor learning, and movement efficiency.
If you want to move beyond isolated adjustments and start working with the body’s natural coordination systems to create lasting movement change, this training is for you.
Who This Training Is Not For?
Teachers who rely solely on alignment-based cueing and aren’t interested in exploring how motor control and coordination impact movement and pain resolution.
Instructors looking for a one-size-fits-all approach instead of developing the skills to observe, assess, and adapt movement patterns for each individual.
Practitioners who prefer passive techniques rather than engaging in active movement re-education and neuromuscular retraining.
Anyone who just wants more anatomy memorization without learning how to apply it dynamically to real people in real movement scenarios.
Those unwilling to shift their perspective on how pain and movement efficiency are interconnected through the whole-body system.
This training is about refining your ability to see and influence movement at a deeper level—not just learning more cues or sequences. If you’re ready to work with the body’s natural coordination and control systems, this is for you.
I am your instructor - Susi Hately, BSc. Kinesiology, C-IAYT Yoga Therapist
I help people improve the relationship between their body, mind and breath, and have been training yoga teachers and health professionals how to do the same for over 25 years. My most hard won “achievement” has been helping my husband retrain his response to PTSD and Hypervigliance from being a Fire Fighter.
With a BSc. Kinesiology and Post Grad work in Biomechanics, I blend science-based biomechanics and anatomy with the ancient wisdom of yoga to help you gain awareness and clarity on what your body is whispering to you. Once you are aware of what happens in your own body, you can translate that to your students and clients to help them move and feel better.
2 of my programs have been studied at a University level, and I am the best selling author of Anatomy and Asana: Preventing Yoga Injuries.
In my 30 years of helping people to reduce and eradicate physical pain, a key pattern of resolution is how the thoracic spine and rib cage impact movement. When I help my clients become aware of their movement and …how their thoracic spine and rib cage coordinate with the rest of their body, they gain a whole new level of control, ease, and efficiency in their movement.
This is why I created Power of Pure Movement: The Intelligence of the Thoracic Spine & Rib Cage in Whole-Body Integration—to help yoga teachers and movement professionals like you see beyond isolated pain points and tap into the deeper neuromuscular patterns that drive movement and stability.
Through this training, you’ll refine your ability to observe movement, improve motor coordination, and guide your students or clients toward long-term relief and better function.
I look forward to helping you uncover the hidden potential of the thoracic spine and rib cage—so you can teach with more confidence, precision, and impact.
Let’s dive in. 🚀
