You probably realise that your rib cage moves when you breath, but did you know if it doesn’t move properly it can signal to your brain that something is wrong? When this happens, you might start feeling overwhelmed, lost and unable to do things. Or you might feel anxious, fidgety and unable to sit still. All these things are because of a complex interplay between the nervous system, your hormones, your breath your posture and your rib cage. So, how does your rib cage affect your mood and stress levels and even your ability to connect and be social? And how can the tension in your rib cage affect how safe you feel or how full of energy you are? Let’s have a look
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Ability to Connect and be Social
Mood, Stress & the Social Nervous System
How Rib Cage Tension Shapes How Safe and Energized We Feel
You know that feeling, when your chest is tight, your breathing is shallow, your energy to do things you want or need to do is low, and your emotions flicker somewhere between anxious and numb? It’s easy to chalk it up to stress or exhaustion. But what if the root isn’t just what’s going on in your head or and your long to-do list, but the tension in your rib cage?
Hi, I’m Alexis Weidland, osteopath and co-founder of BlossomingMe and Healthy Learning Lounge. Last week, we explored the rib cage as the bridge between protective structure and flexible movement that signals and affects nervous system regulation. Today, we’re looking into how this seemingly simple part of your body affects your emotions, energy, and social connection.
If you’ve ever felt “off” but couldn’t quite name why—this might hold the key.
The Stress Loop No One Talks About
Let’s start with a simple cycle that many of us are stuck in—without even knowing it:
Rib cage immobility → Poor breathing → Chronic nervous system stress
When your rib cage loses its ease of mobility—due to posture, pain, trauma, or emotional bracing—your breath gets shallow. Instead of a full, diaphragmatic breath, you rely on upper chest or neck muscles to breathe. This sends a constant signal to your nervous system that something isn’t right.
It’s like an internal alarm bell that never fully shuts off.
“Stress”
If this altered mobility of the rib cage and breathing continues, this perpetuates “chronic stress” – where the sympathetic nervous system is chronically activated. Keeping you in an unhealthy fight-or-flight state, where your heart rate and blood pressure will be raised. This can lead to or be a part of cardiovascular disease.
“Overwhelm”
If this rib cage dysfunction is combined with specific strains into your neck and the base of your head, this can send your nervous system into a dorsal vagus dominant state. Here, the body goes into a depressive nervous system state which can present as lethargy, procrastination, lack of motivation, an inability to concentrate , blood pressure that is at risk of being too low, lack of feeling or a sense of detachment and numbness and even full blown depression.
This too, is a state of stress, where the body is unable to perform the actions that allow us to thrive, however, it is not the traditional state of “stress”. In fact, it could be identified as burn out, adrenal fatigue or other states that have traditionally been seen as what happens when the body can no longer compensate for the persistent raised stress and associated cortisol levels.
Is Your Body Out of Control?
However, that’s not just stress, and it might not be a lack of the body’s ability to compensate, but a specific nervous system response that is actually aimed at protecting you. If you were in a place where a predator was after you and there was no way to run, fight or hide, your reaction might be to play dead, in the hope that the predator may not notice you or lose interest etc,
In this state, your body is stuck in basic survival, but seemingly contradictingly, it feels like it is actively working against you, not allowing you to perform even the most basic tasks of thinking clearly enough to make an important decision. You are stuck in a state of paralysis, lethargy and apathy, even though it’s not where you want to be.
In order to heal, first your body needs to return to a state where it feels SAFE
Polyvagal Theory: Your Social Nervous System Explained
To really get this, we need to zoom in on the polyvagal theory, which helps explain why some days we feel open, engaged, and energized—and other days we are stuck in overwhelm and shut down or spiral into agitation and anxiety .
In the polyvagal theory, the autonomic nervous system is broken down into 3 main parts – unlike the traditional theory which only focused on 2 parts.
The Ventral Vagus
- The ventral vagus (front branch of the vagus nerve) supports social engagement, a sense of safety, and that alert and energised calm that you may associate with that feeling of being in flow, where things, actions, thoughts seem to flow freely and effectively. It needs to be active and dominant for us to feel connection to ourselves and others, and socially comfortable. Where we are able to make clear facial expressions, vocal intonation and identify those subtle verbal and visual cues in others. When we are around those we feel safe with and close to, it can, in fact, be activated. This is an important part of why having a trusted and safe network of support is so important for mental health.
The Dorsal Vagus
- The dorsal vagus (back branch) kicks in during overwhelm, and certain types of fear and brings us to a state of shutdown or withdrawal—where you may feel apathy and lethargy as well as procrastination and brain fog and disconnected from the world and others, almost numb. In this state, it is near impossible to have the energy to do pretty much anything
The Sympathetic Chain
- The sympathetic chain – the group of spinal nerves that create a chain of clusters of nerve fibres all the way down the thoracic spine, next to the ribs. This activates when we perceive danger. A threat to our survival that requires us to mobilise and run or fight. It’s the high-alert mode—fast heart rate, shallow breathing, tight muscles. And when we don’t directly have anything to run from or fight, it can present as agitation, and an inability to sit still or aggression. As all that energy that has been release needs to go somewhere. In addition, neither of these options involves steady, logical reasoning, thinking or decision making.
The Body-Mind Connection to the Nervous System
When we think disturbing thoughts and create a sense of fear and overwhelm (even if we don’t realise it) our body responds. Our neck muscles tense and this results in a reflex twist of the upper cervical vertebrae. This, in combination with an altered breathing pattern and/or rib cage restriction activates the dorsal vagus and switches off the ventral branch of the vagus nerve – sending us into a less social and low nervous system state..
When we become startled or our rib cage does not function for longer periods, our spinal sympathetic chain is activated, also switching off our ventral vagus. This sends us into a sympathetic nervous system state, traditionally identifiable as a stressed state.
It can be unclear which state – the dorsal vagus or the sympathetics, that any given stressful situation may activate, but 2 things are certain – 1, the ventral branch of the vagus nerve will be switched off and 2, restrictions of the rib cage will be a part of the picture. Whether the rib cage restriction was part of what allowed the stress state to begin or the stressful situation/, emotion/ or thought is what caused the rib cage restriction. It will be present either way and in order to allow a full return to engagement, where mental clarity; ease of learning; a proper functioning of digestion, and the reproductive system; energy levels; and our body’s healing ability, functioning of the rib cage needs to be returned.
If the rib cage quickly readjusts and moves, unrestricted again, then the stress response, be it the freeze type dorsal response or the fight/flight response of the sympathetics, can return to a ventral vagus state. If however, the rib cage stays restricted, it is difficult, and sometimes impossible for the nervous system to return to ventral dominance.
How does the rib cage participate?
On the floor of the rib cage sits the diaphragm, which communicates directly with the vagus nerve. If the rib cage is tight or your breathing is shallow, the diaphragm does not engage and so does not stimulate the ventral branch or the vagus nerve. This, in turn signals distress or danger to the brain and engages a “stress” response.
No safety signal = reduced /ability to connect with others = stress, reduced cognition, altered energy levels and either low mood, overwhelm, depression and shutdown; or irritability, agitation, acting on impulse and anxiety.
Emotional Symptoms of a Nervous System Out of Sync
Here’s what it can look like when the nervous system is stuck in a loop of stress or shutdown because of chronic rib cage tension:
1. Anxiety or Panic
You feel unable to breathe fully. You’re on edge. You may feel stuck in your own body. You can’t sit still, like you must be on the go, even if there’s nothing urgent.
2. Emotional
It can feel like emotional turmoil that is hard to make sense of. A discomfort in your own body, that you can’t get away from. Or even an inability to make sense of who you are.
3. A withdrawn depressive state
You could notice an absence of feeling. A sense of disconnection from joy, from others, even from yourself. This is classic dorsal vagus territory.
4. Fatigue & Brain Fog
When your nervous system is fried, your energy tanks. Your brain function, especially the higher levels of cognition cannot function well, leaving you unable to make even simple decisions, unable to problem solve and unable to remember things you normally would. You suffer from a deep bone tiredness and lethargy, where you cannot seem to pull yourself up, despite an intense urge to do so. Poor breathing means less oxygen to the brain, less vitality in your cells, and more effort just to get through the day.
5. Social Withdrawal
That sense that you just cannot face those people. Even if they are your friends! Your nervous system is in such a state of confusion or overload that the energy required to connect, in any meaningful way, even with those you like spending time with is just too much to even consider. That’s your nervous system downregulating—shifting away from engagement to protect itself
Posture, Breath & State: The Mind-Body Feedback Loop
Here’s the good news: the nervous system isn’t stuck forever. It’s adaptable—and your posture and breath are two of the fastest ways to shift your state.
When you adjust your posture—lifting your chest gently, letting the shoulders soften, and drop down and back and allowing your breath to drop deeper into your body—you begin to send a new signal to your brain: “I am safe.”
Just by taking a few moments to focus on your breathing, you can alter the signals that your brain is receiving. And this can reflexively improve your musculoskeletal system to improve your body. Taking pressure off areas that may be in pain, aiding pain relief and increasing ability to heal. As well as actively increase the tensions on and movements of the rib cage, improving its function enough to reactivate the ventral branch of the vagus and the engaged state, where learning, thinking, digesting, procreating and healing are exponentially more possible
Simple Vagus Nerve Toning Practices
You don’t need fancy tools or long meditations to start building a vagal tone. Here are a few science-backed practices to play with:
1. Breathing
- Sit or stand comfortably.
- Imagine the base of your rib cage expanding with your inhale—side to side, front to back.
- Breath in deeply, allowing your upper belly to expand first, then all the way up through your chest. Hold this for a moment. Then, slowly exhale. Through your mouth or nose, aiming to make the exhalation a little longer than your inhalation
- Aim to inhale for 4 counts and exhale for 6-8 counts. This stimulates the parasympathetic response ie the ventral branch of the vagus is activated. You may notice your heart rate begins to slow as a result
- Repeat for 4–5 breaths.
Notice the shift. Do you feel a little more grounded, relaxed, comfortable?.
2. Humming or Chanting
The vagus nerve runs through the vocal cords. Humming gently stimulates it and may promote a sense of calm. Low tones are good to feel the vibration in your throat.
3. Gentle Upper Cervical Balancing
By allowing the cervical vertebrae to move correctly and ensuring that the traps and sternocleidomastoid muscles are not overly engaged ie tight, we can support a healthy functioning social engagement system and an active ventral vagus.
Helping to reduce the tension in the suboccipital muscles can be a simple and effective way to improve neck mobility by balancing upper cervical vertebral positions and helping to balance the tension in the neck muscles. Do this by gently pushing under the ridge of the occipital bone. The shelf where it feels like our head stops.
One finger on that ridge, and one finger just below. At the prominence on the right and left of the occiput. First, notice how easily and comfortably you can side bend and rotate your head. Next, hold the head with the left hand to allow the head and neck muscles to relax, then use your fingers to gently, with PAIN, push slightly outward, till you notice resistance. Hold this, for 60seconds to till you subconsciously yawn or take a deep breath or sigh. Then do the same gently pushing inwards and hold for 60 seconds. Next, swap hands and repeat to the left side of the occiput. Finally, retest your side bending and rotation and notice if you happened to get an improvement in range or comfort?
Awareness is Your Superpower
The beauty of the body is its built-in resilience. The rib cage, the breath, the nervous system—they’re all listening to each other. When we move and breathe with intention, we shift the chemistry of our brain, the tone of our thoughts, and the depth of our emotional experience.
And this isn’t about “fixing” yourself. It’s about listening to your body, like you would your best friend—be present with curiosity and compassion and then do what feels right.
Want to Go Deeper? Start With Your Rib Cage
If this post lit something up for you, you’ll love my Rib Cage Reset Mini Course. It’s a guided, accessible way to explore the connection between breath, posture, and nervous system health through gentle practices you can do anytime, anywhere.
Because sometimes, the most powerful healing doesn’t come from doing more—it comes from taking a moment to listen and be present.
Next Week: The Inner Organ Connection
Get ready for Week 3, where we dive into how your rib cage and breath impact your organs—from heart rate and blood pressure to digestion and GERD. We’ll explore how rib cage function supports vitality (or contributes to chronic illness), and how restoring rib cage mobility can transform how you feel inside and out.
Click the Button Below for my new Rib Cage Reset Mini Course
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About Blossoming Me
BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Cranio-sacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage.
Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.