stretchsitting feedback

Hi everyone.
I have been working through the book and I have purchased a new chair that looked similar to the one used in the book.
However I know I am probably doing it wrong somehow. And I feel like it makes me sway back and has my ribs pertruding lots (I do have a rib flare in general though that I am trying to fix) I relax my posture a little at 45 to show how I probably slump again and ruin it when I try and relax. I think in the last few seconds of the video I relax fully and lose everything. I struggle to hold the posture and I think I'm not feeling it right anyway as I don't feel like it stretches my spine much despite me trying to 'pin' myself back. Especially when I try to relax.
If anyone could provide any thoughts and feedback that would be great!
I try to anchor my ribs in general (not in the video) but I just don't know how to do it. Should it be fully down to my abs to pull them down or should they come down from a movement in my spine? I'm not sure whether to start rolling for thoracic mobility if that will help.
Anyway here is the video . Thanks in advance everyone - https://youtu.be/k8372uCMdGA

Dear Ste H,

Congrats on getting going with Stretchsitting. Sometimes it is hard to tell from a video, but it seems that you are leaning back over the top of the chair. You want the fabric (towel?) and chair to hold your flesh, but you don't want to arch or sway the spine backwards over the top of the chair to get that grab (this will cause the lower ribs to protrude more as well). Check the video and see if you can see yourself doing this. If you are doing it because you want to feel the chair grab you a bit more strongly...two things that might help:

1. You might need a bit more bulk on the back of your chair so that you are more vertical. Try layering another small towel, see if that makes a difference.

2. Perhaps you need a sticky surface to grab you. The beauty of the Stretchsit cushion is that it has sticky nubs that grab hold of the skin on the back. A sticky yoga mat could have a similar effect if it were draped over your towel. For a while I liked to lift up the back of my shirt so I could feel the sticky nubs hold onto my skin without fabric sliding around.

With persistence, Stretchsitting and the resultant stretch in the spine and back muscles becomes easier to feel. It takes some practice and some time. It is helpful if you can have someone observe you in person, as well as offer hands on assistance. I also noticed your bottom lift up off the chair as you went for the stretch. See if you can keep your bottom in the chair and allow your midsection to lengthen.

Finally, you do want to relax while Stretchsitting, but not completely relax into a full slump. Ideally you have a baseline of muscle tone in your deep postural muscles that makes upright sitting against a back rest pretty restful. But it will never be as restful as lying on the sofa or the bed. As you work through the full program, you will gain some of this baseline tone that makes stretchsitting restful but also holds you more upright.

Cecily Frederick, Gokhale Method Teacher