46<>48

Home ∞  Breathing Session ∞  Stories  ∞  Health Cures  ∞ Testimonials ∞ Journal  ∞ Articles ∞ Book  ∞ Articles 2

    47.     B for BREATH                                                                         3/29/04

“Krishna declares that He is the prana or life-force in all beings. The head is of great importance for man, and the body comes next. But the body and head are not enough for man as there must be parna, the élan vital, to keep the body and the head functioning.”

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1979, pg.163

*****
 

    In presenting the abc’s of alignment we have touched on the A, arches of the feet but seemingly bypass the rest of the lower body and now we  present the breath. This is because we are looking at primary keys that can give us a direct structural feeling for alignment. As one works with the principles of the arches, the feelings for alignment in the lower body may suggest itself. See prior articles for more on the legs.

        BREATH

It was mindfulness on respiration (anapana-sati) that acted as the basis for the Bodhisatta to attain Buddha hood.
      ~~~Narada~~~

    The subject of breath and breathing practices is fairly extensive. I will be concentrating this discussion primarily on the use of breathing to maintain alignment of our body and also to bring alignment to the body where it has been neglected. Conscious breathing is one of the major keys to bringing alignment to the body and maintaining alignment.

    It seems to me in a high percentage of people their normal breathing has become minimal over time and most breathing is reduced to the area of the lower lungs with little movement in the muscles of the upper body. This in turn reduces the spaces in the thoracic and lumbar regions of the body, which creates undue pressure for the metabolic process and for the functioning of the organs of the body. Over time when people arrive at the age of fifty and beyond, many problems start to show up in the body that are due to this internal loss of space.

    For a percentage of the good folks that actively participate in life, breathing and breathing practices are something they experience either through sports or working out. ITP, integral transformative practices would most definitely have forms of breathing practices contained in the groups program. For the ITP network adding some principles for recognizing alignment of the body can be constructive.

    We can consciously change any loss of internal space by experimenting, practicing and working with different forms of full breathing. In a Full Breathing Session previously posted there is presented a way of working with breathing that illustrates how full our breathing can be as well as providing an experience of what better alignment feels like. Alignment shows up as we work with the keys for alignment and is not a concept that one places on the body. This becomes evident as you give time to the practice.

    As we place our attention on breathing we can feel the breath coming in and out of the body. We can consciously take a full breath that fills the spaces of the body. The expansion and contraction of the body with breath is something that is in our control. The more we play with breathing and explore how we can be aware of our breathing during the day we can use this tool for energizing the body as well as examine the many feelings, body sensations and impulses that arise as we move through the day. Breath, in this respect, can become a centering tool or primary frame of reference if we are feeling off center.

    Full Diaphragmatic breathing comes in to play when we are using our full lung capacity. The above session is designed to give us a feeling of what this can feel like. When first working with establishing full diaphragmatic breathing, especially when standing, it may feel artificial, unnatural, awkward and requiring effort. There may even be some aches or pains that show up; generally in the upper back and shoulder blades. Not to worry, this starts to dissipate and change as you work to establish a fuller breathing pattern within 10 to 15 minutes. After all you are presenting a new pattern to the muscles of the upper body and the sense of being fuller with breath will start to register as a ‘yes, this does feel better’.

    A way of feeling the good sense of full breathing can be gained by doing some very full breathing that lifts the ribcage and feels like you are filling all the spaces of the upper body including the armpits and neck. Then after feeling this position for a moment or two, let the breath out and do some very minimal breathing. Try this two or three times and I’m sure you will be able feel the differences between having the body more expanded with breath and having the body doing a contracted form.
 

    By persisting in this practice the muscles of the upper body start opening and releasing to a more elongated feeling of the upper body that brings the structure of the upper body to a more aligned position. This can be practiced by standing or walking around also. In many sessions where I am introducing this to people for the first time they hit into a very interesting dilemma; they start to feel like they want to stop this full breathing after about 15 minutes but, the body does not want to stop. This to me is where the intuitive kicks in and wants to continue as though something natural likes full breathing and wants to persist.

    This can also happen in working on the floor as you are doing the breathing filling spaces of the body. The body can start to take over the breathing and go into a full breathing pattern by itself. When allowed and followed the results are always beneficial. Trusting that the body will not hurt itself or present anything we can not handle when we are working with the breath is good to keep in mind.

    To me full diaphragmatic breathing also qualifies as a workout, since this is an  energetic activity that involves the muscles of the upper body. Now that’s a plus! We can be working at the computer and still be doing a workout by adding full breathing. I will venture to say that by doing some full breathing even for brief periods during any work day you will feel less tired and more energized by the end of the day.

    For the athlete there is often the experience of exhaustion from a hard workout and the body is huffing and puffing with the pattern of the breathing being a rising and falling of the upper body. If one where to introduce a fuller diaphragmatic breathing pattern where the breath is moving in and out and the body is not rising and falling the recovery rate can be much faster.

    With the use of full breathing,many athletes have indicated to me over the years That they felt their performance levels improved. Working with the dynamic of breathing fuller we have a preventative, curative and enhancing tool for the body.

    So, we end this little excursion into the B or breathing portion of working with principles of alignment and the adaptation of grace, dignity and love to our beautiful form.

*****

    “Just as all sounds are only present sounds, so all tastes are only present tastes, all smells are present smells, and all sights are present sights. You cannot touch, see, or feel anything resembling a past or a future. In other words, in your direct and immediate awareness, there is no time—no past, no future, only an endlessly changing present, shorter than a mini-second yet never coming to an end. All direct awareness is timeless awareness.”

Ken Wilber. NO BOUNDARY, pg. 61

Posted by harmon at March 29, 2004

        Comments

    You have made many outstanding points. I have made deep breathing exercises part of my daily regimen. It doesn't happen often, but, on some rare occasions, I am unable to do my morning meditation. As a substitute, I do a lot of deep breathing to calm and center myself. When I am doing my regular, scheduled meditation, a part of the time is always concerned with some pranayama exercises.

    Isn’t it strange how such excellent techniques can be ignored by so many? It sometimes seems as though people are programmed to adopt unhealthy lifestyles.

Posted by: Solstice on March 30, 2004

Solstice

    Thanks for commenting on this article. Yes, I guess you can say that programming of most societies seems to be very unhealthy. I do feel that there is a ground swell of ITP reaching in and gently creating a greater awareness about breathing practices and in turn a more spiritual lifestyle.
Bless.

Posted by: Harmon on March 31, 2004

~~~~~

    Thanks for these treasures, these latest editions of ‘Alignment and Breathwork’. They’ve come since January 2004 and come as a timely reminder of the importance of being with the breath. I love this last quote “All direct awareness is timeless awareness” - a comforting reminder that we don’t have to strain our eyes into the past or to the future, don’t need to leave our bodies in suspense to wait for our head to give the nod that it’s all clear. The future takes care of itself…
But, oh to dream, one says? Surely inspiration, and the inspiration to aspire evolves from what can be taken in; how openly one breathes? It is interesting to note that inspiration comes from the Latin spirare to breathe - to breathe life into. To aspire is to release breath. And yet, and yet, and yet are you like me? When something important hasn’t found the right words or brush strokes to suspend it out there to be shared with others, it is like I haven’t breathed properly. Much can be shared on the delightful subject of breath but for now I hang my head.

    My discovery of your alignment releasing sessions happened in Feb ‘02. I enjoyed the surprise of the willingness to let go in the body when the mind releases its hold on everything. How surprising to experience my body unravel on the floor, twisting into shapes my mind had never directed it to go … ! But apart from during daily meditations, I paid little attention to how I allowed the breath to accompany me throughout the day. 2003 saw unexpected stresses (life happens!) and by December I had found a lump, previously held at bay, had grown. I was then embarrassed to find that what I had released the year before had returned. Here I was, collapsed into and gripping onto old habits: hip twisted, one leg shorter, tight arm, tight neck. Then along came a Hathaway Xmas blessing from the other end of the world. How timely … thank you!

    So, I am embarrassed but I am delighted. I’m noticing my habits. Am both embarrassed and delighted to know am on a journey to find my body (!) Notice now I have had a tendency (during my 40 odd years) when taking body somewhere it hasn’t been before (be that whilst trying to do handstands for the first time or stretching into a particular twist of the hips) have had tendency to hold breath. That ever-watchful head “looked” and “thought” about the philosophy or the image that inspired that intention to put body somewhere else. So yes, a full experience with body, head, spirit had been denied. Am understanding on another level now what I eagerly nodded my head to at the outset: that “Alignment is a result of releasing, not a concept that you place on the body.” - p.23 “Hathaway Alignment Sessions”.

    Thanks, Harmon Hathaway, for your insightful writings succinctly put, warmly felt, for all to inspire, to breathe in as our capacity to breathe opens a little more, and a little more … Hello, from Australia. Let me reach through the space and shake your hand. Right here, right now, we are all alive and playing together.

Posted by: Dora on April 5, 2004

    Dora, how beautiful is your heart, how lovely are your words, I am deeply touched. Thank you for sharing your personal journey with us. How interesting that you can come back to the accuracies, once discovered, and work on correcting things again.
Blessings.

Posted by: Harmon on April 6, 2004 

Home ∞  Breathing Session ∞  Stories  ∞  Health Cures  ∞ Testimonials ∞ Journal  ∞ Articles ∞ Book  ∞ Articles 2

46<>48