Home ∞ Breathing Session ∞ Stories ∞ Health Cures ∞ Testimonials ∞ Journal ∞ Articles ∞ Book ∞
Articles 2
"As previously pointed out,
we see body, mind, heart, and soul as coequal manifestations of the human
essence. But where deep down human change is concerned, there is no more
effective teacher than the body."
from The LIFE WE ARE GIVEN pg. 145
George Leonard & Michael Murphy.
9. A Workout with Breath 4/07/03
Breathing fully, or working with expansive breathing can be a very definite
work out. In order to expand the body open and use the full capacity of the
lungs we can do expansive breathing in a gentle yet forceful way to bring lift
and expansion to the upper body.
If you take in a deep breath that feels like it lifts the rib cage up and away
from the hips and then only let a very little out and take another breath in
to keep the lift in place you have the basis for a work out. The idea is to
keep the body expanded for a length of time. Just set a timer and do this for
at least ten minutes to a half-hour.
This is not the way to breath all the time, * but a way of expanding or stretching the muscles of the rib cage and back. The end result is more length. The breathing may feel unfamiliar at first but as you proceed it gets easier and you will understand more about how it affects you over time. The workout you are giving the muscles involved is a reverse of tightening the muscles of the upper body and creating less internal space.
The practice is interesting in terms of its mindfulness elements, in that you are being aware of your breath on the one hand and bringing your attention to the body while also helping the natural alignment of the body. There is a momentum that builds as you practice this which helps in releasing of tensions and different stresses that are on or in the body.
I have done this form of breathing when I first started to work with alignment for up to eight hours with a continues benefit. Long trips in a car can also be a good time to play with this form of breathing. When working you can do expansive breathing and still accomplish several things at once. You can do normal chores and have an awareness of the breathing being full.
Please post any questions you may have hear. Any discussion of a physical problem is welcomed.
*See Guy
Hendricks book Conscious Breathing for a view of normal Diaphragmatic
breathing. See our book
Hathaway Alignment Sessions
for further explanation and sessions designed to help with understanding
alignment.
The Sessions entry on the main menu of this blog also gives a further
explanation along with some easy sessions.
Posted by Harmon at April 7, 2003
Comments
I'd say even doing this for one minute -- as I have just done -- can be very interesting and informative and can have some very nice results. Question: can this be done standing up? And if so, what should one do with the hips? Tuck them in? And the "waist" ... just relax it and let it go entirely?
Posted by: Jordan on April 8, 2003
Jordan, Interesting how the body and breath can inform us.
Doing breathing where you are just standing and breathing is fine, yes. The hips can be played with to get a feeling of relaxing them down as if about to sit. This is felt by allow the knees to relax and move up and down very slow. This allows the weight of the body to flow down into the ground it is standing on, in stead of leaning forward, pulling weight up and being ready to move. Being where you are, as they say!
With the weight going into the ground through the outside pads of the feet you may start to discern a slight tremble in the legs while standing. This can be explored and played with. It is a subtle release of muscles that could get fairly active and go right into the muscles of the buttocks.
So you have two directions going, one of lifting the upper body with breath and the other of allowing the lower body to relax down. This helps create, elongate and maintain the skeletal space between the hips and the rib cage. It is what I give to people to help them straighten the lower spine. When done for a period of time the muscles of the upper body will start to feel longer.
The waist naturally forms as a result of standing and or walking with the full breath.
Doing the workout while walking, for many is very useful. Ideally we can do this any time and still take care of the chores. Again an informal use of attention as the body enjoys the day.
I just came across a statement by the developer of Mentastics Milton Trager M.D. “The awakening process, which allowed me to be aware of my body, was initiated with the taking of ONE DEEP BREATH.” He says he was prompted to do this by a sign in a post office.
Peace
Posted by: harmon on April 8, 2003
I have an Internet friend who started, at my urging, to practice deep breathing. He now complains that the deep breathing induces an irritation of his lungs. Consequently, he has stopped the practice. I have mixed feelings about his story. Have you heard similar complaints?
Posted by: Solstice on April 26, 2003
Lance this is a difficult working situation for you since facilitating over the net is cumbersome unless the person is totally willing. His particular comment about an irritation of his lungs requires more inquiry as to exactly what he is feeling so you can work through that so called irritation. We could say, when he starts to breathe fuller he becomes aware of how irritated his body feels. This is an evaluation that I may make but need not be expressed to the client.
I hear many notions from people about the initial sensations they feel as they start to work with breath and it is easy to transition through those snags. People do hesitate when they feel something new and unfamiliar in the body and it just requires some gentle encouragement.
Thanks Lance for asking.
Posted by: Harmon on September 27, 2003
Home ∞ Breathing Session ∞ Stories ∞ Health Cures ∞ Testimonials ∞ Journal ∞ Articles ∞ Book ∞
Articles 2