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The Breathing System
Thoracic Breathing
‘Before any real benefit can be derived from physical exercises, one must first learn how to breathe properly. Our very life depends on it’. (Joseph Pilates)
In YogalatesTM we teach the breathing system called ‘Thoracic Breathing’. This is done through the nose which filters and moistens the air before it reaches the lungs.
Also, breathing through the nose directly impacts and affects our nervous system, balancing and calming it, among many other things.
This breath helps the body to:
· Enrich the blood, organs, tissues and the brain with fresh oxygen.
· Calms and focuses and engages the mind to connect with the body.
· Strengthens the core postural muscles laying the foundations for safe exercise.
· Cleanses toxins, stress and tension from the body.
· Helps us become more aware of our breath in our daily life.
How do we do ‘Thoracic Breathing’?
1. Lie on your back in a comfortable position - knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip width
apart and parallel. Feet should be about 1.5 lengths of your feet away from your bottom. (This is the ‘Supine Rest Position’ (SRP))
2. Keep the neck long (and chin gently tucked, but relaxed) shoulders and face relaxed.(When you know this process well, its recommended to keep your eyes closed, so that we can tune in more easily to the body).
3. Place the first and middle fingers 4cm down and in from the front hip bones (pressing reasonably firmly into the flesh of the pelvic bowl).
4. Take a couple of long slow deep breaths, in and out of the nose. Just observe the movement and relax.
5. To detect the core postural muscles - cough twice. You will feel your belly rise/jump underneath your fingers (Coughing, like breathing can activate these muscles). Observe the muscles being stretched and released as you breathe
6. Inhale, inflating the belly like a balloon, exhale and release the belly. Do this for 3 full breaths (1 full breath = 1 full inhalation and 1 full exhalation)
7. Inhale, then exhale and start to draw the navel back towards the spine on the EXHALATION. Continue practicing this exercise a few times with an internal awareness and slightly contract the navel back deeper to the spine each time.
8. Inhale then exhale drawing the navel to the spine, imagine it becoming hooked to your lower spine.
9. Now keep this abdominal contraction - place your right hand on your lower rib cage and on your next inhalation, jump the breath up into the chest. Breathe into your upper chest and try to sense a broadening effect through your lower rib cage. (There may also be movement in your upper ribcage as well…this is fine).
10. On your exhalations glide your ribs towards the pelvis, keeping your abdomen contracted. Imagine an elastic band stretching and releasing between your lower ribs and hip bones, as you inhale and exhale. Continue this exercise 3-5 times.
REST WHEN YOU NEED TO!
11. Now continue to keep the contraction of the ‘navel to spine’, and inhale. Then on your next exhalation pull up on the Pelvic Floor muscles, and as you inhale Release the Pelvic Floor muscles keeping the navel to spine throughout.
________________________________________________________________________________
As you become stronger you can keep this abdominal contraction throughout the whole exercise. If a gross contraction of other muscles in the body occurs i.e. tightening the buttocks, back muscles, or tilting the pelvis, please stop and release from thoracic breathing and only practice the contracting of the pelvic floor muscles on the exhalation only, until you get a hang of that, then continue back to thoracic breathing.
________________________________________________________________________________
12. Continue with the thoracic breathing exercise for 5-10 breaths, rest when you need to until you become more familiar with it. Strength within the body will increase with time, so be gentle on yourself.
13. Release the belly and all other muscles and hug the knees into the chest, rocking side to side and return to your natural breath. (Observe any changes in the breath before, after and during with practice)
Points to remember:
· This exercise takes a long time to master so please be kind to yourself and TAKE a break when you need to.
· Do not over exert your body, try to keep the shoulders, face and neck relaxed at all times.
· If there is any sign of pressure in the upper body and head, dizziness or anxiety, please stop and relax, take a break and/or ask the teacher to show you a modified version.
· NEVER hold your breath.
· Don’t strain the lungs with breathing too deep, go slowly, be patient with yourself and with coordinating everything.
· If you are pregnant or menstruating please keep the contractions to a minimum and keep them light.
· If any pain in the lower back stop. (You may need to consult your therapist)
· If you have high blood pressure, keep your head higher than your heart.
· Become aware of reverse breathing, breathing in the opposite way as described above and intend to adjust.
***But most of all….enjoy and have fun taking your time to learn more about your own body.***
Thoracic Breathing
‘Before any real benefit can be derived from physical exercises, one must first learn how to breathe properly. Our very life depends on it’. (Joseph Pilates)
In YogalatesTM we teach the breathing system called ‘Thoracic Breathing’. This is done through the nose which filters and moistens the air before it reaches the lungs.
Also, breathing through the nose directly impacts and affects our nervous system, balancing and calming it, among many other things.
This breath helps the body to:
· Enrich the blood, organs, tissues and the brain with fresh oxygen.
· Calms and focuses and engages the mind to connect with the body.
· Strengthens the core postural muscles laying the foundations for safe exercise.
· Cleanses toxins, stress and tension from the body.
· Helps us become more aware of our breath in our daily life.
How do we do ‘Thoracic Breathing’?
1. Lie on your back in a comfortable position - knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip width
apart and parallel. Feet should be about 1.5 lengths of your feet away from your bottom. (This is the ‘Supine Rest Position’ (SRP))
2. Keep the neck long (and chin gently tucked, but relaxed) shoulders and face relaxed.(When you know this process well, its recommended to keep your eyes closed, so that we can tune in more easily to the body).
3. Place the first and middle fingers 4cm down and in from the front hip bones (pressing reasonably firmly into the flesh of the pelvic bowl).
4. Take a couple of long slow deep breaths, in and out of the nose. Just observe the movement and relax.
5. To detect the core postural muscles - cough twice. You will feel your belly rise/jump underneath your fingers (Coughing, like breathing can activate these muscles). Observe the muscles being stretched and released as you breathe
6. Inhale, inflating the belly like a balloon, exhale and release the belly. Do this for 3 full breaths (1 full breath = 1 full inhalation and 1 full exhalation)
7. Inhale, then exhale and start to draw the navel back towards the spine on the EXHALATION. Continue practicing this exercise a few times with an internal awareness and slightly contract the navel back deeper to the spine each time.
8. Inhale then exhale drawing the navel to the spine, imagine it becoming hooked to your lower spine.
9. Now keep this abdominal contraction - place your right hand on your lower rib cage and on your next inhalation, jump the breath up into the chest. Breathe into your upper chest and try to sense a broadening effect through your lower rib cage. (There may also be movement in your upper ribcage as well…this is fine).
10. On your exhalations glide your ribs towards the pelvis, keeping your abdomen contracted. Imagine an elastic band stretching and releasing between your lower ribs and hip bones, as you inhale and exhale. Continue this exercise 3-5 times.
REST WHEN YOU NEED TO!
11. Now continue to keep the contraction of the ‘navel to spine’, and inhale. Then on your next exhalation pull up on the Pelvic Floor muscles, and as you inhale Release the Pelvic Floor muscles keeping the navel to spine throughout.
________________________________________________________________________________
As you become stronger you can keep this abdominal contraction throughout the whole exercise. If a gross contraction of other muscles in the body occurs i.e. tightening the buttocks, back muscles, or tilting the pelvis, please stop and release from thoracic breathing and only practice the contracting of the pelvic floor muscles on the exhalation only, until you get a hang of that, then continue back to thoracic breathing.
________________________________________________________________________________
12. Continue with the thoracic breathing exercise for 5-10 breaths, rest when you need to until you become more familiar with it. Strength within the body will increase with time, so be gentle on yourself.
13. Release the belly and all other muscles and hug the knees into the chest, rocking side to side and return to your natural breath. (Observe any changes in the breath before, after and during with practice)
Points to remember:
· This exercise takes a long time to master so please be kind to yourself and TAKE a break when you need to.
· Do not over exert your body, try to keep the shoulders, face and neck relaxed at all times.
· If there is any sign of pressure in the upper body and head, dizziness or anxiety, please stop and relax, take a break and/or ask the teacher to show you a modified version.
· NEVER hold your breath.
· Don’t strain the lungs with breathing too deep, go slowly, be patient with yourself and with coordinating everything.
· If you are pregnant or menstruating please keep the contractions to a minimum and keep them light.
· If any pain in the lower back stop. (You may need to consult your therapist)
· If you have high blood pressure, keep your head higher than your heart.
· Become aware of reverse breathing, breathing in the opposite way as described above and intend to adjust.
***But most of all….enjoy and have fun taking your time to learn more about your own body.***