Most clients that come to me for stress relief and pain reduction do not know how to breathe. How can a person not know how to breathe? Isn't it a natural thing to do? Well, yes and no. Yes, it is natural. No, we forget. When we are babies, we automatically know how to breathe. As we grow up and become stressed, frightened, we forget how. Breathing does more than just provide oxygen to our system, keeping us alive. As we breathe, we begin to remember how to expand our lungs completely. The lung is made up of different segments to help us breath. When we don't expand our abdomens during breathe, we do not use our lower lobes to push down on the diaphragm. As our diaphram expands downward, pushing onto our organs, notably the liver, gallbladder, and stomach. These organs in turn, push downward onto the rest of our organs. And suddenly, there is no room to push down anymore, so taking the path of least resistance, out goes our stomach. This is a type of massage for our organs, a much needed massage. Organs are squeezed, pushed out of all extra fluids, including our intestines. When a person starts breathing correctly, he will notice increased bowel sounds. No, that does not mean you are hungry, either!
As you return to breathing correctly, you will notice an increase in energy, more clear thinking, less sinus congestion, less intestinal issues (IBS, constipation, etc.) among other wonderful benefits!
So, let's get started!
Breathing Exercises
The following exercise may make you feel tired at first. Do keep at it as you will begin to notice that it takes less effort to breath, less energy is used when breathing plus it helps you learn to co-ordinate the diaphragm and abdominal muscles when breathing. To find out if you are breathing correctly, place a hand on your belly button. This area should expand first when you breathe in and then spread upwards until your chest is expanded (don't lift the shoulders or push the stomach out). If you feel you are not breathing properly, practice the following exercise. Lay flat on your back. Place your hands on your waist, fingers pointing towards your belly button. Focus on filling up your stomach from the bottom to the top taking a slow deep breath. (The aim is not to fill yourself to bursting but to inhale enough air so that you can feel the difference between a shallow breath taken when breathing from the chest). You should feel your stomach rise and your hands being raised gently up and outward until you feel your chest expanding. The expansion is not only at the front of the body but also to the sides and back as well. Breath out slowly to a count of 5. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
The following exercise may make you feel tired at first. Do keep at it as you will begin to notice that it takes less effort to breath, less energy is used when breathing plus it helps you learn to co-ordinate the diaphragm and abdominal muscles when breathing. To find out if you are breathing correctly, place a hand on your belly button. This area should expand first when you breathe in and then spread upwards until your chest is expanded (don't lift the shoulders or push the stomach out). If you feel you are not breathing properly, practice the following exercise. Lay flat on your back. Place your hands on your waist, fingers pointing towards your belly button. Focus on filling up your stomach from the bottom to the top taking a slow deep breath. (The aim is not to fill yourself to bursting but to inhale enough air so that you can feel the difference between a shallow breath taken when breathing from the chest). You should feel your stomach rise and your hands being raised gently up and outward until you feel your chest expanding. The expansion is not only at the front of the body but also to the sides and back as well. Breath out slowly to a count of 5. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
Exercise 1
Stand with your feet apart and bend over so that your hands are almost touching the floor. Make sure that your head and neck are completely relaxed. While in this position, breathe in a little way, allowing your torso to rise with the intake of breath, then exhale and flop back down again. On the third intake of breath, slowly stand up, gradually raising arms above your head, thus lifting your whole rib cage. On the exhale, flop back down. Do this 3-4 times.
Stand with your feet apart and bend over so that your hands are almost touching the floor. Make sure that your head and neck are completely relaxed. While in this position, breathe in a little way, allowing your torso to rise with the intake of breath, then exhale and flop back down again. On the third intake of breath, slowly stand up, gradually raising arms above your head, thus lifting your whole rib cage. On the exhale, flop back down. Do this 3-4 times.
Exercise 2
Stand comfortably upright, with body weight a bit more on one foot than the other. Relax your lower abdominal muscles and breathe in slowly as you raise your arms to the sides at shoulder level; bring them forward, really feeling a stretch. Do this during one complete inhale. As you exhale, reverse the movement, slowly bringing arms back to sides.
Exercise 3 - Pant.
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