Breath

When we move our attention to our breathe, it shifts our attention from what is going on the outside to what is going on inside. It allows us greater awareness of how we are feeling in the moment and which parts of ourselves are engaged with what might be going on in our environment.  It allows greater reflection that can help us better engage with the world around us.

Proper breathing creates awareness of the spaciousness within our bodies. That space is where we can learn to relax, create communication where there might not have been any, increase our body consciousness.  The word inspiration denotes both the physical inhalation of the breathing cycle and the metaphysical taking in of spirit or life force, “in spirit”. The words two meanings are intimately related. 

The Four Phases of the Breath

The breath has four components, inhale, pause, exhale and pause. The inhalation is the expansive phase. It lets us create space in the body deeply stimulating the connective tissue and organs. Exhale is the condensing phase. It condenses the center of the body like a corset providing a sense of support. The pause phases in between are the bridges, the rolling over of one into the other. When we reach the height of one part, it rolls over into its opposite counterpart. The transition is effortless and natural. 

Diaphragms: Relationship to Postural alignment and Function

There are 3 main diaphragms in the body: respiratory diaphragm, pelvic diaphragm, and vocal diaphragm. The respiratory divides the body into upper chest cavity and lower abdominal cavity. The pelvic diaphragm is the pelvic floor which supports the reproductive viscera and bladder. The vocal diaphragm refers to the glottis and voice box. Because of its location, it is associated with the throat chakra and where the body meets the mind. The three diaphragms work together to create an appropriate amount of intra-abdominal pressure that support the organs and stabilize the trunk. The descending/ascending motion of the diaphragm is the “spark” that ignites the inner core unit- pelvic floor, transversus abdominis, multifidus, deep fibers of psoas. (I will go deeper into this in another post.)

Imagery 

Breathing is 3-Dimensional. The vertical ascending / descending pumping motion is combined with an outward expanding and contracting movement of the ribcage. It is similar to a hydraulic system in that it serves and keeps the bodies fluids in motion at all times (blood and lymph). It can be understood as the lubrication our bodies need to maintain their suppleness. When the body is soft and pliable, the breath can travel with greater dispersion and greater fluency. But when the body is tense or stressed, the body becomes more divided and the internal environment changes and can become more toxic.

Breathing can change our physiology. When a person is stressed, and their muscles are tense, it compresses the capillaries. As a result, the quantity of blood that can reach the cells is reduced, less oxygen reaches the cells and less waste gas can pass out of the cells and out of the body.  The waste builds and can create an acidic environment where diseases can grow. This changes our blood level’s pH level and can even affect our blood pressure. Tension also affects us in a structural way because it signals to the brain to “build more” which means the fibroblasts lay more collagen that causes the fascia to thicken and become dense. When the tissue grows rigid under stress it becomes a barrier. Like a wave travels through water it stops when it hits a solid object. 

Self-Inquiry

Luckily, our bodies are constantly remodeling and re-adapting. In my last post, I talked about the importance of unwinding and in a way, learning how to breath properly is part of that process. If you ever watch a baby or a sleeping cat breathe, you have seen a relatively small movement in their rib cage that somehow spreads throughout the rest of their body. It is like liquid motion. Watch yourself and how you breath. Here are some questions for your inquiry:

Where do I breathe?

Where does my breathing originate? 

Are there differences between the inhale, exhale and the pauses in between? Are they equal?

What is the quality? Is it Labored, stuck, smooth or jerky?

What is the depth; shallow or deep?

The simple act of breathing requires no special effort. Breathing is not about doing, it is about being. Breathing is not so much a reflection of the air itself, but rather your relationship with it. Let it be effortless and carefree.

 “Improper breathing is a common cause of ill health.” – Dr. Andrew Weil