Respire Day 2

Outline:

Equipment needed:

Complete 10 repetitions and 1-3 sets of each exercise.

1. Back Breathing

This exercise will help to open up the back body.

– Sit on a yoga block or foam roller (or whatever you have such as a stack of books).
– Bring your chest onto your thighs and wrap your arms around your legs. Tuck your head into your knees.
– Inhale through your nose for a count of 3, feel your back and the sides of your ribs expand.
– Exhale through the mouth for a count of 6.

360° breathing is a method of breathing that ensure optimal use of the diaphragm.

– Lie on your back with bent knees.
– Inhale through the nose. Pay attention to where the air is flowing (into your chest, abdomen, do your shoulders rise, do your back ribs expand).
– Exhale through the mouth.
– On your next inhale focus on bringing the air into your back and into the side of your ribcage. You want the air to fill the lower part of your lungs as well as the upper portion in all directions.
– Pay attention to whether or not you have any areas that feel “stuck” and are not as mobile or feel like it is holding tension.

Learn how to connect with your pelvic floor in isolation.

-Lie on your back in a relaxed position.
-Relax your jaw, neck and shoulders.
-Inhale and on the exhale imagine your pelvic floor lifting up as if it where an elevator.
-Raise it to the 1st floor (level of the pubic bone).
-Raise if to the 2nd floor (level between pubic bone and navel).
-Raise it to the 3rd floor (level of the navel).
-Relax and fully release the pelvic floor before beginning again.

Movement through the ribcage with help optimize core strength.

– Lie on your side place your top hand onto the side of your rib cage.
– Take a deep inhalation through the nose-Exhale through the mouth.
– As you exhale apply pressure with your hand onto your ribcage to assist in forcing a complete exhalation.
– Observe whether or not your feel any restrictions of movement in your ribs. Is the air filling and moving the ribs outwards in all directions?
– Take not- of any areas of tension or decreased mobility.
– Repeat on the other side.

This exercise will help you connect with your deeper abdominal corset, the transverse abdominals.

– Lie on your back with the feet on a wall, so the knees are bent to 90 degrees and the hips are bent to 90 degrees.
– Neck and spine should be “neutral” and comfortable.
– Place one hand on the upper chest and one hand on the lower abdomen.
– Inhale through the nose slowly for a count of 3 or 4.
– Exhale through the mouth slowly but with force for a count of 6 or 8.
– Focus on “360° breathing”, fill your lungs so that the air pushes through your back and the sides of your ribs are expanding with each inhalation.
– You will feel your transverse abdominals engage as you exhale.

This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles along the spine, the deep transvers abdominis and activates the pelvic floor.

– Lie on your back with your arms and your legs straight up towards the ceiling.
– Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle.
– Lower leg toward the floor slowly and with control.
– Return to center and then repeat on the other side.