Day 88- The W

This exercise is also intended to open the chest, but it concentrates on deeper muscles across the front of the chest.

 

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet planted in the floor.  Your arms are in what is called the “Y” position. In this position your arms are out to the side but slightly above your shoulders as if your spine and your arms are making a “Y” on the ground.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you bend your elbows sliding the elbows along the floor towards the ribs.  This is the “W” position.  Inhale as you straighten your arm and exhale as you bend your elbows again.

 

Things to think about

It is important to keep your forearm parallel to the floor.  The tendency will be to let the elbows drop and your hands to lift.  Be sure to keep the chest open so that the arm is even. 

 

Day 41- Breath for Energy

This exercise is a rib breath with the added awareness of the sympathetic nervous system.  This is the branch of the nervous system that is often dubbed the fight or flight nervous system.  It gives us our “get up and go.”

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.  As you inhale start counting and let the breath expand your ribs.  Count to six and then begin to exhale. Continue counting and then inhale when you have reached a count of seven.  Continue breathing in this way as long as you want. 

Things to think about

This exercise is intended to give you energy.  It helps to have energetic images in your head as you practice this enlivening breath. 

This is a great exercise for that time in the afternoon when it seems like five o’clock will never ever come.

Day 39- Chest Breath with Pelvis on Soft Ball

This exercise places the pelvis in an elevated position and allows for increase length in the entire spine.

To do this exercise you will need a soft ball and a mat.  Start by lying supine with the soft ball under your sacrum, which elevates your pelvis away from the ground.  Your head and shoulders will be on the ground and your knees will be bent with your feet flat on the floor.  Begin the chest breath.  As you inhale allow the breastbone to rise towards your chest and as you exhale let the breastbone release towards your spine.  With each inhale imagine a string lifting your breastbone to the ceiling and with each exhale imagine the breastbone melting into a pool on the ground

Things to think about

As before this exercise is one of the easiest ways to release tension in the neck and shoulders.  Using imagery to increase this release is also helpful.  Imagine your breastbone, melting or softening to increase the mobility in your chest as well as in your thoracic and cervical spine.

Day 38- Rib Breath with Pelvis on Soft Ball

This exercise allows you to do the rib breath with your pelvis lifted away from the ground.  This places the body in a position that can facilitate increased breath capacity around the entire circumference of the ribcage.

To do this exercise you will need a soft ball and a mat.  Start by lying on your back with the soft ball under your sacrum, which elevates your pelvis away from the ground.  Your head and shoulders will be on the ground and your knees will be bent with your feet flat on the floor.  Begin the rib breath.  As you inhale ask the base of your ribcage to expand in all directions, and as you exhale ask your ribs to narrow towards your spine.

Things to think about

Expanding the ribcage in the back on the inhale can lengthen the tissues that are shortened in some standing postures.

Day 33- Chest Breath (Pump Handle

This exercise is a great way to release tension in the neck and between the shoulder blades.  It will aid in upper body tension relief in exercises like the hundred.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying supine (on your back) with your knees bent and your feet planted in the ground.  As you inhale let the breath lift your breastbone towards your chin.  Then as you exhale the breastbone will release towards the spine.  Inhale as the chest lifts exhale as the chest releases to the spine

Things to think about

This breath is often called the pump handle breath.  This is an image that refers to the breastbone.  Imagine that as you inhale the breastbone is the handle on a water pump and you are turning the water on by lifting the breastbone.  As you exhale, you are turning the water off and releasing the breastbone to the spine.

Often when we hold tension in our neck and shoulders our breastbone becomes rigid and doesn’t move.  This breath is a great way to encourage movement in the breastbone while releasing tension in your head neck and shoulders. Letting your self imagine a melting sensation or softening sensation through the front of the body can help find movement and release