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 40- Breath for Rest

This exercise is intended to help you practice using your breath to relax your body.  It is a way to be mindful and to relieve stress

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 ground.  Place your hands on your belly and begin to inhale.  As you inhale count to six, and then begin your exhale, as you exhale count to seven.  Continue this breath pattern as long as you choose.  As you are breathing take your minds eye to parts of your body that might be holding tension.  Gently ask with your breath for these parts of your body to release that tension into the floor.  This is a diaphragmatic breath that goes a little deeper.  

Things to think about

Allowing images to pass through your mind can be helpful in this resting position.  It is also helpful to prop your feet and lower legs on a large exercise ball too.

This breath stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system to allow for rest and relaxation.  It is a great breath exercise to do right before sleeping.

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 37- Belly Breath with Pelvis on Soft Ball

This exercise allows you to continue practicing the belly breath with the pelvis elevated.  This will allow you to concentrate on finding length in the lower back during this breath.

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 diaphragmatic breath, allowing your belly to rise as you inhale and release as you exhale.  As you continue the breath see if you can expand the tissues of your low spine when you inhale, and as you exhale make sure you expel all of the air so that your ribcage can release towards the ground for a gentle stretch.

Things to think about

 The diaphragmatic breath is a great way to release tension in the top of the Psoas muscle, which runs along the front of the low spine.  As you exhale and the diaphragm releases into the ribcage this is a great time to think about reaching your ribcage to the ground to increase the length in your lower spine.

Day 36-Single Lung Breathing Side Lying

This exercise adds the resistance of the floor to the single lung breath exercise of before.  Breathing into resistance whether it is the hands or the floor can increase the depth of the breath once the resistance is released.  It can also assist you in your exhale.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your side with your knees bent.  Begin breathing into your ribs.  As you inhale try to expand your ribs into the floor.  Exhale as your ribs narrow and move away from the floor. Inhale your ribs expand into the floor and exhale as they release. Repeat on the other side.

Things to think about

In between the two different sides of this exercise it will be fun for you to lay on your back and try a few rib breaths to notice the difference from side to side.  Ask yourself if your ribs have more mobility.  Can you take deeper breaths?

Day 35- Single Lung Breathing- Supine

This Exercise is intended to correct imbalances in the breath and musculature of the ribcage and spine. 

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 ground.  Then place one hand on one side of your ribcage.  As you inhale try to spread the ribs underneath your hand without moving the ribs on the other side.  As you exhale feel the ribs move away from your hand.  Repeat 6-8 times on each side.

Things to think about

This is not an exact science.  It is tremendously difficult if not impossible to isolate the breath in just one lung, but the act of trying to isolate the breath can increase the stretch in the musculature of the ribs that are moving.