Sometimes the most beneficial thing I can teach my students is simply how to breath properly. You would think that breathing would be kind of an instinctual thing…you either do it or you die, right? It is the first thing we do as we come into the world, and the last action we take as we leave it. However, poor breathing patterns are often the foundation of dis-ease in a body (and mind).
As discussed in the book Free Your Breath, Free Your Life by Dennis Lewis, “All the joints, organs, nerves, and tissues of the body are interconnected by fascia, which is a form of connective tissue. This fascia acts like strings or cables, which can transmit mechanical tension from one part of the body to any other part. When we inhale, the lungs expand, the diaphragm drops, and all the internal organs must move. The fascia throughout the body also moves a small amount with each breath. These movements of the organs and fascia have been shown to affect, among other things, the exchange of blood to the organs. The movements can become compromised through disease, poor postures, lack of exercise, trauma (even minor), metabolic imbalances, and emotional or physical tension. What this means from a practical standpoint is that if the attachments of the internal organs to one another and to the other surrounding tissues are overly tight, the amount of blood and other fluids going into and out of the internal organs will be reduced. This can undermine the functioning of the organs and thus affect our health.”
Today I gave the second lesson to a new student who had been referred to me by one of my long-term clients. Susan had taken Pilates for about a year from a nearby studio, but wasn’t seeing any relief for her neck/shoulder/upper back pain, or for her headaches, and had been assured by her friend that I would “fix” her. She was unconvinced, however, and told me that she didn’t think any exercise program was going to help her. I love a challenge.
The first lesson I just wanted to see her move, and to determine what her Pilates foundation was. I quickly saw that she wasn’t connected to her Powerhouse at all, lifted her head improperly, rolled her shoulders forward, and generally was a very nervous, jittery mover. After leading her through the introductory mat exercises with many building blocks, I brought her to the reformer. She became fatigued after each separate footwork exercise, and I had to allow her to rest. By the end of the beginner Armwork Series, she had hit the wall. She admitted to me that she had never worked so hard (!!!) in any Pilates lesson.
What I had suspected during the matwork and which became very apparent during Reformer footwork was that she had very little control or even awareness of her breath. With each inhale she inflated the belly, and with the exhale pressed even stronger out into the abs. There was no movement into the ribcage at all, and with each breath I could see more and more tension building in her shoulders and neck. I call this kind of breathing “packing”…the student keeps inhaling and “packing the breath in”, with only a small amount of exhalation with little movement of the diaphragm up and into the ribcage to press the air back out. This results in very little movement of the ribcage contributing to tightness in the upper back and neck and increased carbon dioxide levels in the lungs. It was no wonder that she was exhausted…she wasn’t getting enough oxygen!
This second lesson I knew I had to go all the way back to basics and help her to create an awareness of her breath and to begin to learn how to control it better. We started with an exercise that I call the “Four Dimensional Breath”. (The directions are below.) After completing this exercise, Susan was astounded at how much better she felt already. (The headache she came in with was gone.) We then worked on fundamentals (including Breathing, which she could now connect to much easier) and the introductory mat series again, and she followed my directions much better, with much smoother motions. Footwork on the reformer was much better controlled, and she connected with the breath during the movement much better than she had previously. Her stamina was much improved, and she ended the session with the increased energy that is the hallmark of a good Pilates session. Susan was ecstatic at the end of her session, and was convinced that she had found what she had been looking for. I had gained a new client, who thought I was better than sliced bread…just because I taught her how to breathe. Now I’ve got to connect that Powerhouse…a work in progress!
Directions for Four Dimensional Breath
Position #1: 1) In a seated position, place your hands on the lower part of the ribs in front and back. 2) Ask the client to inhale and move your hands apart with the breath. 3) Pause, then while exhaling ask the client to pull your hands closer together. Movement should be felt both in the front hand and the back hand. Coach the client to focus on the area that has less movement. This expansion/contraction facilitates anterior/posterior movement of the ribcage and musculature.
Position #2: 1) Place your hands on the side ribs, right and left. 2) Ask the client again to inhale and move your hands apart with the breath. 3) Pause, then while exhaling, ask the client to pull your hands closer together. Movement should be felt evenly in the right and left side. Coach the client to focus on the area that has less movement. This expansion/contraction facilitates lateral movement of the ribcage and musculature.
Position #3: 1) Place one hand on the posterior lower ribs and the other on the sternum. 2) Ask the client to inhale and move your hands apart with the breath. 3) Pause, then while exhaling ask the client to pull your hands closer together. Movement should be felt in both hands. Coach the client to focus on the area that has less movement. This expansion/contraction facilitates the awareness of the diagonal/cylindrical nature of the lungs and helps to increase awareness of full and complete exhalation from both the lower and upper lobes of the lungs.
Position #4: 1) Place one hand on the anterior lower ribs and the other on the upper back just above the shoulder blades. 2) Ask the client to inhale and move your hands apart with the breath. 3) Pause, then while exhaling ask the client to pull your hands closer together. Movement should be felt in both hands. Coach the client to focus on the area that has less movement. This expansion/contraction facilitates the awareness of the diagonal/cylindrical nature of the lungs and helps to increase awareness of full and complete exhalation from both the lower and upper lobes of the lungs.
All breaths should be slow and controlled, not gasping or forceful. Only 3-4 breaths need to be performed in each position, as awareness will quickly be built.