Breath And Exercise: The Motivation You’ve Been Looking For
So try this: Sit in a comfortable position with your hands on your knees. Relax your shoulders. On your next exhale, breathe out slowly through your nose counting to five Tense your belly, drawing in your diaphragm to help your lungs deflate. At the bottom of your breath, pause for two count then inhale slowly to the count of five. Expand your belly as you breathe in. Now close your eyes and repeat 5-10 times. Think of your diaphragm as a pump and your breath is the power.
If you find that your mind wanders during this exercise, don’t worry. Just try to refocus on counting. Some of my patients finds it helps to think of a happy color (like yellow) when they breathe in and a droopy color as they breathe out (like grey). As you grow more aware of your breath, you’ll find that it becomes easier to breathe deeply without so much attention.
The Bellows breath or Fire breath:
This is an exercise that stimulates energy when you need it, toning the abdomen and massaging the internal organs and lymph system. It is not deep breathing, but it helps exercise the lungs, neck, chest and abdomen so that deeper breathing comes more naturally.
Again, sit in a comfortable position. With your mouth closed breath in and out of your nose as fast as possible. Think of pumping up a balloon or water toy. Try to breath in and out as equally as possible, Continue for 10-15 seconds, no more at first. As you become more used to this technique you can increase the exercise for one full minute.
Three-part breathing:
This technique is very useful during times of stress. It is extremely relaxing and can be done before bed to help with sleep issues.
Again, sit comfortably and close your eyes. With your mouth closed, exhale deeply through your nose. Imagine that you are pouring the breath out of a jug, starting at the top of your chest and moving down through your mid-torso and into your diaphragm. Pause for two counts at the bottom of the breath and then inhale through your nose. Refill the jug slowly, counting to five (or seven if you can make it). Start at the bottom, expanding your diaphragm and belly, and then expand your mid-torso and then the top of your chest and lungs. Pause for two counts and exhale as before. Repeat 5-10 times.
There are many other ways to begin practicing healthy deep breathing. The best way to find out more is to ask your healthcare practitioner. You can also log onto www.authentic-breathing.com for additional exercises and information. Your local yoga studio or health club may be able to suggest some classes in breathing awareness techniques. There are many good books on the subject, including Dennis Lewis’ s The Tao of Natural Breathing and Conscious Breathing by Gay Hendricks.
Breathwalk and other mindful exercises
Many of my patients have had great success using breath to heal their health concerns with a program called Breathwalk (www.breathwalk.com) This is a comprehensive healthcare technique that combines rhythmic breathing with customized walking routines. There are classes and special events that take place around the country. A Breathwalk plan can be tailored to meet your specific needs by matching your specific health concern with their proven breath-walk combinations.
Breathwalk combines the everyday act of breathing with another activity the body was designed to do: walk. Even if you don’t feel up to a daily slog to the gym or yoga studio, the benefits of deep breathing are multiplied when combined with any kind of physical exercise. Start slowly with a walk to the mailbox or park your car a little farther away from the store than usual. Focus more on your breath, adding a little more aerobic activity each day. If you feel tired or winded, rest a minute and breathe deeply. Then try a little more.