BREATH CONTROL , PART TWO

As I explained in the last article that poor shallow breathing or even over breathing can lead to a range of unhealthy conditions. The body will need time to be re educated to breathe fully and freely. There are many ways of encouraging the body to breathe well.

Yogic breath has different forms of breathing which concentrate on either trying to use the full capacity of the lungs on inhalation and focusing on the out breath longer than the in breath (complete breath). Sharply and rapidly contracting the abdominal muscles to expel stale air (cleansing breath) and alternate nostril breathing which helps to control the heating and cooling systems of the body.

The Pilates breath, which I shall be focusing on, involves elements from the yoga breath but involves using the stomach muscles also. Once it is learned it can be practised to encourage full and functional breathing especially during exercising. The breathing is essential to help the body move correctly and safely on the Pilates exercises. The breath pattern flows specifically with each movement of the arms or legs, most exercises requiring a breath in for preparation of the exercise movement and then the out breath is on the moving or effort part of the exercise.

Breathing with the Pilates stomach control and also moving on an exercise initially is a challenging experience. It requires a lot of concentration but after practice and bodily control the basic exercises can be achieved and soon the body becomes at ease with the movements and breath. Pilates also provides deep relaxation as a side effect to the all over body workout.

To be able to perform the Pilates breath, it is important to set the body up in the correct position for setting the deep abdominal muscles, which would be engaged on the Pilates exercises.

This is only an introduction to the Pilates style breathing and it is by no means a substitution for being properly taught and monitored by a qualified Pilates instructor. If you have any injuries or medical conditions, consult a doctor before attempting any Pilates exercises.

Setting the Pilates alignment-Relaxation position ( see this on the relevant webpages)
Lie on your back, feet flat, hip distance apart with your knees bent, ankles, knees, hips are in alignment. The back must be in a neutral position, which maintains the natural curves of the spine. To set this, make sure that you maintain the natural curve in your lower back without the back being pressed to the floor or tilting the pelvis.
The upper body holds posture without tension, allowing the chest to feel opened up and widened. Your chin should be in alignment with your chest, if necessary support your head with a small flat cushion to maintain this alignment.

Place one hand on the ribcage and the other on the belly. (as in picture on the Pilates alignment and breathing ). As you breathe in through the nose, feel your ribcage lifting and widening, as you breathe out, through the mouth, allow the ribcage to soften inwards and start to draw the stomach inwards beneath your other hand. As you continue breathing become aware of the difference between the in breath as the belly relaxes and out the breath as the belly draws in). Practice this a few times to become familiar with the feeling of the breathing movements.

To find out if you are feeling the tension in the stomach enough, on your next out breath draw the stomach in as much as possible and notice the tension created. Relax and then repeat. This tension is too restricting for the muscles there and will need to be brought to about half of the amount of that to start to work the abdominals correctly and effectively.

This will allow you to start the Pilates breathing control and once you have practiced this it will help to get your breathing system working effectively and at the same time strengthening the stomach muscles that support the spine.

Pilates taster exercises

These two exercises are very gentle and use the Pilates breathing and control.

This first exercise gently stretches the neck.
From the relaxation position above, breathe in to prepare and as you breathe out, gently roll the head across to one side, then breathe in and roll the head back to the centre. Repeat this the other side and then continue the whole process two more times.

The second exercise releases the shoulders
Raise your arms are in the air above your shoulders. Breathe in to prepare and imagine strings attached to fingers lifting your shoulders off the mat. As you breathe out, the strings are released so your shoulders fall onto the mat. Your head stays on the mat throughout the exercise. Repeat 4-6 times.