Wellness Tips
Your guide for achieving optimal health ... |
Breathe
One of the most amazing things we do all the time is breathe. From the
first breath we take as a baby through to the last breath we take when we die,
the cycle of breath continues whether or not we notice. Our breath is
essential to our survival - we can only last about 4 to 6 minutes without it.
Free breathing massages all our organs including the heart,
decompresses our spine, oxygenates each and every cell in our body, and relaxes
the mind. Take a moment or two to notice how you breathe.
Place one hand on your chest, and the other on the side of your lower
ribcage. Do not take in more air than you normally would do, but
rather, quietly observe your breath and notice which hand is doing most of the
moving. Is it the rib hand? Good. Notice how your belly is
expanding with each breath too. Place both your hands on your lower
ribcage now. Relax your abdomen, and as you inhale a normal amount
of air, feel your ribcage expand all around. Allow the air to come out all by
itself. Notice how your spine moves. If you are lying on
your back or stomach, notice how your pelvis moves. Are your legs moving
too? Your breath is breathing you and in so doing, is moving you.
Farhi, Donna; The Breathing Book Henry Holt and Company Inc., New York, 1996.
Lee, Diane; Post Partum Health for Moms; An Instructional and Exercise Class for Restoring the Core Video; Diane G Lee Physiotherapy Corp.; Surrey BC, Canada.
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