PREPARE TO BREATHE

Here’s how to prepare you mind and body to get the most from your practise.

STATE YOUR INTENTIONS

in breath work, we aim to move beyond mere survival breath to a breathing pattern that is accompanied by awareness. Breathing consciously means observing and sometimes changing our breath pattern with a particular intention - for example, ‘I am going to breathe for more energy’, or ‘this session is all about all about letting go.’

THINK ABOUT POSTURE

Your breath exercises will be most effective when your body is comfortable and your respiratory system is open, with your spine straight but relaxed. If a suggestion positon isn’t right for you, just until you feel comfortable.

A relaxed body breathes more fully and realigns more easily that a tense one.

Effective Postures

• sitting in a chair - keep your spine straight and your feet flat on the ground

• kneeling or cross-legged - ensure your body is relaxed, with no pressure on the legs

• standing - take care not to get too dizzy with dynamic exercises

• walking - it can be helpful to synchronise the rhythm of your steps and breathes

• prayer position - many exercises with the hands in the ‘prayer’ position of the heart. This is not a religious gesture but a simple act of completion and balancing the left and right.

• chin tucked down - this is a slight downwards tilt which open the back of the neck, enabling better connection between brain and body.

CHOOSE NOSE OR MOUTH

There is a breath for all occasions. Experiment with both nose and mouth breathing to open up the fullest range of experiences and feelings in the body. Generally, breathing through the nose, is calming and balancing, whereas mouth breathing is energising and promotes emotional release.