rom Fear to Breathing Deeply
From Fear to Breathing Deeply
Fear is excitement without breathing
I don't know where I heard this quote with all the media I've consumed this week, but it makes sense to me. It inspired this week's lesson, a breathing lesson like no other. Feldenkrais master and voice coach Margo Hennenbach taught it in her "Go Sing Yourself" series and it rocked my singing and swimming.
The lesson calls up your imagination to explore ever-expanding arcs of breath. The focus shifts from the right top front of the chest to the entire chest. Moshe Feldenkrais includes some mind games at the end. Movements that were unthinkable before the lesson become very possible by the end. Plus you will be very, very relaxed.
Focus this week: Quadrant Breathing
How you might feel after this lesson: deep, full breath; full volume chest; standing much, much taller; softer low back; relaxed; deep in the zone
Fear is Excitement Without Breath Remedy
Transform a dark mood. This is a breathing trick unlike any you've seen in meditation, pranayama, or martial arts. The directions here are just for the upper right 'quadrant' of the chest. You can continue the practice by sequentially focusing on the other quadrants of the chest until you have one, huge, spacious, air-filled set of lungs.
If you have 15 seconds, try this mini-lesson:
Sit comfortably with your legs level with your hips and your feet firmly placed on the ground. Notice where your breath comes in with the inhale.
Imagine your breath is filling the front right side of your chest - really focus there. Imagine you feel the ribs expanding with the inhale, coming together when the air flows out. Feel the skin stretching with the breath.
Shift your focus to the back right upper chest, from the spine to the shoulder blade. Fill that area with your breath. Imagine the ribs coming apart and together as you breathe.
Now put the front and back together as. you inhale and exhale. Feel the volume of expansion and how it changes on the exhale. Front and back together.
Enjoy!