DAY 23
WARM-UP: DIAPHRAGM STRETCH 2
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1.
Stand with your legs apart. Bring your hands on your thighs, above the knees.
2.
Gently blow air out of the lungs and lean forward against straightened arms. Don't empty your lungs too intensely or excessively. The more empty your lungs are the more powerful the stretch will be.
3.
Relax your abdomen and lift your diaphragm up. Your upper abdomen is, in a way, sucked up in your rib cage. If you can’t feel the stretch you can assist by pulling the navel backward and upward, toward the spine.
4.
Slowly recline your upper body from the hips by bending your arms. Keep your back straight.
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5.
Push your lower ribs out to each side. The rib cage broadens. Relax your abdominal muscles. Let your diaphragm stretch.
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6.
Straighten your arms and push your abdomen outward. Return to the upright position. Breathe in.
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If you don’t recognize your diaphragm stretching, try lifting it repeatedly and gently rotating your torso.
WARM-UP: BREATH-HOLD EXERCISE
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1.
Lie on your back or sit in a relaxed position.
2.
Close your eyes and breathe calmly with your diaphragm for 60 seconds. When you hear the signal, fill your lungs.
3.
Follow the breath-hold and breathing intervals according to the video instructions.
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While holding your breath, observe your shoulders and neck area. Are your muscles tense?
6.
On the final round, hold your breath a little longer. When you feel the urge to stop, lift your diaphragm twice and wait for a moment.
Remember, if the breath-hold feels too long, you can breathe as soon as you feel the need.
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BREATH-HOLD WALKING WITH A SINGLE BREATH
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Modify your daily breath-hold walk to fit your routine. Remember, the walk doesn’t need to be long. Today, try walking on a single breath.
1.
Relax, breathe with your diaphragm, and let your breath flow naturally at a comfortable pace.
2.
Fill your lungs and walk five step pairs while holding your breath.
3.
Stop, empty your lungs, and immediately refill them slowly.
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4.
Repeat as many times as you can. The number of repetitions will increase as your body adapts to higher carbon dioxide levels.
5.
When you no longer want to continue, walk for a few minutes while breathing normally.
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You can adjust your breath-hold walks by increasing or decreasing the duration. If you don’t feel like repeating the exercise, your carbon dioxide levels may have risen too high. Try to find a routine that is neither too easy nor too demanding.
If you haven’t remembered to practice daily, place your 365-day calendar somewhere visible or in a spot where you’ll notice it each day.