DAY 8
WARM-UP: BASIC BREATHING
1.
Sit or lie on your back in a relaxed position. Breathe through the nose. Take three deep breaths. Then allow your breathing become even and find its natural rhythm.
2.
Bring one hand to your rib cage and the other on your abdomen. Notice whether it is your abdomen or chest that rises when you breathe in.
3.
Make a conscious shift from chest breathing to abdominal breathing. As you breathe with your diaphragm, your abdomen will rise and your rib cage will remain still. Keep the breathing rhythm relaxed and natural.
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Focus on relaxation. Start by lying on the floor with your knees bent. You can adjust your position to find what feels most comfortable for you. Close your eyes and consciously relax your muscles from your toes to your eyelids during the breathing phase. Try to breathe with your diaphragm.
WARM-UP: STRENGTHENING THE DIAPHRAGM
1.
Gently blow air out of the lungs through your mouth.
2.
Relax your diaphragm. Once the diaphragm is relaxed the lungs are filled with air and the abdomen bulges out.
3.
Blow out the air vigorously, making a swooshing sound in three parts: “S – S – SSS”.
4.Relax the diaphragm and allow the lungs to gently fill with air. Don’t take in more air.
Repeat 10 times and breathe calmly for 20 seconds.
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Do 2 sets with 10 repetitions each.
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Your diaphragm is the second-largest muscle in your body and also your most important breathing muscle. It should be trained just like any other muscle. Have you strengthened or stretched your diaphragm as often as your other muscles?
BREATH-HOLD EXERCISE
1.
Lie on your back. You can keep your legs bent to help keep your abdominal area more relaxed.
2.
Close your eyes and breathe calmly with your diaphragm for 30 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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The longest breath-hold in this exercise is 60 seconds. You can always start breathing earlier and extend your breathing time if needed.
6.
On the final round, wait until the breath-hold clearly feels like you want to breathe. Observe where in your chest you first notice the sensation of breath-holding. Touch this area with your hand and then start breathing.
On the final round, you can check how long you held your breath. Write down your result.
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Keep the exercise light and comfortable.
If you haven’t practiced every day, that’s okay.
If you want to do multiple training days in a row, you can do that too.
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If you find yourself forcing yourself to start the practice, consider whether you are doing the exercises too intensely. Never force yourself to hold your breath.
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Did you feel better before or after the exercise?