Contracting the abdomen while breathing out

While you breath out you contract your abdomen. You do this in various positions: in symmetrical and asymmetrical positions, on the back, on the front, on all fours, in side bending, in twists, with various positions for the arms. While breathing out you contract your abdominal muscles, but you also explore how it is to push them out instead. Similarly you contract the chest while breathing out, but also explore how it is to expand it.

There's more than one way to breath. In fact, breathing needs to adapt to what we do: we breath differently when we are at rest, when we do sports, or when we are upside down. In this lesson we will explore several ways to breath, in several different positions. The chest is like a box with six sides that can expand in these directions: up, down, left, right, forwards, backwards. We can produce changes in volume by moving the chest and its ribs, the abdomen, the clavicles with the shoulder blades, or the diaphragm. Even though there are so many possible differences, still, in the final outcome, air enters the lungs when the volume of the lungs increases; and air leaves the lungs as the volume decreases. Effects of this lesson will be an increased awareness of how you breath in different positions, and an increased awareness for the midline of your body.

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1

Supine, lie on your back, stand both feet.

Supine, contract abdomen while exhaling

Feel the area of your belly below your ribs cave in.

  • Exhale until you can't expel any more air.

    The abdomen is the space between the chest and the pelvis. The diaphragm forms the upper surface, and it ends at the bones that form the pelvis.

Supine, contract abdomen while exhaling

Feel the area of your belly below your ribs cave in.

2

Prone, lie on your front side, rest your forehead on your hands.

Prone, contract abdomen while exhaling

Pull your abdomen in to let air leave your lungs.

  • Observe your clavicles, ribs, sternum, shoulder blades, stomach, diaphragm, the muscles of your chest, …

    Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais painted a beautiful picture: „In any situation your breathing shouldn't interfere with the movement of your heart. Instead a rhythmic relationship develops between the two that permits your heart to expand without finding a chest that contradicts it.”

Prone, contract abdomen while exhaling

Pull your abdomen in to let air leave your lungs.

3

On your front side, let your forehead rest on your hands.

Continuation

Notice on which side you lean more

Observe while exhaling.

  • At the moment when your abdomen is lifting from the floor and you start to lean more on your small ribs, sense on which side you lean more. Is it your right side or your left?

Continuation

Notice on which side you lean more

Observe while exhaling.

4

On your front side, lean a bit more on your right side of your chest than on your left.

Lean more on your right side, observe

Contract your abdomen while exhaling.

  • It isn't necessary to exhale powerfully.

    When you lean a bit more on your right side, then you can feel that you can contract your longer left side of your abdomen a bit more than your right side.

Lean more on your right side, observe

Contract your abdomen while exhaling.

5

On your front side, lean a bit more on your left side of your chest than on your right.

Lean more on your left side, observe

Contract your abdomen while exhaling.

  • Breath a few times in this position.

Lean more on your left side, observe

Contract your abdomen while exhaling.

6

On your front side, in the exact middle, let your forehead rest on your hands.

Reference movement

Breath a few times in the middle position

Did you improve your feeling for where the middle is?

  • Pay attention to what you feel in your back. Which part of your back expands to allow your abdomen to contract? You will discover that the 11th and 12th ribs, the small floating ribs in your back, are more noticeable.

Reference movement

Breath a few times in the middle position

Did you improve your feeling for where the middle is?

7

Lie on your back, stand both feet.

Lift your head a little bit

Lift it in a way so that the muscles of your abdomen engage.

  • You may want to use your hands to help feel your abdominal muscles contract and release.

Lift your head a little bit

Lift it in a way so that the muscles of your abdomen engage.

8

On the back, feet standing, both hands interlaced, head resting in hands.

Continuation

Pull abdomen in, observe lifting of head

Differentiate between the muscles for lifting and breathing.

  • Help with both arms to lift your head, exhale while pulling your abdomen in.

    Discern between those abdominal muscles that are necessary for lifting your head, and those that can soften.

    You will find that you cannot hollow your abdomen and at the same time lift your head to its maximal height. Your head will lower when you pull your abdomen in (hollowing).

Continuation

Pull abdomen in, observe lifting of head

Differentiate between the muscles for lifting and breathing.

9

Stand on your knees, lean on your hands and on the top of your head. Elbows point towards the ceiling.

Contract your abdomen while exhaling

What is longer: your breathing in or breathing out?

  • Use your hands and arms to protect your head from too much pressure.

    Allow your head to roll a bit forwards while you exhale and pull your abdomen in.

    Focus on your breathing. For some people breathing out tends to be easier and longer while standing, and the opposite during an upside-down position.

Contract your abdomen while exhaling

What is longer: your breathing in or breathing out?

10

Supine, on your back

Rest, observe

Compare the length of your inhalation and exhalation.

  • What is different than before?

    How has your perception of your midline changed?

    Is it easier to inhale or exhale?

Rest, observe

Compare the length of your inhalation and exhalation.

11

On your back, arms extended resting above your head.

Contract your abdomen while exhaling

Observe how it is in this position.

  • Exhale, wait a moment, push more air out as you contract your abdomen even more. Let your abdomen sink under your small ribs.

    Where do you feel a pull?

    You should feel a pull near your pubic area, and up your chest even into your arms. Observe if your arms are lying symmetrically. Maybe one side of your chest is more contracted during breathing than the other.

Contract your abdomen while exhaling

Observe how it is in this position.

12

Remain on your back with your arms extended resting above your head, stand both feet, lift your pelvis up high.

Continuation

Exhale and push your abdomen in or out

Observe the effect on your arms.

  • Is it easier to push the abdomen in or out while exhaling in this position? Try both ways.

    Observe any extra effort or changes around your clavicles and upper chest, and whether or not your breathing became easier.

Continuation

Exhale and push your abdomen in or out

Observe the effect on your arms.

13

On your back with your arms extended resting above your head. Extend your right leg, stand your left foot, lift the left side of your pelvis.

Exhale and contract your abdomen

Observe the differences in breathing on your left and right side.

  • Pay special attention to contracting your abdomen, and feel which part of your chest works differently from before.

    Where is more space for breathing, and where is less?

Exhale and contract your abdomen

Observe the differences in breathing on your left and right side.

14

On your back with your arms extended resting above your head. Extend your left leg, stand your right foot, lift the right side of your pelvis.

Exhale and contract your abdomen

Switch sides, observe the differences and possibilities to the position before.

  • Then take a rest, notice if there are areas of your chest that are softer and feel flatter on the floor than usual.

Exhale and contract your abdomen

Switch sides, observe the differences and possibilities to the position before.

15

Stand on all fours: your hands and knees. Keep your elbows straight.

Lower your head, breath out, pull your abdomen in

Let your back round up.

  • Which part of your back lifts highest, while your head lowers?

Lower your head, breath out, pull your abdomen in

Let your back round up.

16

Stand your right foot and left knee, left elbow including your left forearm, and your right hand.

Breath out, pull your abdomen in

Where in your chest is more pulling and stretching?

  • Let your head sink while you breath out.

    Stand clearly in this position. Your left side is shorter than your right side.

Breath out, pull your abdomen in

Where in your chest is more pulling and stretching?

17

Stand your left foot and right knee, right elbow including your right forearm, and your left hand.

Breath out, pull your abdomen in

Is it different than before? Where?

  • Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais said: „You will see that this second side seems so different that you may think you had a different body.”.

Breath out, pull your abdomen in

Is it different than before? Where?

18

On your back, legs and arms extended.

Exhale, pull your abdomen in, and expand your chest

Even though you're breathing out, your expanding your chest.

  • To expand the chest while exhaling, it is necessary to lift the diaphragm to decrease the volume of the lungs.

    We can make whatever movements we want with our chests or abdomen. At the bottom line air needs to come in when we breath in, and air needs to go out when we breath out.

Exhale, pull your abdomen in, and expand your chest

Even though you're breathing out, your expanding your chest.

19

Stand on your knees, hands, and head. Have your elbows point towards the ceiling and the top of your head rest on the floor.

Exhale and pull your abdomen in

Let your back lift and your head roll.

  • While rolling you need to lengthen the back of your neck.

Exhale and pull your abdomen in

Let your back lift and your head roll.

20

Stand on your knees, hands, and head.

Continuation

Lengthen your neck

Exhale + pull your abdomen in + roll your head + lift your knees.

  • Lift your knees, let your neck become long. Let your chin come closer to your chest. Lengthening your neck might affect your breathing more than anything else.

    Keep your legs spread, don't straighten them completely.

    Protect your neck by leaning on your hands, next to your head.

Continuation

Lengthen your neck

Exhale + pull your abdomen in + roll your head + lift your knees.

21

Stand on your knees, hands, and head.

Continuation

Roll even further

Carefully lengthen your neck even further.

  • Lean more on your hands to protect your neck. Move carefully.

    When you lengthen your neck more, your shoulders might come to lie on the floor. It is not the main intention of this lesson but might happen.

    Doing this slowly and gradually might produce exceptional improvement in your breathing.

Continuation

Roll even further

Carefully lengthen your neck even further.

22

On your back, arms and legs elongated, resting.

Take a rest, observe

Notice the ease of your breathing now.

  • To quote Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais: „All those parts connected to your breathing now work with such comfort that it is like your heart. You don't feel the beating of a normal heart unless you intentionally listen for it. You must stop and listen when your breathing is well organized. Anyone can feel when their heart beats too much or their back hurts, but only a quiet brain can feel this sensation.”

Take a rest, observe

Notice the ease of your breathing now.

23

Stand up, spread your legs, lean with your hands on your knees, lower your pelvis as if you were about to sit in a chair, keep your knees above your feet (not in front of your toes), keep your arms straight.

Contract your abdomen powerfully

Then hold your breath briefly and contract your abdomen even more.

  • Exhale and pull your abdomen in. Hold your breath at the end of the exhalation. After a few seconds of air moving neither in nor out contract your abdomen in even more. Pull it in without expelling any more air.

    Then stop contracting your abdomen and inhale. Repeat about ten times.

Contract your abdomen powerfully

Then hold your breath briefly and contract your abdomen even more.

24

In standing.

Stand simply, observe

Observe what this lesson did to you.

  • Observe what you feel in your shoulders, chest, and pelvis. How is it different? Is it better or worse than usual?

Stand simply, observe

Observe what this lesson did to you.