Optimal Breathing for Life & Living: a mind body somatic perspective (part I)
What can help you feel fantastic in your body and mind?
What can help you feel calm and at peace with yourself and the world?
What supports you moving through life with ease?
What is a critical component in optimising your movement and plays a part in reducing your aches, pains or possible disfunction?
The answer to all of these questions are found within you, through the embodiment of breathing.
Stress, our modern world and breathing
We have 20000 opportunities every day to improve our experience of life and living through our breath. So many issues and the root of most illnesses in our modern world are stress based and at the point at which I write this journal, it is noticeable that already many of us are feeling burnt out. We become so busy we feel rushed, stressed out with full minds and exhausted in our bodies. Stress can and does take away our peace of mind and our sleep. It can have a negative impact upon our health and for women entering life changes can add to difficulties regulating hormone production. Our breathing can be a reflection of both our inner thinking and emotion as well as a reflection of our physical wellbeing. But the reverse is also true.
By having a greater focus upon our breathing we are able to slow down often without trying, restore balance or homeostasis in our body. Never perhaps have we needed to optimise our breathing more.
Breathing as a practice that is holistic and for our total wellbeing
Breathing is one of the few processes within our body which involves both the involuntary and voluntary motor systems of our body. When we have voluntary movement in our bodies we are able to help ourselves make healthier choices about not only how we breathe but how we live our lives and that has a fantastic and positive effect on all other systems of our bodies, some of which we feel we have little control over. For those of you who have heard about the vagus nerve or vagal tone, we can improve our vagal tone through breathing, which not only allows us access into deep resting states but has a tremendously positive impact upon our organ systems. Did you know that with every single breath in, there is an embrace of the heart by your lungs, inwardly supporting you, as you. Every in breath a hug and a massage for the heart? One organ that always needs our care and attention, and always in our best interests to breathe as we were designed to breathe!
Our bodies are incredibly responsive once they relearn how they are designed to work! Sometimes in life we can unwittingly get ourselves into holding patterns in our body that are not helpful, so by learning more about ourselves and feeling what works for us we can make huge shifts!
Possible reasons why your breathing feels blocked that you may not be aware of…
Posture - the way you stand and sit has a huge impact on how you breathe - your body has evolved perfectly for breathing optimally, but our lifestyle, injury or the way we hold or carry ourselves can change everything so much.
Mindset - the pattern of thinking in your mind has a huge impact upon your body - which is why somatic work is not just work on the body but work on the mind, body and spirit. All three are connected.
Tension and holding patterns: when we are holding stress or tension in our minds and bodies we feel that compression. We become sluggish, tired, movement feels stiff, disjointed or is technically unsuccessful and very quickly we can enter a state that is not our optimal best. We have to embody relaxation as our modern world can easily make us believe the tension we hold is ‘normal’! Tension can reside inside our mind and body for so many reasons, sometimes for protective reasons! The somatic movement approach is not to investigate why in an academic or mind based way but to sense into and feel what it feels like to live in a relaxed body. Our bodies hold wisdom that very often we have little awareness of!
What is embodied breathing? How do I practice this?
Embodied breath is about you feeling and sensing you, and using your greatest resource which is you! We are composed of anatomical, biomechanical and physiological processes that are in continuous dialogue with our mind - body and body - mind. So embodied breathing is a process and practice of learning about how we work and function. As a somatic practitioner my role is to guide you through the process of how to do that. There are many different points of access and things to try, all of which help you move better in your body, breathe more deeply and clearly and have a calm mind. It is positive and uplifting work and a process that requires some practice. In somatic work we are not asking our minds to empty as that can for many people be a huge challenge and is not our objective, but by focusing on the sensation and feeling in our bodies we can rebalance, discover and be more at peace and calm with ourselves.
Is Somatic Breathwork and breathing in an embodied way the same as breathing in Yoga or Pilates?
No. The Somatic Breathwork that I teach is about understanding your anatomy, being able to visualise it and finally being able to sense and embody what happens when we breathe as we are designed to breathe. As we work not within any movement system but within our natural design we learn by feeling and sensing our breath and how it moves through the body. We learn about what healthy breathing is and how to do it!
You can then apply this to any movement system for yourself or your clients if you wish. That decision is yours to take based on your interests, expertise and knowledge of yourself and for some of you, your clients.
There are so many different ways to access your optimal breath - it is not one size fits all and many different embodiments can be tried ranging from very simple to more complex. By trying things out like you would try clothes on you find what is right for you, and often make discoveries about yourself along the way!
What is the benefit of learning to optimise your breathing by somatically working with your diaphragm, ribs or lungs in breath and movement?
Working on the embodiment of your diaphragm is absolutely key for organ and skeletal health. Because your diaphragm is located between the negative pressure system of the lungs and the abdominal organs there is a movement relationship and balance that needs to be maintained between the two. The diaphragm is a huge muscle in our bodies that is poorly understood in breathing and often forced into holding patterns. Often working with my own clients I find that not only can I establish greater calm and peace and place the nervous system into rest mode allowing me to help my clients move towards becoming their optimal selves, but other issues within the body can diminish, such as lower back discomfort or pain. Holding patterns elsewhere in the body can be the result of poorly misunderstood or learnt behaviour with breathing which can be the result of injury or excess tension. Structurally I can help someone move beyond discomfort or disfunction in other more remote areas such as the pelvic floor, because the two are linked. Once we understand and can feel or embody the freedom in our ribs we can access greater function in our diaphragm by taking a deeper breath and there can be improved function into other areas such as the pelvic floor, the jaw, spine, neck, shoulders, hips, organs the list goes on…
Optimal digestion is linked to calm healthy and efficient breathing, many stress related conditions influence how our stomach can react, our gut and microbiome. It is not just a question of diet, but looking at your issues in a holistic way. Your diaphragm has an important role in how you digest your food - so again perhaps it is important to learn more about optimal breathing!
Healthy and efficient breathing is also a key way and a practice to help us put our body into rest and digest mode, and achieve a deep and comforting, healthy sleep, to help our bodies in all of their systems function with greater ease. And for those of you who are dancers and have tight restrictions in your hips, healthy breathing may also help you achieve that mobility without a single stretch!
Working on the embodiment of your airways, lungs and cells helps you to…
Improve flexibility and mobility of your thorax (ribcage) through very gentle movement. It can help you gain greater extension in your spine without feeling strain, and one area we really do not want to feel strain in is the area around our heart! By embodying various aspects of the structure of breathing or our lungs I can also help you reduce upper body tension, support your shoulders and open up the body from within - key for spinal conditions such as scoliosis which is incredibly sensitive and responsive to breath! And what about reducing pressure on your lower back? Back pain is incredibly complex and many cases come with no known cause, but it is well known that stress can make it so much worse, and time and time again it is my experience that I can really help those with more tricky issues in their spines by helping them understand breathing in an embodied way. Posture becomes easier to work with as we can sweep away holding patterns and become effortless. If you are a creative mover you will find that you have more ideas for your practice in terms of movement pathways as well as quality as you learn how the felt sense of organ movement is very different from moving from your bones or muscles. It unlocks another layer of movement and expressivity within you.
By developing your felt sense in breath, by being in your physical body, you will feel a lot more grounded, even in times of high energy or stress. That’s important if you look after or lead others in any way. For the movers, and dancers it is a wonderful resource to use, to support practice, audition, performance or recovery - and in those situations you need every part of you to be optimal!
In embodying the breath and feeling our own soma - our living body at work, we really do learn and feel directly the connection of mind body. Not just academically, although that is interesting in itself. However, more interesting is the using the applied embodiment of breathing to bring about a direct benefit to our health, our wellbeing and life as a whole.
Working with breath somatically is deeply calming and restorative and can aid unwinding within our whole bodies, releasing different tension patterns, guarding and holding. Our bodies learn to relax and there is an establishment of trust and integration of mind body and body mind.
Our breath, our energy and our movement. Our mind, our body and our spirit. Feel calmer and less stressed out, sleep more soundly, move more fluidly, think more clearly. Make calmer decisions, have increased energy and vitality through accessing your deeper breath. There is a reason why inspiration, is well, an inspiration!
So that’s my thinking writing and practice, but somatics is in the doing not in the mind. So here are a few super simple things to try using the felt sense you already have…
Health disclaimer: If you have current trauma or are in therapy for trauma sometimes deeper breathing can be triggering. So always seek guidance from your therapist or medical practitioner before trying any breathing exercises out.
Three fast simple somatic breathing exercises or practices that require no teaching but are based on simple sensing tasks you can try:
It starts with the breath - seriously! Take a moment for yourself and rather than focus on exhalation focus on inspiration, see if you can sense or feel it travel through your whole body, making space and bringing some energy your body to the end of the day feeling alert and relaxed instead of exhausted. See if you can work on this for a whole minute.
You deserve it!
Placing your hands onto your abdominal wall and not changing anything but feeling your gentle rise and fall in this area of you. This is what we call your body breathing you. Keep your attention there and try not to direct but just listen in and sense that movement and flow. Internally your body is rhythmically massaging your organs, improving their tone, vitality and function. Watch that flow and allow and feel that change in tone. This is your body at work, doing what it was designed to do, supporting you!
Making space in your body and making space with your breath.
And a lot of this can be felt and seen in the rib cage. Not a cage, not something that doesn’t move but something that is elastic and mobile. It has to be, for the state of our breathing, the movement of our lungs, our heart and all of our organs.
So take a moment and place your hands on your sternum and breathe into that area - there is a tiny amount of movement there - it’s subtle but important that it moves. Do you ever think of yourself as flexible in this area?
Notice what that does to your breathing as well as your mind.
There are many more embodiments of your breath, than I have room for here and need a little more explanation. If this is something you are more curious about come and join me in my studio or in person or for one of my special Somatic Breathworks workshops - there are many in which we can experience, and feel our bodies moving in breath!
What they say…
“By the end of her sessions I feel relaxed and delighted by the potential of my body as a place of rejuvenation and power...” Shelly
“Sarah is a wonderful teacher. Endlessly knowledgeable by conveys complex ideas in a straightforward way. My mind is calm and my body can do things I never thought possible” Caroline
“The breath work is immersive and my mind chatter stopped! The session left me relaxed but feeling healthy and energised... I highly recommend Sarah to anyone…” Heather
My latest masterclass Embodied Breathing for Life (Part I) is running on 30th April 2023.
My next Breathwork session using the Franklin Method® can be found here come and join me!
Who am I? I am a Registered Somatic Movement Educator and Somatic Movement Therapist with ISMETA. My principle practice is Franklin Method®. You can find more out about me by using the menu above. I am a trauma informed practitioner which means that I have had training in and am sensitive to trauma related issues. I am also within my practice very boundaried. If you are working through or dealing with current trauma you are advised to seek help from a trauma specialist who is qualified and can help you specifically and safely with your issues. Somatic Movement work is not the environment suitable for those dealing with acute trauma although in the future may be useful once your therapist has agreed it can be supportive to you.
© Sarah Pritchard, 2023, All rights reserved.
Content Disclaimer - With pain, acute injury and any pathology you should always seek professional medical guidance and diagnosis. Somatic work does not replace medical diagnosis or care. Please refer to my Terms of Website use for further information.
DISCLAIMER: as I do not know your individual circumstances, none of my blogs, my videos, my guidance in the Facebook group or any other materials available to you where I have not taken you on as a one to one client shall be construed as advice and I shall have no liability to you in any circumstances should you choose to rely on any of the materials I publish.