If you’re clenching up in the belly and not getting a lot of breath support, you might be overactive in the upper abdominals. Today’s book breathing exercise will help you keep your breath down low!
This is an OLD SCHOOL exercise – I learned it as a teenager, and haven’t taught it in years because I thought it created some confusion about whether the belly should move out or in (and if you want to know more about that, be sure to check out last week’s video on Grunts and Sighs).
But I think it’s brilliant for re-organizing the work in the abdomen. If you’re working like a dog to get your belly moving and still running out of breath frequently, I bet you’re overworking in the upper abdominals. Lie down and let’s figure it out!
How to do Book Breathing:
- Lie down on a flat surface and put a heavy, large book on your belly, with the top edge of the book at the level of your navel.
- Breathe naturally, as if you were sleeping, and feel the natural rise and fall of the book.
- Begin to deepen the breath, lifting the book as you inhale and allowing it to fall as you exhale.
- Add a sighing “oh” on the pitches Do-re-mi-re-do.
- Try to control the fall of the book, slowing its drop with the muscles it’s resting on, and then popping it back up when you inhale again.
When you stand, try to feel not only the feeling of raising the book and slowing its fall, but also the sensation of the head resting back onto the floor (upper abdominal contraction almost always pulls the posture into a crunched position).
Check out the Grunts and Sighs Video, and thanks for practicing!
