Breathe: More than Movement

By Frannie McClure for Yoga Medicine.

Over the past few decades, yoga has become a global phenomenon. It seems every single day a new “Hot Yoga” studio opens on the nearest street corner. Yoga has become as common as lifting weights, going for a run, or taking a stroll. Thirty, twenty or even fifteen years ago, the western world was just starting to introduce this practice we know and love to mainstream culture. Of course, yoga had made its entrance to America much earlier on, but its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years.

As a yoga instructor, this thrills me and so many others. And as our beloved practice grows, more and more options become accessible. In any major city today, you can likely find anything from ashtanga, to Bikram to vinyasa- even yoga blends such as yogalaties and so much more.

But why has yoga of all things become such a demand in our modern society? Why are college students, young moms, athletes and even elderly practitioners clamoring to find their perfect studio? Why do we crave the “yogi high” and what is this feeling that we experience after the perfect class? Well, I have a theory- and of course it’s only theory… but I’ll let you be the judge.

We come to breathe.

Whether consciously, or unconsciously, we, the driven, fast-paced, go-getting, money making, ladder climbing society, come to breathe.

Think about it. When we lift, or run or walk or do whatever movement it is you love, when was the last time you were told, for a whole hour, to notice your breath? When was the last time you stopped in the middle of your day just to take a long full inhale and long full exhale?

When we step onto the mat, typically, one of the first things our teacher asks of us is to notice our breath. Maybe they ask us to make it deeper and fuller. In some classes, teachers will even call on every inhale and every exhale per movement. This creates not only a conscious awareness of your breath, but also a slow, deep, full tempo where we can feel and hear the breath moving in and out of our body. We are so aware of this sensation that it becomes our anchor throughout the hour we have in the studio. It is the thread that links each movement to the inhale and exhale and therefore each breath to the mind. Sometimes these even blend together until we are simply “moving on the breath” in a beautiful mingling of it all. When was the last time you were so aware of your body?

The average person takes about 20,000 breaths a day or 12-20 breaths per minute. Have you ever stopped to try and take only 10 breaths per minute? Or five? Have you ever taken a moment in the middle of your day to notice WHERE you feel the inhale and the exhale in your body? The majority of new students I see, whether new to a class or in a one on one setting, tend to default to breathing into their chest. Take a moment and try this right now. Take a big inhale and exhale into your chest. Try this for three to five rounds and just notice what you feel. Now, take an inhale into your rib cage; if it helps, place both hands on the outside of your ribs for some tactile feedback. After three to five breaths, what do you notice? How is the chest breath different from the rib cage breath?

Is it deeper and fuller? Maybe it was hard for you, but maybe your mind feels a little bit more clear. Without getting too much into the anatomy, in a nutshell, chest breathing draws on accessory muscles known as intercostals that create a much more shallow form of your inhale as there is less air in the lungs. When breathing into the rib cage, we use our diaphragm, which allows for a full inhale and exhale.

Not including this little experiment, when was the last time you have stopped to notice your breathing this intently? Was it perhaps your yoga practice?

During a day when I feel overwhelmed, over-stretched and just plain tired, I use a very simple breathwork technique that can be done anywhere- your car, standing in line, waiting at an appointment, etc. Now remember, the key is focusing on breathing into the ribs, so, if need be, place your hands softly on the outside of the ribs so you can feel that full expansion and full softening. Try it with me now!

Draw your awareness to your breath; just take a moment to notice each inhale and exhale. Allow your mind to only focus on this for a few moments as you guide it into your diaphragm. When you feel comfortable, take a big inhale through your nose for a count of one, two, three, four, then hold your breath for one, two, three, four. Now exhale out of your nose, one, two, three, four and hold at the bottom for one, two, three, four. Try this for 5-10 rounds and notice what you feel. If you’d like, extend the counts on the exhale. For example, breathe in for four, hold for four, exhale for five (or 6, 7, 8, etc.) and hold for four. Keep your counts slow and smooth, rather than rushing through them like you’re just trying to check it off your list. What do you feel? What do you notice? Even starting with 2 counts or 3 counts for the breathing can make a big difference. Though it is not an entire yoga class, even this brief respite in the midst of a crazy day can be a turning point.

In a world that is fast paced, go go go and simply put, busy, we NEED to breathe- and yet, so often, for the majority of our day, we don’t. Until we are on the mat. Then, for that quiet hour, it is us, our bodies, our minds and our breath. This is the high we chase. This is why we keep coming back over and over again. Some people may say it’s for a good workout, or it helps them let go, and all of those things are true. But deep down, I believe, we are searching for that moment of pause- a pause that allows us to lean into and notice… something. What other practice gives us this gift?

So we keep coming back.

About the Author

Growing up extremely active, Frannie has been surrounded by different forms of fitness her entire life. Movement became even more of a passion of hers after she was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia years ago. Strength training, yoga and functional work were the only things that allowed her to feel like herself again. She began to develop a deep love, awe, and hunger to learn more about what we call home—the body!

Frannie constantly educates herself about new, safe, and effective ways to help her students. She is a 500 hour Therapeutic Specialist through Yoga Medicine and has completed her personal training certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

It is Frannie’s mission to help others through yoga and personal training to allow them to feel empowered and capable of anything on and off the mat. She hopes one day to change many peoples lives by showing them just how strong they are.

Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_franniiii/ and https://www.instagram.com/flowin_w_franniiii/