Our breathing reflects every emotional or physical effort and every disturbance.” – Moshe Feldenkrais.
Moshe Feldenkrais wrote extensively about the importance of breath and breathing, emphasizing the importance of awareness and self- discovery in breathing, rather than adhering to one “right” way to breathe.
In the fitness world, the common practice is to exhale during the phase when muscle tension increases to counteract resistance, known as the concentric contraction. Conversely, you are instructed to inhale when the muscle is lengthening or not opposing the action, referred to as the eccentric contraction. For instance, during a shoulder press, you would exhale while pressing the weights overhead and inhale as you lower them. In cardiovascular exercises, it is recommended to breathe in and out through the nose, or through the mouth when the intensity rises.
In Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® lessons, Dr Feldenkrais highlighted the significance of mindful breathing and its influence on movement. It is generally well understood that moving or performing actions is more challenging when holding our breath or breathing shallowly. To better understand the impact of breathing, students are encouraged to observe their breathing patterns and their source. For example, when lifting a leg, to pay attention to whether they are initiating the movement from the chest and to explore ways to relax the chest muscles, allowing the rib cage to expand and contract freely.
Breathing through an awareness lens leads to soft and light breathing during all phases of a movement. In general, we speak of “taking a breath”, “breathe through it”, to help us move through challenges, connect with emotions or pain, and clear the mind.
As the new “school” year is set to begin I invite you to join us at group classes or to try a private session to explore, among other things, how to breathe with ease to help enhance all the actions you do during the day.
