Rib Cage + Belly Breathing
KEY POINTS
Lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet on the floor and your mid-back (the area just above and below your bra-line) anchored onto the floor. Relax your butt and belly button. You should NOT grip with your hips or abdomen. You should NOT flatten your lower back against the floor. You should feel your mid-back against the floor. If you need to place a pillow under your head for comfort, please do. Can you keep your bra-line area rooted to the floor throughout the entire exercise?
Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your lower ribs. As you inhale, feel how your belly and lower ribs expand into your hands.
As you exhale, feel how your ribs retract away from your hand. Can you get all the air out of your lungs? Can you feel how your rib cage moves into your body and into the floor as you exhale? Can you emphasize and exaggerate this movement?
Breathe mostly in and out through your nose as you do this exercise.
You can do this exercise with large breaths or with more gentle breaths. Either way, the same pattern remains.
Repeat for 1 - 5 minutes.