BREATH&MOVEMENT
You breathe and move everyday, but,
How aware are you of the relationship between Breath and Movement?
Not only our breath is connected to our movements, it initiates the movement. Think of when you inhale, your belly expands and when you exhale it contracts. The breath is the foundation of movement and it connects your body and mind as well as it gives your movement direction.
Every movement is linked to our inhale and exhale, programming our nervous system to work with our body in a way that both can flow, calm and energize. So when our body and breath work together, movement flows naturally requiring far less effort. Even when we stretch our arms right before getting off bed, this movement started with our breath.
With the breath initiating the movement we create more awareness of it. You won't definitely be able to move without breathing, but incorporate it as much as possible, noticing how it becomes deeper, and how your movement becomes more natural. It can be as simple as inhaling when you stand up from a seated position and exhaling as you sit down; inhaling while you are moving down to squat and exhaling to come back up; inhaling as you move the barbell down during chest press and exhaling as you push the barbell back up.
Do you want to start connecting your breath with movement?
Wherever you are right now, sitting or standing, raise your arms up on the next inhale and lower them back as you exhale. Repeat this as many times as you want during the day and see how your movements evolve when you let the breath take the lead.
References:
https://www.megansetyyoga.co.nz/2019/03/03/connecting-breath-to-movement/
https://www.ashtangadispatch.com/how-to-use-breathing-in-yoga/