Improve Your Breathingwith theAlexander Technique:A Short Self-Exploration Exercise

Leland Vall

Certified Alexander Technique Instructor New York, NYEvery moment of your life is predicated on your breathing. Easy, confident breathing is a birthright. The Alexander Technique can help you improve every breath you take nomatter your level of health or activity. You can get started right now by reading theinformation below.

Breathing Basics

Most people breathe about 17 times per minute, or almost 25,000 times per day. Inoptimal breathing, the diaphragm performs as the main muscle of respiration. Other muscles of the torso are involved in breathing, but only in a supportive role. Thediaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that makes a floor for the ribcage and closes the bottom of the breath chamber, separating it from the digestive organs below. Duringinspiration it actively flattens, lifting the ribcage up and out while slightly displacing theorgans of the abdomen below, causing it to bulge. This action reduces internal pressure,creating a partial vacuum and causing air to rush into the lungs. During exhalation thediaphragm relaxes upward, re-forming thedome and allowing the ribs to drop downand in and the belly to flatten. While breathing can be either voluntary or involuntary,

the diaphragm itself is aninvoluntary muscle and it cannot bemoved directly

, nor is it usually possibleto determine its position within your body because it lacks the proprioceptive nerveendings required for feeling.

The images above show the diaphragmin the ribcage.

The image on the left is exhalation, the image on the right is inhalation. In the exhalationimage you can see the diaphragm forming a dome as the ribs wrap down and in. In theinhalation image you can see the diaphragm flattening and swinging the ribs up and out.You might be able to feel this action on yourself by putting your hands on the sides of your torso. As you exhale the ribs drop down and in as the diaphragm rises. Duringinhalation the ribs swing up and out as the diaphragm flattens.

Breathing Faults

Inefficiencies can develop in breathing when muscles other than the diaphragm take on alarger role. If the muscles of the ribcage or abdomen are actively engaged, they can beginto supplant the diaphragm, causing the diaphragm to weaken. These muscles are not aswell suited to a larger role in breathing, making each breath less coordinated and lessefficient. Inefficiencies can also develop if the muscles of the ribs or abdomen are fixedor held rigidly which can impede the diaphragm's movement. Audible breathing, thesound of air moving in and out of the body, can be a sign of excess tension in the throator excess effort in your breathing. Optimal breathing is silent.

Looking at Your Own Breathing

One of the most common breathing faults is pushing the breath with muscles of theabdomen during exhalation. You can easily feel for this by putting your hand on your stomach, waiting to take a few normal breaths and then speaking. It is very common for muscles of the abdomen to unnecessarily contract during vocalization and you will probably feel a tightening of the muscles while speaking that is different from a non-vocalized exhale. This is a sign that you are doing some extra work with your abdominalmuscles in order to speak, instead of simply allowing the diaphragm to rise. The less youactively use the muscles of the torso for breathing, the more you will rely on thediaphragm and the stronger it will become. If you are in generally good health, thefollowing investigation might help you to improve your breathing:

Self-Exploration Exercise

You can complete this self-exploration exercise within a few minutes.

•

While you are reading this, sit all the way back in your chair and let your feet reston the floor.

•

Allow your neck to be soft and your breathing to be easy.

•

Point your spine up.

•

Think of your breathing as ocean waves so that breathing is something that ishappening to you as opposed to something that you are doing. Like waves, your breaths may range from large to small and they may come at regular or irregular intervals. Don't be afraid to take a breath if you feel that you need one.

•

Place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest.

•

For each exhale, allow your abdomen to soften and your chest to fall, whilecontinuing to point your spine up.

•

With this same normal breath, allow yourself to use your mouth to silently countto five during your exhale. Allow your jaw to move easily and let the numbers runtogether, almost as if you are singing them. 1-2-3-4-5.

•

Try to focus mainly on your exhale and allow the inhale to silently wash in so thatyou don't have to "take" a breath.