On this morning's BreathPlay walk, I noticed immediately how much lighter my body felt. The increase in raw foods in my diet is definitely working synergistically with BreathPlay to "clear the channels" so-to-speak. I'm feeling both lighter & looser.
Today I focused on giving my energy out with more strength & focus on the out-breath.
And then on the last leg of the walk, with my spine feeling longer, I started rolling through my feet all the way onto my toes with every step, so that my gait is shorter, with my arms swinging straight at my sides, making it look a bit like a Nazi march. I did this to feel the length of my body all the way from my toes, up thru my pelvis, up my spine and out my head. And with a strongly narrowed bottom, a tightly narrowed waist, and my ears stretched upward, it gave me the image of my body being an " I " on every out-breath.
I also really enjoyed the sensation of balance on toes with every step. I look forward to playing more with this technique.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Morning Power Walks With BreathPlay
I started a new morning routine this week, hitting the pavement at 5:30 for a 40-minute power-walk using Ian Jackson's BreathPlay Acousti-Coaching on my iPod. I use the 5-2 rhythm in the Serenity "Brisk Walk" track.
It's fascinating how such a simple thing is so profound, and never the same experience. By the time I arrive home, I've not only enlivened my body with my breath & elevated heartbeat, but I've had a whole inner journey that sets the tone for the rest of the day. I just love starting my day this way.
The Brisk Walk starts out without music, just with the rhythm and with Ian's hypnotic voice directing my awareness to my steps, to pushing my breath out and make the out-breath strong. The first thing I find myself doing is to find my center as a balance point, with my steps equalizing around it. I've been adding an audible "Right-Left-Right-Left-Right"...."Left-Right-Left-Right-Left" as I step, feeling my balance as I start the steps from each side.
It's remarkable how such a thing like simple walking can reveal imbalance. I can feel how my gait becomes a bit *squidgy* here and there around my center, rather than razor straight, and so I imagine that razor and perfect harmony rather than the distortions that pop up.
By the time the music starts, my spine is feeling lengthened, my center much stronger...and then Ian's voice shifts a bit, directing my awareness to making my drawing my naval to my spine.
As the track continues, the directions progress...to tucking the pelvis up a bit on the out-breath and "make your buttocks small", to pulling the navel up-and-back or up-and-down or just straight back, as well as narrowing the ribs, stretching the spine tall, stretching the ears high and bringing the shoulders down. It really becomes fun to play with these pieces. And still, it's just hardly scratching the surface of what "playing" with BreathPlay can be.
Sometimes on the out-breath I envision my body filling with light on the out-breath. Sometimes I bring my awareness to how much I'm giving my own creative energy out into the world with every out-breath. Sometimes on the out-breath I send out my intentions to my day & envision what I want it to be like, perhaps focusing on something specific. Sometimes I enliven my own intentions & things I'm endeavoring to manifest in my life with the energy I expend on my out-breath. It's a rich & creative process...and the time just *flies* by.
It's just great to be doing this again on a daily basis. I really missed it, and it's powerful business. I'm sure it's going to start domino-effecting into other areas of my life. That's what happened when I first discovered it back in June 2008. A lot of change began to occur from that point.
And on the level of the body, just three days and I can already feel my spine more enlivened. It's so worth mustering myself up for...
It's fascinating how such a simple thing is so profound, and never the same experience. By the time I arrive home, I've not only enlivened my body with my breath & elevated heartbeat, but I've had a whole inner journey that sets the tone for the rest of the day. I just love starting my day this way.
The Brisk Walk starts out without music, just with the rhythm and with Ian's hypnotic voice directing my awareness to my steps, to pushing my breath out and make the out-breath strong. The first thing I find myself doing is to find my center as a balance point, with my steps equalizing around it. I've been adding an audible "Right-Left-Right-Left-Right"...."Left-Right-Left-Right-Left" as I step, feeling my balance as I start the steps from each side.
It's remarkable how such a thing like simple walking can reveal imbalance. I can feel how my gait becomes a bit *squidgy* here and there around my center, rather than razor straight, and so I imagine that razor and perfect harmony rather than the distortions that pop up.
By the time the music starts, my spine is feeling lengthened, my center much stronger...and then Ian's voice shifts a bit, directing my awareness to making my drawing my naval to my spine.
As the track continues, the directions progress...to tucking the pelvis up a bit on the out-breath and "make your buttocks small", to pulling the navel up-and-back or up-and-down or just straight back, as well as narrowing the ribs, stretching the spine tall, stretching the ears high and bringing the shoulders down. It really becomes fun to play with these pieces. And still, it's just hardly scratching the surface of what "playing" with BreathPlay can be.
Sometimes on the out-breath I envision my body filling with light on the out-breath. Sometimes I bring my awareness to how much I'm giving my own creative energy out into the world with every out-breath. Sometimes on the out-breath I send out my intentions to my day & envision what I want it to be like, perhaps focusing on something specific. Sometimes I enliven my own intentions & things I'm endeavoring to manifest in my life with the energy I expend on my out-breath. It's a rich & creative process...and the time just *flies* by.
It's just great to be doing this again on a daily basis. I really missed it, and it's powerful business. I'm sure it's going to start domino-effecting into other areas of my life. That's what happened when I first discovered it back in June 2008. A lot of change began to occur from that point.
And on the level of the body, just three days and I can already feel my spine more enlivened. It's so worth mustering myself up for...
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Acousti-Coaching
Acousti-Coaching
When I first got my Acousti-Coaching CDs, I used them regularly on the Lifecycle at the gym. But then my work situation changed, taking me geographically away from my gym, and I stopped using the CDs. I noticed a feeling of back-tracking, both in how activated my center felt as well as in my stamina in the dance studio. But this past week I started working with the CDs again every day, and for the first time have taken them to the street (as I no longer have that gym membership).
I am amazed at how quickly I’m feeling things come back…my center feels stronger, my spine more activated. And of course, the fabulous endorphin high that lasts the rest of the day… I’ve been using the 5-2 “Serendipity” CD every day. Then today, I did around 4.5 miles (first on some back country roads, and then on a sunny wooded bike trail), starting with the 5-2 rhythm and then switching over to a run/jog using the 6-3 "Zooming" CD.
I love the intense hypnotic quality of the 5-2 Serendipity CD. I just kept focusing on going deeper, expressing my breath as fully as I could, as if it were a gift each time I breathed out. Eventually I fell into a rhythm of 5-2, then 5-2 again and holding my breath out, with an inward pumping action of my naval center on the next 5...and then a breathing in on the 2. It was a challenge at first to keep that sequence going, and then something within just released and felt so good, completely relaxed and surrendered when I’d lock the breath out and pump. It was truly hypnotic and peaceful.
Once I started with the 6-3 Zooming rhythm, I had to stop & start frequently because my stamina won’t allow me to maintain it on a street run (was no problem on the cycle in the gym…). Once I hit the run, I just focused on two things: 1) drawing my center in on the exhales, and 2) the sensation of my movement forward coming from the “toe hinge” of my big toes.
My Rolfing practitioner suggested last week that when I run I pay attention to the toe hinge, as a way to relieve the pressure on my hips (which are still tight), and that sensation was very strong in today’s run. I noticed how connected the toes are to the inner groin -- don't think I ever felt that connection quite as strongly. My Rolfing session a couple days ago was on the inner line from the feet to the groin, so I'm not surprised that inner line felt more energized than before.
So...I got lost in the rhythm of the breathing, the feeling of drawing my naval & waist in narrow, and using my toes to propel me forward. My feet eventually felt like hands turning a globe. Meanwhile, my hips felt like they were hanging softly from my spine. I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed in my upper body & hips while running before.
Looking forward to doing it again tomorrow. Have been viewing it as a priority to energize myself every day, and to “clear out the cobwebs” in my mind to keep myself present to what I’m creating in my life.
This stuff is so great, because it always delivers.
When I first got my Acousti-Coaching CDs, I used them regularly on the Lifecycle at the gym. But then my work situation changed, taking me geographically away from my gym, and I stopped using the CDs. I noticed a feeling of back-tracking, both in how activated my center felt as well as in my stamina in the dance studio. But this past week I started working with the CDs again every day, and for the first time have taken them to the street (as I no longer have that gym membership).
I am amazed at how quickly I’m feeling things come back…my center feels stronger, my spine more activated. And of course, the fabulous endorphin high that lasts the rest of the day… I’ve been using the 5-2 “Serendipity” CD every day. Then today, I did around 4.5 miles (first on some back country roads, and then on a sunny wooded bike trail), starting with the 5-2 rhythm and then switching over to a run/jog using the 6-3 "Zooming" CD.
I love the intense hypnotic quality of the 5-2 Serendipity CD. I just kept focusing on going deeper, expressing my breath as fully as I could, as if it were a gift each time I breathed out. Eventually I fell into a rhythm of 5-2, then 5-2 again and holding my breath out, with an inward pumping action of my naval center on the next 5...and then a breathing in on the 2. It was a challenge at first to keep that sequence going, and then something within just released and felt so good, completely relaxed and surrendered when I’d lock the breath out and pump. It was truly hypnotic and peaceful.
Once I started with the 6-3 Zooming rhythm, I had to stop & start frequently because my stamina won’t allow me to maintain it on a street run (was no problem on the cycle in the gym…). Once I hit the run, I just focused on two things: 1) drawing my center in on the exhales, and 2) the sensation of my movement forward coming from the “toe hinge” of my big toes.
My Rolfing practitioner suggested last week that when I run I pay attention to the toe hinge, as a way to relieve the pressure on my hips (which are still tight), and that sensation was very strong in today’s run. I noticed how connected the toes are to the inner groin -- don't think I ever felt that connection quite as strongly. My Rolfing session a couple days ago was on the inner line from the feet to the groin, so I'm not surprised that inner line felt more energized than before.
So...I got lost in the rhythm of the breathing, the feeling of drawing my naval & waist in narrow, and using my toes to propel me forward. My feet eventually felt like hands turning a globe. Meanwhile, my hips felt like they were hanging softly from my spine. I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed in my upper body & hips while running before.
Looking forward to doing it again tomorrow. Have been viewing it as a priority to energize myself every day, and to “clear out the cobwebs” in my mind to keep myself present to what I’m creating in my life.
This stuff is so great, because it always delivers.
Friday, October 10, 2008
BreathPlay... Using the breath to coordinate movement.
Back in June, upon hearing of my frustration with a stamina problem during dance competition, Maja Servé - world-class ballroom dancer, coach, and adjudicator -- generously pointed me in the direction of a book by Ian Jackson. In hindsight, that moment was dramatically pivotal for me. Not only did I seek out and drink in Jackson's book The BreathPlay Approach to Whole Life Fitness, but I began working with his Acousti-Coaching training CDs and experimenting with how to apply his BreathPlay techniques both on and off the dance floor.
To my delight, Ian Jackson and I became friends and have spent hours on the phone talking about the power of the breath, its relevance to self-expression, and various ways to more effectively harness its creative energy. His breath-coaching techniques comprise some of the most important tools I’ve encountered in my life -- they’ve contributed potently to transforming my outlook, body, and dancing since I was introduced to them, and still my use of and experience with them feels like just the tip of the tip of the iceberg.
Breathwork is not something new to me. I’ve worked with conscious-breathing techniques for years, especially in the context of my yoga explorations. Variants of deep, audible ujjayi breathing are common in yoga and meditative practices, and are by now second nature to me. I’ve experimented with various breathing techniques taught in Kundalini and Kriya yoga; I’ve taken Art of Living workshops, and practiced Pranayama on my own, including a bit of Swara Yoga (left/right-balancing nostril breathing).
But what BreathPlay has done for me is to bring an awareness of these techniques into my every day experience. There isn't a moment where they can't be played with. The day has become filled with opportunities to pay attention to how I'm breathing, and to use my breath to focus on movement or a particular part of my body...and to have fun doing it! When I take the time to invest my energy this way, things really begin to kick into new gears!
I’ve started this blog to share my on-going exploration of the breath, especially in applying BreathPlay techniques, and in using the breath to energize the nervous system, to coordinate movement, and to improve my dancing. And am hoping my dance friends, other athletes…and perhaps Ian Jackson himself…will participate in discussion on the topic!
To my delight, Ian Jackson and I became friends and have spent hours on the phone talking about the power of the breath, its relevance to self-expression, and various ways to more effectively harness its creative energy. His breath-coaching techniques comprise some of the most important tools I’ve encountered in my life -- they’ve contributed potently to transforming my outlook, body, and dancing since I was introduced to them, and still my use of and experience with them feels like just the tip of the tip of the iceberg.
Breathwork is not something new to me. I’ve worked with conscious-breathing techniques for years, especially in the context of my yoga explorations. Variants of deep, audible ujjayi breathing are common in yoga and meditative practices, and are by now second nature to me. I’ve experimented with various breathing techniques taught in Kundalini and Kriya yoga; I’ve taken Art of Living workshops, and practiced Pranayama on my own, including a bit of Swara Yoga (left/right-balancing nostril breathing).
But what BreathPlay has done for me is to bring an awareness of these techniques into my every day experience. There isn't a moment where they can't be played with. The day has become filled with opportunities to pay attention to how I'm breathing, and to use my breath to focus on movement or a particular part of my body...and to have fun doing it! When I take the time to invest my energy this way, things really begin to kick into new gears!
I’ve started this blog to share my on-going exploration of the breath, especially in applying BreathPlay techniques, and in using the breath to energize the nervous system, to coordinate movement, and to improve my dancing. And am hoping my dance friends, other athletes…and perhaps Ian Jackson himself…will participate in discussion on the topic!
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