Basic Breath

BASIC EXERCISES BREATHING

Practicing breath and movement help with fear. To give everyone something concrete to work on and to help you start with breathing and movement exercises, here are the basics.

BREATHING

EXERCISE 1: TEN

In this exercises the cycle of breath takes ten seconds in total. The ratio of the inhale and exhale influence how you feel. Always breathe comfortably. Straining or pushing is not needed. Stop when you feel effort. Observe what is possible today.

  • Breathe in 5 seconds, 5 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 6 seconds, 4 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 7 seconds, 3 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 8 seconds, 2 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 9 seconds, 1 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 8 seconds, 2 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 7 seconds, 3 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 6 seconds, 4 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 5 seconds, 5 second exhale.

Then we turn it around.

  • Breathe in 5 seconds, 5 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 4 seconds, 6 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 3 seconds, 7 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 2 seconds, 8 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 1 seconds, 9 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 2 seconds, 8 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 3 seconds, 7 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 4 seconds, 6 second exhale.
  • Breathe in 5 seconds, 5 second exhale.

EXERCISE 2: SQUARE BREATHING

In this exercise you divide the breath cycle into four parts. You breathe in, wait, breathe out and wait again. All parts have equal length, hence the ‘square’. Spread out your breath across the time that is available, both on inhale and exhalen. When you ‘wait’ you do not do anything. There is no need to hold on to, or tense anything.

  • Breathe in 3 seconds, 3 seconds of waiting, 3 seconds out, 3 seconds of waiting.
  • Breathe in 4 seconds, 4 seconds of waiting, 4 seconds out, 4 seconds of waiting.
  • Breathe in 5 seconds, 5 seconds of waiting, 5 seconds out, 5 seconds of waiting.
  • Breathe in 6 seconds, 6 seconds of waiting, 6 seconds out, 6 seconds of waiting.
  • Breathe in 7 seconds, 7 seconds of waiting, 7 seconds out, 7 seconds of waiting.
  • Breathe in 8 seconds, 8 seconds of waiting, 8 seconds out, 8 seconds of waiting.
  • Breathe in 9 seconds, 9 seconds of waiting, 9 seconds out, 9 seconds of waiting.
  • Breathe in 10 seconds, 10 seconds of waiting, 10 seconds out, 10 seconds of waiting.

This can be done every day. Build up until you feel effort. This is what is possible today. There is no need to reach ten, this is more of a challenge to work up towards. If you do this every day, notice if you improve, or do not improve.