Relaxing Pilates breathing exercises

This blog will outline a few relaxing breathing exercises to help calm your mind, relax your body, aid digestion and your mental health.

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Use this simple relaxing breath

Close your left nostril with your right index finger breathe in through your right nostril very slowly allowing your belly to blow out a little to create space for your diaphragm to descent and also to make room for your lungs to fill up with air to full capacity.

Then close the right nostril with your right thumb and exhale, very slowly through the left nostril, drawing your abdomen wall in and pushing the dome of your diaphragm high up to expel your air.

Now inhale through your left nostril and exhale through the right nostril closing the left nostril at the peak of the inhalation.

Repeat this cycle about five times.

Pilates breathing

• Standing with your feet hip-width apart, your knees soft, shoulder blades softly down your back in a ‘V’. place your hands on your ribs with your fingertips placed facing into each other.
• Actively exhale and collapse your ribs as far as possible and feel the two sides of your rib cage coming together.
• Breathe in and allow your ribs to push outwards into your hands without expanding your belly.
• Try to ensure that your ribs are moving sideways – laterally, rather than up and down.
• Keep your shoulders down.

Your breathing rate

Put your hand on top of your abdomen and breathe normally. Your breathing rate should be about 16 breaths per minute. If you are hyperventilating it will be more. Relax and try not to be conscious of your breathing let it become as natural as possible.

Cleansing Nasal Breathing Exercises

Blow your nose, to clear your nasal passages.

Cleansing breath 1

Look up at the ceiling, force the air out of with a “whoosh”

Sniff out

repeat this expulsion of air in quick succession – whoosh – whoosh – whoosh

Do this 15-20 times

After the air is expelled, the quick return of your diaphragm brings the air back in an equally quick and powerful inhalation.

Cleansing breath 2

Look straight ahead and exhale forcefully “whoosh” in quick successions

15-20 times and inhale

Cleansing breath 3

Look at your feet and exhale forcefully “whoosh” in quick successions

15-20 times and inhale

Cleansing breath 4

Look to the right and exhale forcefully “whoosh”

Do the same on your left

Alternate on each side in succession.

Cleansing breath 5

Close your left nostril with your index finger of your right hand and exhale forcefully through your right nostril.

Now close your right nostril with the thumb of your same hand and exhale forcefully through the left nostril.

Repeat this 15-20 times alternating between the left and right nostril.

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Pilates is a way of life that will improve your life

Pilates is fundamentally about integration: integrating movement into a flowing whole body experience and integrating the mind and body to create clarity and purpose. By integrating your mind with your body you will rejuvenate your spirit and will be on your way to creating a life of balance.

If you are interested in a little more Pilates practice or homework  join me for a Pilates class at home

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