3 Part Breathing | Tutorial
In my clinical practice, I do a lot of bodywork through the style of Arvigo Maya abdominal therapy. As a result, I’ve spent many hours in a therapeutic space with folks and have noticed a really common pattern:
breath holding.
I remember a story a friend told in medical school of her grandmother who was having breathing trouble and went in for some physical therapy (PT). After 1 day of PT she wasn’t able to wear her bra because her chest muscles were so sore. Decades of shallow breathing had decreased her lung capacity, intercostal muscle strength and breathing potential.
Tapping into our lung health and capacity is SO important right now, for so, so many reasons, including these:
Immune health. My greatest hope is you won’t, but if you do contract any viral illnesses, healthy lungs will be essential for a healthy recovery. You don’t want to go into a championship game unprepared. Prevention is preparing and tuning your health house.
Nervous system health. I am yet to encounter someone who isn’t feeling overwhelmed, burdened or emotionally taxed by all of the events of 2020. Stress is permeable and our wellness requires we support our nervous system. Mindful breathing helps signal our nervous system that we are safe and calm. The more often we can remind our nervous system of it’s safety, the more efficient it will be during stress AND the less burden on our whole system. Stress is a leading cause of chronic illness, another vote for prevention helping us through.
Digestive health. A huge part of my practice is in supporting healthy digestion as that is quite literally the center of our bodies and our health. Mindful, deep breathing is a great tool to help support vagal nerve function. The vagus nerve is responsible for our ability to “rest and digest”. If you’re struggling with IBS, diarrhea, constipation, gas or bloating, it’s possible some support for your vagus nerve could help.
BONUS: It is most common for humans to use ⅓ of their lung capacity. YOU ALL! We have so much more potential that we’re giving ourselves credit for! Our subconscious ability to breathe can become a conscious act to tap into greater parts of ourselves than we might even be aware of. How empowering is that?!
Without further adieu, here is a short video tutorial on my favorite introductory breathing practice. I walk so many of my clients through this as a way to tap into digestive function (via vagal nerve tone), immune health and nervous system balance.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive and functional approach to your hormones + fertility, you’re in the right place.
Uncovering the root cause of hormone imbalances + optimizing fertility health is the core of my work. If you’re ready for clarity about how best to balance your hormones and prepare for a pregnancy, learn more about my approach + highly successful strategy.