Proper breathing is a very important part of Pilates exercise. Many Pilates exercises are taught with specific instructions on how to use the breath with them. Often in our daily lives our breath becomes very shallow, most people only breathe into the upper part of the chest.
In Pilates we want to utilize every part of our lung capacity. We want the breath to move all the way down into our lower abs. and feel that we are filling the pelvic bowl with air. We also want to let our ribs expand sideways to accommodate more air, especially the lower ribs. If you hear your teacher tell you to "expand laterally" as you breathe, this is what is meant.
We all tend to forget about the back body. Allowing your breath to fully expand into you lower lungs and back is going to help you a lot in Pilates exercises, particularly in the exercises that ask us to pull in the front body muscles. Sometimes, in a deep C curve or contraction, it can feel like you don't have room for air. You will find that if you actually use all the breathing area that you have, including the sides and back you will be able to breathe very well through your workout.
Try this beginning Pilates breathing exercise to get tuned into all the air space you actually have. You can do this lying on your back with your knees bent or even now, sitting up reading.
Sequential Breathing:Start with your shoulders relaxed and dropped away from your ears. Your spine is straight, in what we call neutral spine, which is with the natural curves of the cervical and lumbar spine. If you are sitting, feel that your weight is falling directly down through your sit bones and your head is floating up toward the sky. Your throat is open and relaxed.
The Inhale: Breathe in slowly. Let the air flow sequentially into your upper chest, expand the sides and lower ribs, fill the diaphragm, the back and lower back, and drop down all the way into the pelvis.
The Exhale: Let go of your breath in the reverse order that you brought it in. Drop the lower abs, then the belly, let the ribs pull in in front, and last, allow the chest to drop as you fully expel all the air.
Do this sequential breathing exercise a few times in a row until you really get the sense of how each part flows into the next.
Points to remember:
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When you breathe in, try not to let it affect your shoulders. You want the shoulders to stay down and relaxed, and not jump up toward your ears.
- It is tempting when we take a large inhale to let the chest jump way up and let the ribs in front open up, even to the point that the mid back starts to arch. This usually means the breath isn't making it into the sides and lower ribs. In Pilates breathing we want this inhale to be very balanced all the way around the body. The chest does move with the breath but remains relaxed and the ribs maintain their shape.
- While this is a focused breathing exercise, try to let the exhale drop out of your body without forcing too much.
- Enjoy! There is almost nothing that serves us more than deep breathing!
