Breath of Fresh Air

I was reminded today of the powerful nature of Hanna Somatics and the importance of breathing. I was calling it productivity-lag, the feeling of slothiness I had upon returning from a 2 and a half week vacation. I was blaming it on the winter and my internal bear commanding me to stay in my bed and hibernate. It wasn't until I laid down today and did an intensive foray into the muscles of my shoulder, trunk, and waist that I realized I was simply feeling the effects of oxygen depletion due to constriction around my rib cage. After 6 years of practice, I'm still regularly amazed at the power of Hanna Somatics to open up possibilities I wasn't even looking for. I had become victim to my own body, as I know many do all the time. And as is so often the case, I wasn't aware of it until it was gone.

Such is the nature of Sensory Motor Amnesia. Such is the nature of normal. Normal has no judgement of good or bad, normal just maintains. Sensory Motor Amnesia, the forgetting how to feel and sense areas of the body that become rigid due to chronic contraction and injury leaves us blind to our own issues. In this way, as my chest and torso muscles tightened - from the plane rides? or perhaps from too much swinging of my Kettle Bells and pushups? - and my oxygen intake slowly decreased, I was simply aware of the foggy head and lethargy that plagued my days rather than the tight band of muscles that surrounded and impeded my ribs from opening and my waist/vertebrae from expanding.

All this is to say that as I laid down and moved into bending, twisting, and arm rolling movement, I began to notice an ease and lightness to my breath. Standing up, my shoulders and arms moved smoothly around my ribs and hung nicely on my chest. Feeling refreshed and energized, I jogged excitedly back to my office for my last evening client.

I find these moments really helpful. They remind me how much room I still have to improve and confirm the theories behind my practice. If your curious about your own oxygen intake and what a deeper, easier breathe might feel like, try these movements.

movement 1

Lie on your left side with your hips and knees bent to 90 degrees. Reach your right arm over the top of your head and hold your head near left ear As you inhale lift your head and right foot towards the ceiling feeling the center of your body shorten and contract. Keep your knees together so that the leg rolls as your right foot lifts up. Also, let your head be really heavy that you you're not straining your neck. Think about bringing your right shoulder and hip towards each other like your going to tuck your hip into your shoulder. Slowly exhale and let your body gently open up and lengthen as your head and foot lower back down. Make sure to rest completely at the end of each movement before moving on. Do this 3-5 times on the right side and as you finish the last repetition, lengthen your leg straight out beneath you and reach overhead. Then relax, roll onto your right side and repeat.

movement 2

Lie on your back with your your knees either bent or straight out on the ground. lift your right arm up towards the ceiling and then turn your palm away from your side and turn it in towards your side. Start this movement slowly/gently and as you get the hang of it, make the movement bigger, letting your shoulder move with it and then ultimately letting your whole spine, head and hips move with it. Feel how your whole body gets involved in the 'simple' turning of your hand

*if you're trying this at home, please move carefully, slowly and if it is at all painful, do it less even to the point of simply visualizing the movement.