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Breath Practice & Play Rib Swing

Seated Breath Opening

This is a quick stretch for your breath that’s relatively unobtrusive and suited for public spaces like waiting rooms.

Begin in an upright seated position with your feet planted squarely on the floor and your spine released into length.

Folding from the hip joints, drape your torso over your thighs and take several generous breaths into the back body, feeling for movement in the ribs, kidney area, and lower back. Roll back up to an upright position.

Next, interlace the fingers behind the head and lean back gently, spreading the elbows wide. Allow the jaw to release and imagine that you’re breathing in the view of a beautiful starry sky. Use your hands to encourage length in the back of the neck, especially as you return your gaze to the horizon.

Sit sideways and grasp the back of the chair. Inhale to lengthen the spine, and exhale into a gentle spinal twist. Continue to lengthen and widen as you encourage your breath to open. Bring your head back to center first for a breath, then allow the rest of the spine to untwist. Repeat on the second side.

Take a few moments at the end of the exercise to feel your breath at rest, sensing any shift in your awareness of your energy, your spine, side bodies, or abdomen. Try to take this awareness with you into the next thing you do.