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Don't Hold Your Breath: Volume I

by Jennafer Ross
Jen is a physical therapist and teaches at our studio.

Take a moment to switch gears, beginning with your breath... Notice your natural breath, the pattern of your inhale and exhale.... And then begin to modify your breath, bringing your inhale deep down into your upper belly region, feeling the diaphragm muscle expand outward..."

If you have been attending classes at Cascade Yoga Studio, you have probably heard these words, or something similar. In fact you have probably discovered that every class begins by establishing the foundation of your breath. You likely have experience something in yoga class that you have never experienced with any other form of exercise. You may feel completely relaxed at the end of class, maybe a sense of calmness or lightness, or possibly feel energized and refreshed. All of these sensations are explained by looking at the use of the breath in a yoga class.

As a physical therapist, I also was intrigued by these effects of my breath, but I wanted definitions in western, scientific terms. And so began my research, which I will be sharing with you over the next few newsletters. Please feel free to ask me any questions regarding the breath.

The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that separates the lungs from the abdominal organs. When you inhale and your belly expands, it is actually the diaphragm muscle flattening out and compressing the abdominal contents. There are many lymph nodes around the diaphragm, which are responsible for removing the junk (dead cells, viruses, toxins, etc.) from our blood. The movement of the diaphragm may aid in lymph flow.

The diaphragm is designed to be the main muscle of respiration. Because it has the least bony restriction, it allows the most lung expansion by drawing the lungs into the flexible abdominal cavity. The rib cage provides the bony protection for your lungs. The muscles between the ribs are called the intercostals muscles, and when they contract it causes the ribs to move outward and upward when you inhale, and inward and downward when you exhale. Each rib forms a joint with each vertebra in your middle back (thoracic) spine, which opens and closes as the ribs move. With a deep breath, there are muscles in the chest to elevate the ribs, and muscles in the neck to elevate the collar bones. However, because of the bony attachments, chest breathing alone is very inefficient and therefore depends upon the diaphragm for really effective breathing.

Until the next issue...

NAMASTE