360° Double Breaths

What are 360° Double Breaths?

There is a lot of talk about belly breathing, which in itself is not a bad thing, it’s a great way to encourage deep breathing.

However, one aspect that is neglected in belly breathing is that it only focuses on the movements of the breath in one plane/direction - forwards. In reality, when we take a healthy breath, the lungs and the ribcage expand in every direction.

Think about inflating or deflating a balloon.

This exercise will really help you to understand what it feels like to breath in 360°. While training the diaphragm through a full range of motion, and helping to release restrictions from your ribcage.

Learn to take a truly deep, satisfying breath!

Step by step instructions:

  1. Place your hands on the lower ribcage, almost like a power pose (helps you really feel the breath, and anchors the shoulders)

  2. Inhale slowly - through your nose, til your lungs feel full

  3. Then take another small inhale – short but sharp

  4. Hold your breath for a few seconds – really feel the expansion in your ribcage & belly

  5. Take a slow, controlled exhale from your mouth (as if blowing out from a straw) - until your lungs feel empty

  6. Then take another small exhale from your mouth again - short but sharp

  7. Hold your breath for a brief moment – really feel the contraction in your ribcage & belly

(Repeat 10x)

Ideally you will repeat this exercise in the several positions listed below, each position emphasises a different direction of expansion.

·      If one position feels like more of a stretch than others, feel free to dedicate more time to that one. Conversely, if you experience any pain or serious discomfort in any position, avoid that one.

 

Different positions:

1) Seated:

  • Hands on lower ribcage - ‘power pose’

  • Emphasise breathing into the sides of your ribcage

2) Lying prone (on back):

  • Bend the knees - or place a pillow under knees

  • Place a pillow under head and upper shoulders (to keep airways open)

  • Hands on lower ribcage - ‘power pose’, or wrapped across the body

  • Emphasise breathing into your back, and belly

3) Lying on side (repeat on left & right side):

  • Lie on side - place a pillow under your head, and one between your knees

  • One arm will be ‘free’, while the other is resting on the mat. Place this free arm in the ‘power pose’ - i.e. if lying on your left side, place your right hand on your right ribs

  • Emphasise breathing into the sides of your ribcage

4) Child’s pose (only bend knees as much as is comfortable)

  • If mobility is an issue, you can place a pillow under feet/shins/belly.

  • Walk arms forward - and rest your weight on hands or forearms

  • Can also place hands on lower back

  • Emphasise breathing into your back

Tips:

  • Don’t try and stop the belly from moving completely. It will naturally move, you just don’t want the belly to be the main focus!

    • Just dedicate your attention to sideways and backward expansion.

  • Struggling keep your shoulders still?

    • The ‘power pose’ usually helps to anchor your shoulder, but if that’s still not enough, you can grip onto something else e.g. if seated in a chair, grasp the underside of the seat with both hands. Or if lying prone, you wrap a strap/towel around your shins and grip onto it with both hands.