Spine breathing
In this exercise, I hyperventilate mainly by volume. I bend my body back and forth until I reach the ‘hyperventilation-response threshold.’ Then I hold my breath with empty lungs until I gently reach ‘air hunger start.’ The exercise pulls me between two extremes and prepares me for future challenges.
How I exercise ‘spine breathing’:
Directives:
- I sit comfortably with a straight back, relax my tongue and jaw, and close my eyes.
- Reset my breathing if needed.
- Breathe diaphragmatically and exclusively through the nose.
- Inhale fully, erecting my spine while pushing my body backward with the help of my palms pressing my thighs. The head tilts to the back, and the chin moves away from the chest as the chest expands.
- Exhale, while bending my spine forward and placing the back of my hands on my thighs, palms up. My chin moves towards my chest as the chest collapses.
- Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until I reach the ‘hyperventilation-response threshold’ and begin to feel the response sensations on the tip of my tongue.
- Exhale fully and hold my breath until I gently reach the point of ‘air hunger start.’
Note: Since I’m pushing my breathing to a hyperventilation state and then pulling it to the opposite extreme of breath-holding, the exercise strains my body and I limit this exercise to a single round.
The bending and straightening of my spine produce a rocking movement. My breathing synchronizes with my spine movement. By bending my spine forward, I force-press air out of my lungs, and when I erect my spine, it supports the efforts of my breathing muscles.
When I hyperventilate, I focus on my navel moving back and forth; when I hold my breath, I focus on the tip of my tongue.