I wish to share some insights and learning from my week at my mothers bedside in relation to breathing and breath work.
From limited breath work training (outlined below) the following is new insight to a broad and deep topic.
Conscious/deliberately practiced breathing has been a significant part of my class program Posture Plus™ since the outset. My initial training in Pilates introduced the conscious practice of timed breathing which allows one to contract core muscles fully, aiding (not only)Pilates based exercises.
Following my introduction to breath work with Pilates came Stretch Therapy™ with Kit Laughlin (www.pandf.com.au). The Stretch Therapy™ training developed my breath work appreciation further utilising diaphragmatic breathing to take the body towards a relaxed state whilst also enabling one to manipulate and influence stretch/ exercise results.
As my Pilates teacher said (often) 'breathing makes the exercise'. This I believed, but did not (until now) fully comprehend. I have recently been introduced to a new concept with regards breathing and that is 'Be Breathed'™ by Scott Sonnon. (www.flowacademy.com.au)
In April of this year (2008) I was introduced to the concept of letting the body breathe you through out your training. It was not until I started playing with my Clubbbells™ that I actually grasped this concept. To 'be breathed'™ rather than controlling the breath was the opposite to what I had been doing and teaching for seven years! I did not have to undo all my training and teaching (phew)
July I started playing with the 'Be Breathed'™ DVD. (the gap between April & July is a story for another time) The movements and philosophy within the 'Be breathed'™ routine run very close to the way 'ab' work is taught within Posture Plus™. Scott's 'Be breathed'™ routine has a few extensions (figuratively and literally) but the sequenced use of breath is similar.
The story I wish to share is the insight I gained during my week at my mothers bedside. My mother suffered one of the cruelest diseases known; Motor Neurone Disease (www.mnd.asn).
In the Northern Hemisphere it is known as ALS (Lou Gehrig's); SMA or Kennedy's Disease.
I started writing this whilst in my mothers room, listening intently to her breathe. The significance of her breath was due to the nature of her disease. Whilst being present with my mother in her final week we were intently focused on her breath. My mother had made it clear she was ready to depart and wanted the oxygen off. Taking off the oxygen we (Drs included) all thought would mean a quick end to her suffering.
To our astonishment mum lasted nearly a full week without the oxygen. Her breath (when fully sedated) was relaxed and rhythmical. As the days passed it was obvious the body was slowly shutting down, but her pulse was strong and her breath remained rhythmical. By the third day (off the oxygen) it suddenly occurred to be that we are breathed!
As Scott states in the 'Be breathed'™ DVD
“be breathed is not something you do, it is something you
are/ become”
This is true in relation to movement (as mentioned at the start of this story) but it is also true for the Spirit. Without conscious beliefs/ fears blocking my mother’s breath, the body was being breathed in a calm relaxed manner.
So how can this be?
Putting aside the power of the mind with its ability to convince oneself of how things 'are'. In my mothers case “my disease has progressed to the point where I need oxygen”. She did 'need' the oxygen, as a pacifier to keep her calm and comfortable. Once she was sedated and the mental fears were eliminated, the body kept breathing.
How is this so?
After witnessing the continual breath in. The automatic internally driven breath in. I now believe this is how it is! We don't breathe to stay alive, we are breathed.
What we think of as breathing, is our manipulation of the inwardly driven breath in. We manipulate breathing via our responses (both conscious and subconscious), as a result of stress; physical movement and emotional challenges. This responsive or controlled breathing is usually a shallow breath driven by accessory muscles- not the diaphragm. But in an unconscious state (as in sleep) we are breathed; we can breathe completely...unrestricted.
So what can be taken from this?
With the nicest of intents...that is up to you.
For me, it takes the pressure off literally. Breathing will happen as a matter of fact; as I experienced (but did not absorb) in the past few months with my Clubbell™ training. As I witnessed in the past week with my mother, and as I experimented out running this week. You can extend yourself physically if you train trusting that you will be breathed.
Let me expand on two things here.
You can enrich your breath and change your conscious/physical state with breath work. You can also achieve more in physical activities if you do the opposite and let go of consciously controlling your breath and let the body be breathed with your movement. Trusting you will be breathed you can move into a more natural rhythm, which I experienced doing my 'Trial by Fire' with the Clubbells™ and I consciously experimented with this week when I went for a run.
As I ran on the beach and let my system breathe me, I just focused on the mechanics of running and let the air flow in & out without trying to deepen- slow- change my breath in anyway. As a result I ran further with less effort and, was not breathless at the end!
The other end of the scale holds conscious control and direction of your breath. Or as we say in the Posture Plus™ program “directed breathing”. You can learn to direct your breath towards the area you wish to stretch or you can direct your breath to aid a movement or optimize the relaxation of a specific body part.
If you have not given much thought to your breath and breathing manipulation, you may be surprised to discover how much you suppress- restrict- limit your breath most of the time. That unconscious habitual pattern in turn suppresses- limits- restricts your life energy or Prana- Chi- Ki.
So do both... be breathed and let the body flow, and, pause to breathe- consciously- deeply and fully, keeping your system clear and calm. Subtle yet significant changes are only a breath away.
“Breathing makes the exercise”
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( 0 / 0 )Term Three '08 has begun.
Thank you to those returning and a congratulations to those doing multiple classes!
A quote that is going in upcoming Newsletter:
"If you can't put aside a litle time now
for some recreation and exercise, make sure you put
aside a lot of time for illness."
source unknown.
Recreation... to re- create. To re-set the body and energy balance.
More in Newsletter.
Announcement that can't wait. It has been announced that I am now recognised as a Senior teacher in the Posture & Flexibility community. This will bring not only new participants but new instructors to the program too. Posture Plus is growing and will expand Nationally by years end.
It is great to have you part of the program.
Daily Eights daily!
Donna
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( 2.9 / 23 )Hi yaw'll,
Awaiting shuttle to airport. Two flights (16 hrs in the air) I skip on by Monday straight into Tues 1st July.
I am coming home.
Review of final days of Chasing....
Day Four
Thursday was the most fascinating and frightening at once!
We tracked a storm and ended under the eye of a potential Tornado.
Yes UNDER...directly under!
We stopped to film the storm coming across the fields, 2hrs in both directions from any town. Watching the rotations of the clouds, wishing a funnel to drop. Then Terry the chase leader yells GO GO GO!
And GO we did! At 90 miles per hour down the road. Approximately 160km's... we were moving. All senses were awake i can tell you.
Talk about being present, you don't get more present than when a Tornado can potentially drop directly ON you!
This stop and run happened twice, but fortunately (and unfortunately) the ground was already too wet for a funnel to form. So no Tornado.
The storm moved across the fields and we saw the most magnificent rainbow.
The rainbow was visible end to end with lightning behind it. The most amasing thing, I captured a lightning bolt touching the ground next the rainbow! So no Tornado but the after effects of the storm were well worth it. I will post the pic once i return.
Day Five
Fifth and final day started early as we had 12hrs of driving and we were heading to the town of Wakita. Wakita is were the movie Twister was filmed, so we obviously had to stop and see the town. Adding two hours to the days driving, but what is 2hrs added to 4800km's.
We travelled the extra miles and time to see Wakita and the Twister museum. A small town of 100 people struggling to survive. The museum keeps the town going, but this will sadly end when Twister has it's 15th anniversary in 2010.
On the road to the final destination..Dallas Texas. We pull in at midnight. 15hrs on the road, our longest day all tour.
So no actual Tornados for us this time. Our third night a Tornado touched down 4 miles from where were staying, but it happened late at night while we were soundly sleeping. So close day three and four, i have to come back and experience this again. Anyone want to join me?
See you when i am back in the land of Oz.
Holiday classes are on the 7th & 10th July.
Email to book your place.
Term Three starts the following week: Monday 14th- 19th July.
See you in class.
xxxDonna
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( 3 / 42 )Ending the third day... FINALLY internet connection!
Day one: Texas to Arkansas.... 1000km's.
We drove through four states and ending up chasing a MASSIVE supercell
(im learning all the tech talk) and got nothing. :(
Now by nothing i mean... no Tornados. BUT we got the most amasing lighting show. It is VERY VERY flat out here. We spent the night litterally in the middle of America!
Day Two: Form a town called North Platte, we went through Valentine (and yes they decorated all their street poles with love hearts)
We tracked the storms due North and ended up on North Dakota (300km from Canada!) We tracked north-east and found ourselves....
UNDERNEATH four Tornados! They just didn't 'drop' and touch the ground. The clouds were rotating and funnels were starting to form, then the storm would suck in cold wet air and the funnel would get sucked up.
This happened for 3 hours, and we ended up back in South Dakota for the night.
Day Three: Not much chance of a tornado, so we drove and drove and drove and ended up stopping at Devils Mt. (the First ever US monument) and the Mt that was the focus of the movie "close encounters of the third kind' and in real life it looks just as ominous as it did in the movie!
A storm came over it while we were there, and as we pulled up others in the carpart had mixed reactions to seeing the van.
Some excited, interested to learn something about storm chasing, others (those that have lived through a tornado) were more 'oh no' that is not a good sign!
Another 1000km day and we ended up back in South Dakota in a town called Sturgis. This place gets 1million (and that is no exaggeration) they get 1 million bikers (mostly rich Harley riders) over a five day period each August)
Tomorrow we got to Mt Rushmore (the faces carved into the cliff) and follow a new storm cell south, making out way back towards Texas.
Fingers crossed we get footage of an actual funnel touching down.
Seeing most of America and seeing wonderful sights.
So safe and having a blast!
Will do final blog when back in Texas.
xxxDonna
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( 3 / 43 )Storm Chasing 101....
Sitting in Hotel room post 'Chase' briefing I am filled with excited trepidation.
It is me and one other! Oh and the driver...
so three of us.
Last minute four pulled out, so I am chasing with an ex-New Yorker David, who is doing the chase as a 60th b'd present from his wife and family. He now resides in Georgia (south -east i think?)
The tour guide Terry has been chasing tornados all his life and has been 'in the game' for 15 years. Chasing is for two months of the year, the other 10 months he is a dairy and cotton farmer (or was it dairy & corn?) Adjusting to the Texan accent... reminicent of my Nannying days back in '95!
So this is the 'final' definate entry. We track the weather the night before and then head to the most storm active place. Terry explained that he gets direct satelite information (18-25 minutes sooner than the weather channel posts it) so we plot the likely path and head straight for it!
There are a few 'chasing' regulars that we will meet and see along the way (everyone roughly tracks the same path) so those of you who mentioned the 'tank' that goes IN to the tornado, I will not only see that, I will meet and get to know those people.
They are currently filming the next Discovery channel episode, and seeing we will track the same storms (and they all know each other) meal stops and 'chase' checks will most likely be done together
(yes.... just like to the oposing teams in the movie Twister!)
And so that means I/ we, may end up on the Discovery channel. If footage they take this week ends up in the show, it will be aired mid October. Very cool.
Being the most active season for 8-12 years, we are anticipating seeing at least two tornados, but nothing is guaranted. (Ive got everything crossed that we see two a day!) Terry has talked the tour down as it is the end of the peak, but they get tornados year round. So fingers crossed the activity continues and we get to see some amasing, awe igniting weather. Mother Nature raw and real.
Yeeaa-haarr! (Hmmmm i slipped into Texonian quite quick there, appologies)
So if the 'chase' is going well and we are in the middle of Mother Nature's fury, internet connection may be limited, and i will be out there watching, admiring and filming!
So till next entry.
Get on the floor daily and 'Be Flexible'
Im unplugging the computer so i can charge the cameras. Can't miss any spectacular footage opportunities.
Nite.
xxxDe
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