Just Breathe

I find myself needing an afternoon nap these days. I don’t usually get one, but I find myself needing one! When I’m on the subway, my eyes want to close. At the studio, I often have to stifle a yawn around four o’clock. Trust me, I’m not bored. I’m just tired. I’ve entered this phase of my life. And a yawn with a nice stretch feels so good. A big inhale of breath.

Breathing is foundational to Pilates. And life. I’m sure we’ve all experienced that moment when things are not going well, for whatever reason, and suddenly there’s the realization that we’ve stopped breathing and we’re just holding tension in the neck or shoulders. As instructors, we see it in our regular clients, when they walk into class or arrive for their session and their breathing is shallow or held, their jaw is clenched, or there’s no releasing the belly.

We talk about lateral breathing in Pilates, that 360 degree breath. Lateral, or intercostal, breathing emphasizes the lateral expansion of the rib cage while maintaining a consistent inward pull of the deep abdominal muscles, during both inhalation and exhalation. This is in contrast to diaphragmatic breathing–lateral breathing helps maintain abdominal contraction while performing Pilates exercises during which keeping a stable core is important for successful performance and for protection of the body. It doesn’t negate diaphragmatic breathing, but lateral breathing is built into our Pilates practice.

When I did my Pilates training, I learned set breathing patterns for exercises that were designed to enhance the movements and prevent people from holding their breath. It makes sense to inhale when going into spinal–particularly thoracic–extension, like we do in a Swan Dive, because we’re expanding the ribs and making more space for the lungs to fill up. And it makes sense to exhale when we’re rolling up into a Teaser because we need the abdominal contraction to support the position. And I like the active breathing technique in an exercise like The Hundred where the percussive pattern serves like a metronome, actively contracting the abdominals and the intercostals, and feels like forward momentum as I count my way to the end.

I make the offer to clients to put some sound behind the breath, and most are pretty shy about it. But it can be helpful to own your breath and give it some focus in class, especially if your instructor is walking you through an exercise with breathing cues. They don’t have to be hard and fast rules, but those breathing cues can provide support and structure and release. While they might take you into your head temporarily, ultimately, they are meant to bring you deeper into your awareness of your body. And they can also feel pretty good.

How can focusing on your breath strengthen your Pilates practice, as well as improve posture, change the way you move, and alleviate stress and anxiety? Follow us on social media for insight, exercises and helpful tips! Find us at @retrofitpilates and this May, let’s breathe!

See you in class!

Pam Ferguson
Retrofit Master Instructor
Lead Instructor/Operations Associate