The simple act of breathing is a complex pulse with ramifications for nearly every system of the body: nervous, circulatory, musculoskeletal, and digestive. Nearly every school of somatic thought has theories about breathing, many of them contradictory. In this audio download, Tom Myers discusses some of the basics around the actual movement of the breath including on how the bones, muscles, and fascia can move in breathing.
In the first part, Tom takes a look at the rib ‘basket’, how it is designed to work with the spine, and how it can get restricted. He looks at the primary muscles of breathing (diaphragm, intercostals, and scalenes) and how they work, including a discussion of the abdominal balloon (transversus and the pelvic floor) and its role in core support. Thomas will also look at the structure of the lungs, alveoli, and bronchioles themselves to see what they can tell us about breathing.
In the second class, Tom discusses different kinds of breathing – breathing in pranayama, exercise, anxiety, meditation. How does the breath change, and how does that change the body and the mentality? What is the ‘right’ way to breath in any given situation? Tom expands on the anatomy outlined in the first class so that listeners can make sensible decisions about advising students, clients and themselves about issues of the breath.
