Tummercise : A Simple Beginning for Abdominal Breathing
If you pay attention to the way we breathe, you may notice something interesting.
Most of the time, we breathe mainly through the chest. The chest rises and falls with each breath.
If you have practiced meditation or relaxation, you may have heard of abdominal breathing or Dantian breathing. Instead of staying high in the chest, the breath seems to settle naturally into the lower belly.
And what happens when we are extremely tired or out of breath?
The breath comes all the way up into the throat. We begin to gasp.
The chest, the belly, and the throat.
These are three different places where we may experience our breath. One is not always good and another always bad. Our breathing naturally changes depending on what our body is doing.
But when we want to relax and truly rest, things are a little different.
Watch a sleeping baby sometime.
You will see the little belly gently rise and fall.
The baby isn't thinking, “I need to practice abdominal breathing.”
It just happens.
When the body is relaxed, the breath naturally moves more freely into the belly.
We were like that once, too.
As we grow older, however, tension begins to accumulate in the body. We experience stress. We sit for long hours. We tighten here and there without even realizing it.
Gradually, our breathing can become higher and more restricted.
Then someone tells us:
“Take a deep breath.”
So we try.
We pull in a big breath and try to push it down into the belly.
But if the body is tight, can we really force the breath down?
Not very well.
We may simply create more tension in the chest, shoulders, and neck—and sometimes end up with a red face from trying too hard.
Comfortable breathing cannot be forced. First, we need to prepare the body so the breath has somewhere to go.
And there is one area we often forget about:
the inside of the belly.
Relaxing the muscles on the outside is not always enough. When the abdominal area is very tight, it can be difficult for the breath to settle comfortably into the lower belly.
That is why we practice a very simple exercise in our classes.
Gently push the belly out.
Then gently pull it back in.
Out and in.
Out and in.
Think of it as gently waking up and massaging the belly from the inside.
I gave this exercise a name:
Tummercise.
Tummy + Exercise = Tummercise.
Don't bother looking for it in the dictionary.
You won't find it.
I made it up. :)
If you are new to Tummercise, there is no need to do too much.
Start with about 100 repetitions a day. As your body becomes comfortable with the movement, gradually increase it. Around 300 repetitions a day is plenty for regular practice.
With consistent practice, Tummercise may help the abdominal area feel more comfortable and support natural bowel movement. But for us, its most important purpose is simple:
to prepare the body for easier, more natural breathing.
Don't try to force your breath into the Dantian.
Start by making the belly more comfortable.
As the belly becomes softer, breathing can become easier.
As breathing becomes easier, the body begins to relax.
And from there, we can begin to discover what real rest feels like.
As with any exercise, more is not always better. If you experience unusual discomfort or symptoms while practicing Tummercise, stop or reduce the repetitions and ask your instructor before continuing.
Good breathing is not something we force. It is something that begins to happen naturally when the body becomes comfortable enough to allow it.
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