Breathing with your Base-Line.

A good breathing technique will help you work with your Base-Line muscles, your core pillar of strength.

human figure seen from the front showing the Base-Line muscles. Base pelvic floor like a basket between your legs at the base of the torso. The rectus abdominis muscles the body's central line forming two ribbons of muscle, side by side and split into panels of muscle tissue, extending from pubic symphysis to chest. Breathe with your baseline to lengthen and align your midline. Engage and elongate the body's core pillar of strength, from where the rest of the body extends. Think stronger and longer with every in breath.

Think: Stronger and longer with every in breath.

Breathing with your Base-Line develops the connection between body and mind, increasing awareness of your posture and state of balance.

Breathing with your Base-Line muscles. Image of face with arrows going up into the nostrils. Breathe in through your nostrils, feel your whole body extend. Breathe out through your mouth. Repeat.

Firstly practice this:

Breathe in and up through your nostrils.

Breathe out through your mouth.

Feel for your body lengthening from pelvis to nostrils as you breathe in. Let yourself move however feels natural.

Then focus on activating your Base-Line muscles as you inhale. Don't rush. Take as many breaths as you need to activate and elongate your Base-Line as much as you can.

Begin by contracting your pelvic floor muscles.

human outline facing forward, seen from above. Showing the pelvic floor muscles in-situ spanning the pelvic canal. The pelvic floor is made up of several muscles, differing in shape and size, forming the basket slung from the bones of the pelvis. Left and right sides are a mirror image, with midline gaps for the anus and genital outlets.

Your pelvic floor is the BASE foundation from where all movement should stem.

With each breath focus on feeling for your pelvic floor muscles contract.

It takes practice to activate the right muscles if you are not used to using them so keep trying. Look at the anatomy pages and picture the muscles in your mind.

pelvic floor keeping it simple pelvic floor in detail

Then activate your rectus abdominis muscles.

Outline of human figure showing the rectus abdominis muscles extending from between the legs at the front of the pelvis to the front of the chest. The rectus abdominis are two long muscles, lying parallel up the front of the abdomen attaching to the cartilage of the lower ribs. Each rectus abdominis consists of several sections of muscle tissue separated by horizontal strips of connective tissue known as tendinous intersections. The linea alba (white line) is a strip of connective tissue midline between the rectus abdominis muscles, running from pubic symphysis to xiphoid process of the sternum. The rectus abdominis - the body's central line that should be active and elongated to support the rest of the body.

The rectus abdominis muscles are the body's central LINE, strong and flexible that should support all movement.

Our core pillar of strength, from where the rest of the body extends.

Think of activating and lengthening these muscles, section by section, from pelvis to chest.

rectus abdominis keeping it simple rectus abdominis in detail

Use your hands over your rectus abdominis muscles and tap up the front of your abdomen as you breathe in. Imagine each pair of panels of muscle activating and extending in sequence, from pubic symphysis of the pelvis to your ribs.

Lengthening and strengthening your rectus abdominis muscles will increase awareness of relative positioning of your midline markers for body alignment and balance.

midline markers body alignment and balance

I found it easiest to work on my breathing whilst standing (in a relaxed manner) or lying on my back.

Do whatever feels good for you.

As I focused on my activating my Base-Line I found myself adjusting my position so that my body was a little more aligned. Let yourself move as feels natural.

Closing off one nostril with a finger and breathing through the other nostril can increase the sensation of airflow, helping you to feel the positioning of your head in relation to your body. Then swap sides and feel for a difference.

It can take a long time to break old habits and learn to activate the correct muscles if you are not used to using them. Be aware of when 'the wrong' areas of muscle activate. If you feel this happening - relax, breathe and focus on your Base-Line once more. Little by little improvements are made.

Breathe with your Base-Line.

Stronger and longer with every in-breath.

Build the connection between body and mind.