In this practice, I'm inviting you to engage with your breathing by directing your breath attention to four different areas of your torso. When put all together, these four areas comprise what I'm calling a 360 degree breath.
Listen to "Full Torso Breathing - RECAST Ep 12" on Spreaker.
What’s in this episode of moved to heal?
Breathing happens with and without our conscious input. Conscious breathing can take many different forms. For example, you might be able to take a "deep" or "full" breath when you choose. This is just one way of engaging with your breathing. This practice is about tapping into that conscious engagement.
The idea behind the 360 breath is to help guide your breathing to expand into areas its not used to going. I think of this as a follow up to bringing awareness to where your breathing *is* comfortable. If you're not sure about what is and isn't comfortable for you, I suggest you use this practice as a sort of "check in" --or start with the "observing your breathing" episode.
The 4 areas of 360 breathing
- belly / abdomen
- upper chest + back
- lower ribs / middle torso
- back (from waist to shoulders)
While you listen to the episode, you can do or not do any of the practices, and in whatever manner or degree you choose.
What makes this trauma informed?
Choices, invitations, noticing, open-ended experiments. Read more about those here.
Integration suggestion
After listening to the episode, perhaps take a moment to check in: did you notice something that you want to remember or follow up on? If yes, maybe jot it down in a notebook or record a voice memo to help you remember.
Be moving, be true, be you
photo credit aziz acharki, found on unsplash