When working to STABILIZE THE SPINE learning to BREATHE USING THE DIAPHRAGM is vital to properly engage all of the muscles surrounding the spine.

CONNECTION BREATH OR DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

1. Lying on your back with knees bent, place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest.
2. As you inhale through your nose, feel the belly expand but limit the movement into the chest and shoulders.
3. Exhale slowly through your mouth.
4. Once you’ve limited chest movement, start and try to feel the back expand into the floor and the ribcage expands with air on the inhale.
5. Once you’ve found 360 degrees of expansion, begin to breathe down into the pelvic floor by relaxing the muscles that allow you to urinate.
6. Next on the exhale, intentionally engage the pelvic floor by using the muscles that stop you from peeing [This shouldn’t produce any external movement – but you should feel the engagement upward from the inside.
7. To finalize the engagement of the transversus abdominis, slowly as you exhale all your air out, draw your belly button back and up toward the spine and feel/see your waist getting smaller.