Taking a Deeper Breath

I have to admit, I really haven't been to a Yoga class in over two weeks, but I haven't stopped stretching, and at least getting one round of Sun Salutation in every day. I have been spending all my free time doing all of the fun outdoor activities you can do in the summer. This past week, for instance, I went hiking and canoeing. Who can turn that down?

I have, however, been keeping up with the breathing experiment i proposed in my last post. I was trying to see if Pranayama breathing and warming up my lungs before dancing would help me perform better during rehearsals. Yesterday was my first time, and I felt that if I tried to do the breathing while I was in the dance studio, the other dancers would be a little freaked out. Instead, I did a set of about 20 good deep breaths in my car on my way to rehearsal.

When I stepped out of my car, I did feel a bit more energized. However, as rehearsal went on, I didn't really notice if I had any sort of change in performance. What I did notice is how often I hold my breath when I dance! This is very bad!

So, tonight in rehearsal I am going to make an effort to pay attention to my breath and how I can use it while I dance. I always talk about breath being linked to movement, but most of the time, I completely forget. I read a while ago that most people are guilty of weak and shallow breathing, and that it's a good idea to try to re-teach yourself how to breathe to get the most out of everything you take in, as well as everything you release. For dance (and Yoga), breathing is very important. I will write a new post tomorrow after I have correctly breathed in rehearsal tonight!