89: Arch and round, breathing 2 ways, waking up the lungs

Arch, round, breathing two ways

Awhile ago we practiced paying attention to and enjoying our spine arch and round with our hands at the side of our face, thumbs under the ears, other fingers over the ears, pointing backward.

On the arch, we push our belly forward, come forward on our pelvis, lift our sternum, look up a little.

On the round, we bring our belly back, round our back, let our head (in our hands) come down and forward, and let our sternum sink.

Do this awhile, back and forth. Notice your breathing.

Now play with this: as you round and pull your belly in, push the air out and breathe out. Do this a number of times and then rest.

And once more, belly in, air out, round the spine, curl up as if into a ball, feel the whole spine rounding in from the top and the bottom as the air goes out. Hand on the face so that the whole ribs and back acts as a complete unit.

Rest.


Now, try this way: as you bend forward and round your back, let your stomach come in as usual, but think of filling your lungs with air to make them bigger.

That is to say: as you round, breathe in. It may seem “strange,” but strange means “different” or “new” most of the time. So hang out there in the new, the learning, the amazing. Then as you arch your back and lift your head as you hold it in your hands, breathe out, push your belly forward. So this is belly forward and breathing out.

Do it a number of times.

Rest. And do it again.

Rest. And feel your spine. Do this a bunch of times today, and enjoy your spine all day. See how curiously aware you can be about the whole thing.