Target: stretch the entire spine - sacral, lumbar, middle and upper parts; learn to control your breathing in a state of relaxation, feel how your lungs fill and empty; Make the most of your lungs by directing the air into your back.
This is an excellent position for relaxation, allowing you to lengthen and “refresh” the spine. In this exercise, we decided to combine it with spinal breathing, since it is in this position that you can best feel how the inhaled air fills the lungs. Contribute to this filling of the lungs.
Warning.
If you have an injured knee, this position can cause damage to the joint, so avoid this exercise. You can practice spinal breathing by curling up on your side.
Basic moments:
- If you experience discomfort in this position, you can place pillows under your head, knees, or buttocks if it is more comfortable.
- Sit on your feet, not between your legs.
INITIAL POSITION
After performing the “Cat” exercise, you stand on all fours, with your knees hip-width apart and directly under them, and your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Now bring your feet together so that your toes are touching. The feet are still extended.
ACTION
1. Take a preparatory breath.
2. Exhaling, slowly move your buttocks back until you sit on your legs - not between them; the back is rounded. Do not raise your head or arms while moving. Finally sit back on your feet. Relax and rest in this position, stretching your arms forward as far as possible.
Spinal breathing
INITIAL POSITION
From a resting position, move your hands to your back so that the tops of your palms are on your lower ribs and your fingers are facing your buttocks.
ACTION
1. Take a deep breath, allowing the air to fill the back of your lungs; the back, expanding, spreads the arms. Inhale until you count “five,” then exhale until you count “five.” You should feel your back moving with your hands as your lungs expand and contract.
2. Take 10 breaths.
3. After completing the exercise, slowly turn around; The head rises last. Follow the same pattern as you climbed after the Wall Crunch (exercise 2, p. 36).
WEIGHT EXERCISES
I first heard the name Gordon Thomson from my theatrical agent: he was talking about some new method where the muscles are lengthened, not pumped up, where the stomach is always tucked in and the spine is elongated. By taking on me and my body, Gordon literally reshaped it. I finally got into really good physical shape. And everything else in my life changed just as radically.
Simon Callow
The benefits of strength training
From birth to adulthood, a person grows and, accordingly, his muscles increase. Unfortunately, as we age and lifestyle changes, we become less active and gradually lose muscle mass; by the age of 80, no more than 20-40% of it remains. Muscle fibers “shrink” and are replaced by fat or connective tissue. The central nervous system, which excites these fibers, becomes increasingly difficult to transmit its signals to the muscles, and the muscles fatigue faster.
However, research shows that these changes are determined not only by age, but also by a sedentary lifestyle. This means that by working on our muscles, we can prevent them from shrinking and weakening. Advances in medicine allow many
Most of us can expect to live a longer life, and it would be very good if we could live these “autumn” years of life quite actively.
As you age, it's not just your muscles that suffer. Fractures caused by osteoporosis, or bone liquefaction, are a greater danger for older people. According to statistics, one in three British women will break their wrist, hip or spine at some point, and one in five will die within a year after such an accident.
Bone density can be measured using x-rays. Visually, the first signs of osteoporosis are often a decrease in a person’s height and an increase in the curvature of the spine - the appearance of the well-known “hump.”
This was bad news. The good news is that more and more is being said and written about the value of weight training as a means of preventing osteoporosis for women who are experiencing and have already experienced menopause. Recent research has shown that regular exercise, weight-bearing exercise and a calcium-rich diet can work together to prevent brittle bones.
To be beneficial, exercises must be performed with weights and target specific areas of the body, since the effects of bone strength training are targeted, i.e., weight training on the legs will not increase bone density in the arms!
But is it possible to avoid developing huge, bulging muscles while doing strength training? Yes, as long as you follow the directions exactly and stick to our recommended weights. This will help you achieve a healthier ratio between muscle and fat mass. If your muscle mass exceeds your fat mass, you can easily limit yourself to lighter weights and still look slimmer, stronger, and feel much better.
All the exercises offered here can be performed without any weights at all. In fact, we even recommend it to you to improve your technique and gradually increase muscle strength. When you feel confident enough, start using some homemade weights like cans of canned food or bags of rice weighing first 115 g, then 175, 225 g. You should only buy real weights when you are sufficiently comfortable with these exercises .
EXERCISE 31
Hip abduction (with leg weights)
Target: strengthen the abductor (external) muscles of the thigh, gluteal muscles, as well as the muscles of the sacral region (lower back); tone your upper legs and get rid of cellulite.
This is a very popular exercise! You train the hip abductors, which run along the outside of your hip and buttocks.
When performing each of these exercises, it is very important to stabilize the core with the help of the deep abdominal muscles.
Side view
Tensor fascia lata
Learning to maintain stillness and stability of the torso while moving the limbs is one of your main tasks. Start working with weights only when you have sufficiently mastered this exercise.
Basic moments:
- Draw your belly button toward your spine (page 44) to protect your lower back and prevent it from arching into a that or the other side.
- Pull your heel away from your hip as far as possible; the leg becomes longer and longer.
- Rotate your leg inward at the hip joint, not at the ankle.
- While performing the exercise, lift your waist off the floor and stretch your torso.
- If you've happily avoided the natural "cushions" around your hip joints, you may find it uncomfortable to lie in this position.
In this case, place a piece of foam rubber under your thigh.
This exercise forms the first part of a series of four exercises. You can perform the entire series lying on one side, then roll over and repeat all four exercises on the other.
ACCESSORIES
■ Practice this exercise without weights first until you are familiar enough with it and feel confident that weights will not cause you any discomfort. You can then strap weights up to 1 kg to your ankles. Start with the lightest weight.
INITIAL POSITION
Lie on your right side so that your body is extended in a straight line - this is extremely important, so for greater confidence you can lie along the wall. But don't prop up the wall! Don't forget about north-south alignment as well.
The right arm is extended forward, the head rests on it. Bend your right leg at the knee. This will provide the pelvic tilt needed to protect the lumbar spine.
The left hand serves as a support. Throughout the entire exercise, the waist should be raised above the floor and the torso should be extended as much as possible.
* ACTION
1. Raise your left leg 10-15 cm above the floor - to the level of the hip joint and in line with the body. Don't take her back!
2. Slightly rotate your leg inward at the hip joint and pull your foot toward you.
3. Exhaling, slowly raise it another 15 cm, then exhale and lower your leg to the original level. Raise and lower your leg 10 times without returning it to the floor. Inhale as you lift your legs, exhale as you lower.
4. Bend your left leg and place it on your right leg to rest.
EXERCISES 32 AND 33
Up and down and 20 lifts (with leg weights)
Target: strengthen the abductor hip and gluteal muscles.
This exercise perfectly strengthens the muscles of the buttocks and lower back. The gluteal muscles are very important for proper posture. Their weakness can negatively affect the alignment of the entire body. The first time you try this exercise, you will be amazed at how difficult it is - this is especially true if you have overdeveloped other leg muscles.
Gluteal muscles
Please note that the lower leg is also involved in the work - it holds you in place!
Warning.
These are very difficult exercises. Do not attempt these exercises until you have mastered exercise 31. If you have a back injury, consult your doctor first.
Basic moments:
- Remember to keep your leg straight and rotate only at the hip joint throughout the exercise.
- The toe is always pulled up.
- Make sure that the hip joint remains back and the back is straight in a neutral position between "north" and "south".
- Constantly support your spine with your abdominal muscles.
- When bringing your left leg forward, do not pull your body behind it and do not arch your back.
- Constantly stretch your torso; the waist is constantly working to avoid sinking to the floor.
- Resist the temptation to use too much weight
ACCESSORIES
■ Leg weights (optional).
INITIAL POSITION
As in exercise 31.
ACTION
1. Slowly raise your leg to the level of the hip joint (10-15 cm above the floor). Rotate your entire leg inward at the hip joint, turning your foot toward you so that your toes are almost pointing toward you.
7237 0
In the very first moments of his life, a newly born child must take his first breath in his life in order to straighten his lungs and only then breathe on his own.
If he does not do this, he will inevitably die, never taking a breath in his life.
Breathing is necessary to provide the body with oxygen, which is used in the oxidative processes of energy production by every cell of our body and the release of carbon dioxide formed as a result of these processes.
The effectiveness of pulmonary ventilation depends on the condition of the respiratory muscles, the mobility of the spine, ribs and their coordinated work. At the same time, improper breathing can have an adverse effect on the musculoskeletal system, leading to loss of symmetry of the respiratory movements of the chest.
Conditions are created for blocking the thoracic spine, which also takes part in respiratory movements. Ultimately, this negatively affects the entire spine.
In addition, due to poor ventilation of the lungs, some muscles involved in the movements of the torso, neck and arms are included in helping the main ones to maintain the required level of ventilation of the lungs. Doing unusual, much larger work, they become overloaded.
This has an adverse effect on the condition of the cervical spine and contributes to the appearance of spasms and painful muscle tightness in the auxiliary respiratory muscles, as well as headaches, pain in the neck and spine, dizziness and much more that accompanies spinal osteochondrosis.
Only through proper breathing is it possible to coordinate tension of the diaphragm, abdominal muscles and respiratory muscles of the chest, which is necessary when performing great efforts, strains with holding the breath, for example, when lifting weights. This creates good support for the spine in the front.
This is why proper breathing is so important for spinal health. We suggest checking whether you know how to breathe correctly.
Test: Are you breathing correctly?
Stand in front of a mirror and watch the breathing movement of your chest and abdomen.Breathing is calm.
Pay attention to the consistency of movements and the symmetry of the rise of the left and right half of the chest.
Note for yourself whether auxiliary respiratory muscles take part in ventilation of the lungs: trapezius, pectoralis minor and major, scalene, sternocleidomastoid muscles.
With proper breathing, both halves of the chest move symmetrically, and the chest itself and the stomach move synchronously.
As you inhale, the chest expands and rises.
The diaphragm, like a pump, lowers, and the stomach inflates like a ball. 70-80% of the load during proper breathing falls on the diaphragm.
When you exhale, everything happens the other way around: the chest narrows and falls, the dome of the diaphragm rises, and the stomach deflates.
If the amplitude of movements of the abdomen and diaphragm is large, and the chest is small, then this type of correct breathing is called diaphragmatic breathing, in which respiratory movements are carried out mainly due to the work of the diaphragm.
If the amplitude of movements of the chest is commensurate with the amplitude of movements of the abdomen and diaphragm, then this type of correct breathing is called mixed.
In the case when breathing movements are carried out predominantly by one chest (breathing is called thoracic breathing), this is incorrect, since the strongest respiratory muscle - the diaphragm - is not used adequately to maintain the required level of ventilation.
Moreover, good, rhythmic work of the diaphragm not only provides effective ventilation, but also facilitates the outflow of blood through the superior and inferior vena cava and lymphatic duct by changing the pressure in the chest cavity, thereby helping the heart, and also has a massaging effect on the internal organs .
If you have determined the correct type of breathing for yourself, then feel free to move on to the section “Development of strength and endurance.”
How to learn to breathe correctly
To learn how to synchronize the work of the diaphragm and the movements of the chest, do the following exercise.Lie on your back with your knees and hips slightly bent to relax your abdominal muscles. With your right hand control the movements of the abdomen, with your left hand control the movements of the chest.
The purpose of the exercise is to coordinate the movements of the abdomen and chest.
When you inhale, your stomach inflates like a ball, and your chest expands and rises. As you exhale, the abdomen deflates and retracts, and the chest descends and narrows (Fig. 85).
Rice. 85. Learning to breathe correctly
First learn diaphragmatic breathing, that is, belly breathing, and then mixed breathing.
During training, breathing is done through the mouth. To establish coordinated breathing, use a count of four: while inhaling, count to four, then exhale and pause, counting to four in each phase.
During the day, you should control the correct mixed breathing until it becomes habitual for you.
Remember!
Breathing not only provides us with oxygen, but also has a diverse effect on all organs and systems thanks to:
- mechanism of regulation of biologically active substances in the lungs;
- the pump mechanism, which ensures outflow through the vena cava and lymphatic duct;
- massaging effect of the diaphragm on internal organs.
Ventilation of the lungs is provided by the musculoskeletal system. That is why disturbances in it often have a noticeable adverse effect on ventilation. Ventilation disorders, in turn, affect the condition of the musculoskeletal system, including the spine.
With proper breathing, 70-80% of the load falls on the diaphragm.
As you inhale, the chest symmetrically expands and rises, and the abdomen inflates; when you exhale, the chest symmetrically falls and the abdomen deflates. The basis of proper breathing is the coordination of the movements of the diaphragm and chest.
Energy breathing using the spinal column
How to open the energy channels of the spinal column
The spinal column is the main channel that conducts earth energy and sexual energy to the higher energy centers of the human body. Taoists believe that each of the intervertebral ligaments is a repository of Qi. In addition, the spine contains the spinal cord (Figure A-1). Bones are believed to contain Yang energy, while nerves contain Yin energy.
By performing exercises related to bending the relaxed spinal column, mentally stimulating the activity of the nervous system, we thereby generate an electric current within ourselves. As the duration of exercise increases, the amount of current generated increases significantly. Thanks to the movement of Qi up the spine, the condition of it and the brain improves due to the fact that other energy flows carried away by the movement of Qi are processed into vital force. To prevent blockage of energy channels, care must be taken to maintain a relaxed state of the spine and its correct structural coordination with the shoulder girdle and hip region. The more relaxed the spine is, the more energy flows through it.
Connection of the spinal column with the vital organs of the human body
The nerve endings of the coccyx and sacrum are directly connected to the nerve fibers of the lower extremities, bladder, kidneys, internal and external genital organs, anus and (partially) the large intestine.
The listed organs are also joined by the nerve endings of the vertebrae of the lumbar spine (L 1 -L-5). The nerve endings of the thoracic vertebrae (T-5 to T-12) correspond to the stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, small intestine and blood vessels of the abdominal cavity.
The nerve endings of the upper thoracic vertebrae (from T-I to T-4) connect to the innervation of the heart, tonsils, trachea, bronchi and lungs.
The nerve endings of the cervical vertebrae (C-1 to C-7) connect to the nerve fibers of various internal organs, glands and upper extremities.
Meditation practice
After carefully reviewing the detailed anatomical atlas, close your eyes and try not only to mentally imagine, but also to feel the connection between the spine and the organs of your body. Direct the Inner Smile down the spine, covering these connections with Smile Energy.
Exercises to develop spinal breathing
Performing exercises to develop spinal breathing allows you to relax the spinal column, while simultaneously enhancing the activity of the coccygeal and intracranial pumps and stimulating the work of the adrenal glands and thymus gland.
These exercises also help relax the back muscles, which allows you to feel good even when maintaining a sitting position for a long time. The exercises can be performed sitting or standing (Fig. A-4).
To do this, prepare a comfortable chair for sitting, sit down and try to relax, keeping your back straight and without touching the back of the chair.
For men:
If you are in a sitting position, use a chair with a straight back. Sit almost on the very edge of the chair - so that the testicles hang freely (if this position is uncomfortable, sit a little deeper). Before performing the exercise, wear loose clothing so that the testicles are not pinched and sexual energy can circulate freely.
For women:
Sit comfortably without touching the back of the chair. Clothing should be loose and not constrict the perineal area so that energy can circulate unhindered. If you prefer a sitting position on the floor, use a thick matte covering to avoid disrupting the movement of energy in the legs.
1. First, exhale, feeling your body relax.
2. Inhale, slightly tilting your sacrum and head back while arching your spine. The chest and stomach should be protruded. Expansion of the chest stimulates the activity of the adrenal glands and the thymus gland. At the same time, bring your hands clenched into fists to shoulder level and spread your shoulders back, squeezing your shoulder blades, pressing your neck into your shoulders and slightly clenching your teeth. This way you will strengthen the work of the intracranial pump.
While maintaining this position, tense your muscles. Oscillating the sacrum back and forth helps activate the coccygeal pump and strengthens the nerve fibers.
3. Exhale. Tilt your sacrum and head forward, while rounding your back. Bring your elbows forward, pressing your forearms and fisted hands toward your chest and pressing your chin toward your sternum. While performing this part of the exercise, relax, avoiding muscle tension.
4. Repeat the above movements 9, 18 or 36 times.
Relaxing, direct the Inner Smile down along the spine.
To flush the spinal cord, inhale the white mist through the point on the bridge of the nose, the golden heavenly radiance at the crown, and the blue light of the Earth through the soles of the feet (Fig. A-13). Feel how the spinal column connects with the nerve endings approaching it, excited and filled with a powerful charge of Qi.
Inhaling the energy flow, direct it to the spine; Feel the electric current flowing inside you. Feel how Qi penetrates into the bones (remember to concentrate on the area of the coccygeal and intracranial pumps, adrenal glands and thymus gland). At the same time, you will feel how they relax, warm up and begin to vibrate from the influx of energy.
Rocking of the spinal column
Rocking movements are easy to do and help improve flexibility. Since each person’s body has unique individual properties, after learning the exercise, relax, allowing your body to use freedom of movement in a natural and pleasant way. All movements are very simple to perform, although their description may seem difficult at first. You will achieve maximum benefits from exercise only when you achieve complete relaxation.
Note:
Carefully monitor your sensations during each rest period. Feel the force of the Earth enter the soles of your feet and rise through your shins, hips, sacrum, spine, skeletal bones to your chest and brain. Feel this power being absorbed into your bones, flushing out the marrow inside. The bone marrow of round bones produces red blood cells, which supply the body's cells with oxygen and nutrients. Flat bones - such as the ribs, shoulder blades, and skull - produce white blood cells, which are the immune system's main weapon in fighting disease. During the rest between exercises, perform Bone Marrow Washing with the Help of Heavenly Force (or Fire Force), directing Qi inside the bone cavities, to the bone marrow. Pay attention to the parietal bone: feel a sort of numbness or heaviness descending from the crown into the brain and neck. collar area, chest. Feel how an increasingly powerful flow of Qi is generated in your body, how the nerve endings “grow” inside your bones.
Progress in spinal breathing is associated with the process of cleansing and opening. But this is the goal of any spiritual practice - cleansing, opening the vastness of internal space and radiation coming from there.
First of all, you need to sit comfortably so that your back rests on something and close your eyes. No special poses are required. The main thing is that you are comfortable and in a relatively upright position. You can sit on a chair or on a bed.
Now begin to monitor your breathing - just notice your inhalations and exhalations. Spinal breathing is performed through the nose, with the mouth closed. First, you need to gradually slow down your breathing, very carefully, without committing any violence on yourself, so as not to feel discomfort. We simply move to the slowest breathing rhythm that is most comfortable for us. And we begin to breathe deeper, inhaling and exhaling more air than usual. We breathe deeper and slower, but so that there are no unpleasant sensations.
Secondly, you should imagine a thin channel, like a narrow tube the width of a thread, running from the perineum to the point between the eyebrows. The perineum is the area between the genitals and the anus, we call it the root. The point between the eyebrows is also called the third eye. Let's call the thin canal that runs from the root to the eyebrows the spinal canal. Between the root and the eyebrows, the spinal canal ascends the spine, reaches the center of the head and turns towards the eyebrows.
During spinal breathing, we constantly monitor the spinal canal. Inhaling, we mentally climb up it from the root to the eyebrows, exhaling - we descend from the eyebrows to the root. And we repeat this process again and again.
First, we visualize the spinal canal and “walk” through it, continuing to breathe slowly and deeply. During the training, the sensation of the spinal canal will be added to the visualization. In the meantime, let's visualize, and this will become a means of awakening and activating the main highway of our nervous system.
If, during deep and slow breathing, accompanied by a “journey” up and down the spinal canal, we begin to be distracted by some internal or external sensations or other stimuli, we can easily return our focus back, again concentrating on slow inhalations and exhalations . It's not unusual for us to get sidetracked by extraneous thoughts or feelings. The main thing is to focus again on the process of spinal breathing.
If you have any difficulty visualizing and tracing the spinal canal as a thin thread or tube, you can visualize the spinal column in a more familiar way. Over time we will gain greater clarity. There is no need to strain and force yourself to see what “should be.” It is important that at the end of the inhalation, attention is focused on the center between the eyebrows, and at the end of the exhalation, on the root. The most important thing is not to feel tension while moving up and down. A little practice and everything will fall into place.
Tracking the spinal canal while breathing deeply and slowly is what spinal breathing technique is all about. And even when distracted, we can easily return our attention to inhalation and exhalation. This is also part of the practice. No stress or rush. Very simple, isn't it?
The technique is simple, but over time it leads to deep meditation, gently opening the third eye, opening the inner dimensions of consciousness.
You need to practice 2 times a day - preferably before breakfast and before dinner for 10-15 minutes. But this practice can be applied anywhere, except in cases that require total attention to external events - for example, when driving a car.
Here is a spinal breathing practice for beginners. To get acquainted with a more advanced technique, we recommend that you refer to Yogani’s book “Pranayama Spinal Breathing - A Journey into Inner Space.”
Ecology of life. Health: Spinal Column Breathing is an excellent exercise that can be performed both sitting and standing. It is aimed at relaxing the spine and back muscles and activating the Sacral and Cranial Pumps, the thyroid gland and adrenal glands. The spine is the main viaduct of the Control Channel. The more relaxed the spine is, the easier and freer the Energy flows through it. This is quite an energetic exercise.
Spinal Column Breathing is a great exercise that can be done either sitting or standing. It is aimed at relaxing the spine and back muscles and activating the Sacral and Cranial Pumps, the thyroid gland and adrenal glands.
The spine is the main viaduct of the Control Channel. The more relaxed the spine is, the easier and freer the Energy flows through it. This is quite an energetic exercise.
1. Exhale and relax.
2. Inhale and arch the lower part of the sacrum back, away from the perineum. At the same time, tilt your head back towards your shoulders so that you are looking up. This forms an arch in the mid-back.
3. Push your stomach and chest forward to expand your chest and activate your thyroid and adrenal glands.
4. Clench both hands into fists, raise your fists to shoulder level, while bending your elbows. Stretch your elbows and shoulders back as if you were trying to squeeze your shoulder blades together.
5. Push your neck into your shoulders to activate the Skull Pump and grit your teeth.
6. Exhale and bend the lower part of the sacrum and head forward, while rounding your back.
7. Bring your elbows, forearms and fists forward and bring them together in front of your chest. Try to squeeze your chest and then tuck your chin into your upper chest. Don't tense your muscles, just relax.
8. Do at least 9 repetitions per session. If you do this exercise standing, then place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your feet turned forward. published
Yudlav Eric, "100 days for health and longevity"