The Art of Breathing In Pilates - Part 2: Bringing breath into the Pilates Studio
In part 1 of this blog topic we looked at the breath and the importance Joseph Pilates placed on breathing for body wellness. We explored a couple of breathing techniques to help you get the breath flowing fully.
In this part, we will explore how we bring breath work into the Pilates studio, to help you move more efficiently.
Pilates the Inventor - Tools to Assist the Breath
Such was the importance Joseph Pilates placed on the breath, he even developed apparatus with this aim in mind. He was well known for his work with singers in his Contrology gym and some of these clients are said to be the inspiration for some of his apparatus within the Pilates studio system. For example, the Pedi Pul was reportedly designed for opera singer Risë Stevens. An early device, the Air-O-Mill was designed to help singers with their breathing exercises. This evolved into the Breath-a-cizer. Both the Pedi Pul and Breath-a-cizer are items we have in the studio and often use with our clients.
We even have an exercise on the Cadillac or Tower simply called “Breathing”. We see Chest Expansion as an exercise on the Reformer and Cadillac/Tower. Throughout the system there are exercises to open the chest and regulate breathing.
The Hundred is the first exercise we do on the mat and one of the first on Reformer after our footwork. It is an intrinsic part of the warm up on the Reformer and can also be performed on other parts of the Pilates studio system such as the barrels and Wunda Chair. Hundred is, first and foremost, a breathing exercise. The controlled deep breathing, accompanied by the strong pumping of the arms, is about oxygenating the blood and pumping it around the body. Its position at the start of a session shows how the breath comes first and foremost and is the foundation that sets us up for the rest of the work.
Using the Breath in our Pilates Exercises
In his book, “Return to Life Through Contrology”, Joe tells us how and when to breathe in each exercise. In his Contrology gym he would instruct the breathing with every exercise on the apparatus and mat - telling you when to “breathe the air in” and “breathe the air out”.
To start with, actively thinking about when to breath in or out may seem like one more thing to remember on top of the exercises choreography and all those lovely technical tips your teacher gives you. BUT - There is logic to Joe’s method of breathing with the movement, which helps the breathing eventually become more habitual and flow with ease. I’ll explain how in a moment, but first let’s look at why…
Why..?
When we exercise, the body has a wonderful regulatory system that monitors the oxygen in our blood and regulates this by adapting how we breathe. This is why if you go for a run, for example, your breathing will become faster and deeper to help regulate our blood oxygen. This system is autonomic, which means it happens subconsciously without us thinking about it.
Amazing…BUT let us consider that this is a reactive approach, responding to our body’s needs now at that moment.
John Howard Steel, a client and associate of Joseph Pilates who authored the book Caged Lion explained that Joe encouraged more efficient breathing by bringing in an element of conscious control; tuning our breathing into our movement.
The timing of the breathing is controlled by the mind, whilst the depth of the breathing is controlled by the body.
John Howard Steel states in his book…
“ Timing my breathing, by attaching it to movement, was much easier than I would have expected. Joe had me breathing semiconsciously, using my body movement to assist the inhales and exhales.” He goes on to state “Joe’s override of my reflexive breathing worked. His timing was better than my body’s autonomic control. I was neither breathless nor straining to hold my breath.”
How..?
The” why” is compelling. The “how” can be quite simple.
If we strip it right down to the basics the breath is determined by how the body is moving. If the chest is compressed in our movement we exhale; using the movement to encourage a deep exhalation - as if we are squeezing the air out of the lungs like air out of a pair of bellows. If the chest is expanding, or we are “unrolling” the body we inhale using the action of the unrolling or expanding to draw in a full deep breath.
On apparatus like the Reformer, we can also use the action of the springs to help regulate the breath - inhaling as the springs expand and exhaling as the springs contract. Not only does this help to regulate the breathing it also helps to encourage the feeling of control as we close the springs.
As teachers, we can use our cueing of the breath to determine how you work. We may use the breath to set the pace of an exercise, to encourage deeper connections at certain points of an exercise, or to help you expand and open up a little more. The breath and the movement work together; the breath assisting the movement, and the movement assisting the breath. The two working together in perfect synergy…after all, this is Pilates!
Next time you are in a Pilates class, pay attention to how you are breathing.
Listen to how your teacher cues your breath.
Remember, the breathing is a tool. It is there to help you.
As teachers, we might dial up or down how much we focus on the breath depending on what the individual needs. If I have beginners in a group class I might not get them too hung up on the breathing to start with, as often this results in either holding the breath or focussing so much on breathing the rest of the technique gets forgotten.
Holding the breath introduces tension ad bracing, which is counter productive in exercises that require mobility and fluidity of the body. If you find yourself breath holding in class, as yourself why.
Is it because the load on the body is too great? In which case look at where your connections are to find the strength or adjust the load down a bit.
Is it because you are working so hard you simply forgot to breathe (it happens!). In which case see if you can coordinate movement and breathe…it will probably make the exercise feel easier
Is it because you have got yourself in a muddle over whether you should be breathing in or out? If so, just breath naturally whilst you are learning the work and then when you feel ready you can start to tune into the breath and feel for yourself how the breath and movement can flow together
I would love to hear how you get on.
References:
Caged Lion by John Howard Steel
Return to Life Through Contrology by Joseph Hubertus Pilates