Have you ever had an injury you thought would be with you forever? You did all the exercises that were recommended. You saw doctors, physical therapists, massage therapists, and acupuncturists to no avail? And as long as you slept in the right position, didn’t drive for more than two hours without a break, and got up from the computer, couch, or dinner table every 20 minutes, you would be ok? But you were just ok. Never great. The pain was bearable—manageable—but never out of your mind. One wrong move, and you were screwed.

I lived like that from 1998 to 2018. Twenty years…writing that down makes me realize how long I was in pain.

A few years into college, I started to have regular low back discomfort. Nothing terrible, but I needed to sleep with a pillow between my knees. Long car rides were tough. 

After college, my activity level decreased tremendously, and my back pain got worse. Despite only being in my early twenties, I remember having to go to the emergency room to get muscle relaxors after throwing my back out so badly. The meds helped for a short period, but the low-level discomfort remained. I did ALL the core work, and I am certain that weak abdominals were the issue. I “engaged my belly” at every opportunity.

When I started doing yoga, my back pain went away. I was sure I found the solution. But the relief was short-lived when, within a year, the pain returned. An X-ray and an MRI found no abnormalities.

What was wrong with me?

In 2018, I was introduced to 360° breath and intra-abdominal pressure. My back pain decreased within a month of learning how to breathe diaphragmatically. In less than six months, it was gone completely. For a few years, I would experience back discomfort after lots of sitting, but eventually, even that went away. 

What is this wizardry? How can something that seems so simple have such a profound impact?

To experience the magic of 360° breath, it takes practice. Try this:

• Start on your back, with your knees bent and the soles of your feet on the floor. Notice your breath and where it moves in your body. Can you feel it in your chest? Can you feel it in your back ribs? Can you feel it in your belly? What do you need to do to feel your breath in your low back?

• Can you maintain a sense of expansion, even as you exhale?

• Can you find this sensation in other shapes? On your belly? In standing? In a lunge?

While it’s not necessary to breathe this way during every waking moment, we want to have access to it anytime.

Breathing diaphragmatically also helps to:

• Stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system 

• Decrease stress and anxiety

• Focus the mind 

• Relieve tension

• Strengthen the respiratory muscles

• Stabilize the core

We practice 360° breath in EVERY SINGLE CLASS so that eventually, it becomes second nature. You should check it out!

I want you to move well!