Breath of Life
‘Breathing is the first act of life + our last. Our very life depends on it.’
Required reading for my Polestar Pilates Instructor training was the original written works of Joseph Pilates, ‘Your Health’ + ‘Return to Life Through Contrology.’ The man had many significant (+ highly quotable) things to say, + while I’ve seen many of his words repeated ad infinium on the Insta/Pinterest/FB platforms - regrettably to the point where I don’t really appreciate their substance - after the recent passing of a loved one from pneumonia, the above Joseph Pilates original has occupied my thoughts of late.
Lower respiratory infections are a leading cause of death worldwide. How often do you hear of someone who, battling one particular health condition, ultimately succumbs to respiratory failure? I watched the Queen biopic recently - highly recommended if you haven’t seen it! - + noted that Freddie Mercury died of bronchopneumonia (as a complication of AIDS). Joseph Pilates himself died of the lung disease emphysema (or smoke inhalation, if you prefer to take the more heroic (?) version of his life events.)
To take a less-morbid example of the importance + all-pervading influence of breath on our bodies, the other day during an hour of personal Pilates practice, my instructor pointed out that my head alignment was all out of whack. But why? I’d bet my bottom dollar it was the result of a prolonged period of accessory breathing due to stress. I recalled being all up in my upper chest + neck during the day, distracted, flustered, agitated. Usually I’m pretty self-aware about what’s happening in my body, but not that day.
If I consider the health complaints I hear most often from clients, it’s upper body tension + headaches. You know what can be significant contributor to both of these conditions? Inefficient breathing. You know what could really make a difference? Pilates breathing exercises.
Although they may seem tedious + unappealing to some, they can be really helpful! By learning about our breath + how to use it (+ actually practicing it!) we can affect positive change in both our body + our mind. There are many ways to breathe + by exploring the hows + whys of breath, we can achieve a range of outcomes. For instance, deep, diaphragmatic breath can soften the sympathetic tone of the body + promote feelings of calm + wellbeing. As students, we can use our breath to connect to our core +, as instructors, we may cue a particular breath pattern to promote stability - or mobility - in a particular exercise.
The first Principle of Pilates is Breath for good reason; I am increasingly becoming aware + more appreciative of why.