Awaken Your Breath – Day 4 Of 7 | Side Body Expansion

A 7-day exploratory, workshop-style series designed to help you freshly meet your breath. This is Day 4. Today, we’ll explore the side body - how opening and expanding the spaces along your ribs, waist, and torso can invite a more spacious dance to your breath.

If traditional breathwork has ever felt tricky or intimidating, this series is made for curious explorers like you. We’ll approach our breath with intrigue, ease, and a sense of play.

Each track is short, easy to return to, and ready whenever your breath feels shy, waiting, and wanting to be noticed.

Suppose this is your first time practicing together. Welcome. And if you're returning, welcome back.

What sensations did you notice in your side body as you breathed today?

Transcript

This is day four of our little mini series to help you meet your breath, To awaken your luxurious, Elegant, Graceful dance of your breath. And today's little practice is all about our side body. Side body breathing, Remembering that our breath wants to dance and float and travel in all directions, All three dimensions. So let's wake up the side body with a little bit of self-massage, Bringing one hand to one side of the waist, Massaging through the rib cage, The intercostal muscles that live between each of your ribs. Bringing awareness to the sides of your body, You might feel the texture of your clothing, The sound your clothing makes as it connects to the surface of your skin. These intercostal muscles are really supportive of our principal breathing muscle, Our diaphragm. So we want them to be supple and lengthen, Open. So we'll do a little bit of movement whenever you're ready, Continuing the massage for as long as you like. Maybe already bringing some awareness that our breath wants to expand horizontally, Expand into this presence. So the invitation is to use one hand to hold onto, We'll start with the right rib cage. And if you get your lefts and rights confused, I do that all the time, So don't worry. But letting your left hand find the right rib cage. Opposite hand on the opposite rib cage. Feeling the hand really cup the side waist, Letting the shoulders be heavy and relaxed. Before we do a thing, You might already notice some movement beneath the hand holding the side body. And then we're just going to cooperate with that movement that is most likely already there. So as you're ready, A breath in will lean your body to the left, Breathing into the hand that's on the right rib cage. And then let your exhale find you back to a straight spine. Breathing in, Letting your breath feel the hand that's resting on the rib cage. Your breath out, Find your center. You can be breathing in and out through the nose, In through the nose, Out through the mouth, Whatever feels most useful, Most natural. You might try a few more. Your breath in leans you left, Breathing into the hand that's holding the rib cage. And your breath out, Finds you back at your center. Now, If it's not so comfortable for the opposite hand to be on the opposite rib cage, You can see what it's like to explore this with the right hand on the right rib cage. Leaning left, Breathing into the right hand on the right rib cage, And your out breath releases you back to your center. You might also find another option to awaken the side body, Encouraging you to explore, To discover. And then letting both hands rest gently on the thighs or by your sides. What do you notice about your breathing? What do you notice about the movement in the right waist? Maybe something you notice is really subtle. It might be a greater sense of awareness and connection to the side that you have been breathing into. Like me, You might feel a little asymmetrical right now. So let's explore the other side as you're ready. So you can choose whether to have the right hand on the left rib cage, Letting the hand really cup and nestle into the side body, Softening through the shoulders. And as you lean right, Breathing into the hand that's nestling on the side body. And your out breath finds a straight, Supple spine. Like before, You can also choose to have the left hand cupping the left waist. Lean right, Breathing into the hand that's nestled on the side body. Your out breath, Finding your center. Completing as many rounds as feels like something you want to do today, Knowing that one is plenty. Sense of breathing into the side body, Awakening the intercostal muscles, Allowing them to lengthen. Creating a suppleness through the side body for your breath to swim through all of your tissues, Nourish all of your cells. I love to think about side body breathing as this breathing into presence, Widening, Expanding, Breathing into presence. And when you feel complete on this side, Inviting you to take a pause. What do you notice about your breathing? What can you feel and sense through the side body? Any movement, Aliveness? Thank you so much for breathing into the side body together. Our next practice is centered around the back body. So I hope that you can join us. But for now, Breathe well.