Lolita on Breathing

What I am concerned with is that you maximize your capacity for breathing. That you don't breathe-- [GASPING BREATH] shallow. That you breathe deeply. That you really out the air so you can in the air, like he used to say, right? So I also believe that the first exercise people should do when they walk in the door should be breathing.

You have to forget about the car being parked, your child going to school, your boyfriend who had a fight, what are you having for dinner. That has to be left outside the door. And you have to walk into the room and be there and now. Right? So therefore, only one thing does this.

And that's breathing. Right? So when they walk in, you have them start breathing. Now, I'm going to start you counting to 8. And I'm going to take you up to 12.

You're going to inhale through your nose, exhale through parted lips. Which was the way I was taught. And it is very easy, very relaxed. And the most important thing about breath is that we live in such a stressful world. And it is the best way of releasing stress.

OK? And you are seated in whatever position you are comfortable. With a straight back. And let's find out if that back is really straight. That straight back should touch three points.

Your sacrum, your thorax and your head. Ribs are out, way out. Sacrum, thorax, head. Wait. Chin down.

Way back. Keep coming back. There. Let's get the little pony tail out of the way. That's a straight back.

Let's go back. Ribcage in the body. That's right. That was a total different awareness, right? Of what you thought was straight.

So be aware of that. You must do that pole check often because dancers always tend to pitch forward. And they feel they're straight. And often we stick out our ribcage and we think we're straight. Just relax your elbows and let your hands just dangle right off your knees.

Right. And feel that straight back. And now we're going to breathe. Empty out. Inhale.

And cleansing breath. Exhale. And let's start. Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.

Exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. And inhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. And exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Empty out. That is what I call an exercise on maximizing your capacity for breathing.

It is something that, if you work on it, will surprise you. You should easily, within a week of working on it, be able to go to 18. I can go to 30. And the more you can breathe, the better off you are. Remember, breathing is three dimensional.

You breathe as much by extending the rib cage, but the ribs are also in the back. So think of it as if you were looking at a skeleton. Three dimensionally around. The back is extending towards the water, while the sides are extending out.