Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1464088
L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 57 Once we bring awareness to the way we breathe as we go through our normal, everyday activities, we can begin to focus on how to work best with clients in therapeutic bodywork. Awareness of breath in massage and movement therapy is of primary importance. It should be the first thing you notice in yourself and in your clients before you begin to work, and you should maintain that awareness throughout every session. Without awareness of our breath, we can strain ourselves, create and maintain tension in our bodies, and even transfer tension to the people we touch. Without awareness of our clients' breath, we can increase their level of discomfort and deny them the opportunity to fully relax during a treatment. To begin to examine breath during treatment, we must consider the way the therapist breathes while executing a technique, as well as the way the client breathes while being compressed, twisted, or moved in and out of position. AWARENESS OF THE THERAPIST'S BREATH When you coordinate your breathing patterns with the execution of techniques and the movements of both bodies, your work can become easier, more graceful, and more effective. Stay aware of your breath when you move your body on the mat and while you move your clients' bodies. It may seem obvious to do this, but time after time, therapists breathe inefficiently as they work. Here are some simple reminders: • Exhale when you move away from your center (when you twist, pull, or bend). • Inhale when you return to your center or to the starting position. • Exhale when you apply downward or forward pressure. • Inhale when you release the pressure or return to the starting position. • Inhale when you apply upward pressure or pull a body upward. • Exhale when you return to the resting or starting position. • Inhale when you lift or suspend any part of a body. • Exhale when you return to the resting or starting position. VERTIK AL A/STOCKSY