Master Your Core: A Science-Based Guide to Achieve Peak Performance and Resilience to Injury by Zazulak Bohdanna

Author:Zazulak, Bohdanna
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-06-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Breathing

“The mind is the king of the senses, but the breath is the king

of the mind.”

—Svatmarama

Let’s start your path to core empowerment by learning to breathe deeply and connect your mind with your core. As James Joyce wrote, “There is no past, no future; everything flows in an eternal present.” If you don’t make self-care a priority in your life, you will pay a very high price as your health declines. Take time every day to fully experience the present moment, awaken your senses, and establish effective and efficient mindful breathing strategies for optimal core activation.

Deep breathing, in combination with the targeted trunk-stretching exercises you’ll learn in this chapter, will help you deepen your mind-core connection. This is the critical first step to improving your core health. As you do these exercises, pay special attention to your breathing and the sensations in your body as you move. Putting your focus and awareness on your muscles and body is a key step in improving proprioception and core awareness. Do not rush through these exercises just to “check them off your list.” You will get the best results by taking your time and focusing on every step of the process. Experience what it feels like as your muscles engage and move throughout every part of these exercises. Breath training will increase the recruitment of core musculature, improve functional biomechanics, and create new neural connections throughout your brain and body, all of which will protect and empower you.

Breathing Mechanics

“For breath is life, so if you breathe well you will live long on earth.”

—Sanskrit Proverb

Scientific evidence shows us that developing breathing mechanics in coordination with the core musculature (including abdominal and back musculature, as well as the inner core muscles) is important for postural control, core stability, and optimal wellness. Muscles that play important roles in core stability include the diaphragm (the dome-shaped muscles at the base of the lungs) as the superior boundary of the core, the pelvic floor (the muscular sling at the base of your abdomen) as the inferior boundary, the multifidus (which stabilizes the spinal column), and the transverse abdominis (the circumferential boundary) (). These muscular boundaries of your trunk work together in unison to produce a corset-like stabilization effect for your core. It is the goal of core stability exercises to activate these respiratory and postural muscles in a coordinated manner, and to maximize 360 degrees of control for complex daily maneuvers and athletic activities.

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