Optimal Breathing for Optimal Movement

There are times when hooping can be a challenge. Perhaps you are trying to balance on one leg or trying to find balance during a deep plie. Maybe your energy is waning and you lack the extra oomph to maintain hoop flow. Or you may feel a bit stiff and awkward, not able to make your movements as graceful as you would like. It may be that your breathing pattern is compromising your balance, energy and flow.

Just as the hoop's shape is a continuous and eternal circle, so is breathing. The act of respiration is a cycle repeating 20,000 times per day. This cycle of breath ebbs and flows just like the air around us. The air floats and produces a gentle breeze during calm, warm evenings, just as we breathe gently when we feel content. During periods of anxiety, our respiration is shallow and uneven, like an Alberta Clipper sweeping its chill into the environs. Finally, the strong winds of a hurricane mirror our breathing during intense aerobic activity.

In any activity, the breathing mechanism must function without tension or restriction to fulfill its task of respiration. The lungs, heart, diaphragm, and abdominal muscles work harmoniously and perform like a well-rehearsed orchestra, allowing a breath which is full and uninhibited. The diaphragm, in particular, is the most active organ in respiration. Contracting during inspiration, it pushes away abdominal organs thereby providing space for rib and lung expansion. If we breathe efficiently, with each breath we absorb about 20 milliliters of oxygen and dispose of nearly as much carbon dioxide. So, how do we breathe efficiently? We need to become aware of our breathing pattern and ensure we are using all of the muscles necessary for both inspiration and expiration.


Many breathing exercises focus on abdominal breathing, which isolates abdominal and intercostal muscles, and diminishes use of the diaphragm. In fact, our diaphram muscles can atrophy from disuse. When one is breathing naturally, everything moves: the diaphragm, abdomen, chest, even the back. By breathing naturally and without tension or restriction, we not only provide the necessary oxygen to all of our cells, but we increase both physical and mental stamina, expand our range of motion, and improve our quality of movement.

Optimal breathing is important for energy. If one consistently breathes shallowly, one is not getting a full intake of oxygen, and thus not energizing the body fully. The 'Chi' in Tai Chi means "life-force energy." This energy is brought into our bodies through the breath.


The flow of our movement, so important in hooping, is influenced by our breathing. As dance therapy pioneer Irmgard Bartenieff stated so beautifully, "movement rides on the flow of breath." When we breathe fully and completely, we can achieve fuller and more expressive movement.


However, there are times in which we are under stress, and our breathing tends to become shallow and concentrated in the upper ribs. Shallow breathing diminishes our cognitive abilities and compromises our ability to move more efficiently and effectively. Tension, a cause of shallow breathing, manifests itself in stiff arms, stiff torso, and stiff legs. Not only is flow compromised, but skill. Try shoulder hooping with stiff arms - it cannot be done.

Another condition under which we may under-utilize our breath is balancing while hooping. We are often told, particularly in dance and group exercise classes, to breathe. Well, of course we are breathing, but the breath is generally shallow and there are times when we may hold our breath. We may believe that by holding the breath we are controlling it, and thus we control our balance. The opposite is true: controlling the breath does not mean restricting it, but letting it flow easily and steadily. Our bodies function best when we simultaneously breathe with our movements. Rhythmic and full breathing is especially essential for balance.

Posture, just as it is important for balance, is important for breathing. Lifting the thoracic cage, widening the clavicle, lowering the scapula, and elongating the spine from the atlas to the coccyx creates space in which your organs can move freely. Inhaling through the nose also improves posture and aligns the spine.

Try this visualization for relaxed, full breathing: Imagine oxygen as a warm caress, as a fragrant, light mist which is surrounding you. As you inhale, you are greeted with a gentle warmth which flows through your nose, down your throat, into the lungs, and envelopes your chest, spine and abdomen. As you exhale, feel the tension leaving your body. Your jaw relaxes, your tongue and arms go limp, and your shoulders sink into alignment. Once again you inhale and imbibe each breath as an elixir: a reviver when you are tired and need to refresh, and a relaxer when it is time to rest. This oxygen, aided by your full and complete breath, revives your cells, releases tension, and energizes your body and mind.

Use fully this breath of life.


"For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth." - Sanskrit Proverb