Hello everyone and happy Monday.
I have spoken before about how powerful breath practice has been to me on my journey as a coach, and also as a human being.
This week is no different, as I want to zoom in on a takeaway from a breath session that I’ve noticed has come up in my day-to-day: the choice to expand when I could collapse.
This section is often quite tough.
Even though you are just lying down, it requires a good amount of energy and also goes against a lot of the laws I practice in the voice coaching work I do.
However, there is something powerful in choosing to expand when it would be easier to collapse.
When an emotion comes up, or a thought, or something that makes the body seize, I’m learning how effective physically expanding in that moment can be. Whether that be a breath, a stretch or a yawn.
For example, after a long day of teaching, I went to sink into the chair of one of the tube carriages, my body just wanting to melt and dissipate into the springs of TFL’s infamous checkered bench much like the other passengers around me.
This was married with me reflecting on the classes I had just taught… Should I have moved them in the space quicker? I noticed a particular student didn’t feel like their usual self- should I check-in? I disagree with how I worded that exercise now…
… but when I instead, chose to take my bag off, stretch my arms up, allow a yawn and a flex of the legs and toes, I noticed how the energy in my body became unstuck.
I didn’t feel quite so bruised.
The inner critic was silent for a while.
Dare I say, I felt more alive.
And I’m so proud of myself for choosing to not ignore the reflections that could be had, but to choose at that moment, to expand through my reflections rather than to collapse into them.
I’m curious about what this newfound method may provide me and my practice and would love to hear if you do anything similar!
See you next Monday,
M x