The Inhale

The Inhale

It is useful to focus on an aspect of the breathing process that is often unconscious and goes unnoticed: the inhale. A good inhale is triggered after air has been expelled from the body up and out behind the tongue. Most of us don’t breathe out enough.

Spend a few moments each day (even a breathing cycle or two will help build awareness) consciously allowing your body to provide the cues to exhale and inhale. At the top and bottom of the exhale/inhale wait (probably longer than you usually do) until you sense the internal kinesthetic signals to change the direction of the air.

Notice how you use your tongue and jaw while inhaling. Monitoring this will help keep you from sucking of gulping the air in. Make sure there is an easy space between your teeth and that your tongue is high and wide at the back of your mouth by your upper teeth. Let the tip of your tongue touch the back of your lower teeth. Let the air come up into your head, behind your nose and eyes, to come down into your lungs. The air will automatically go down into your lungs. No need to pull or suck the air down into your body.

When you can, keep your lips closed as you inhale. This will clean and warm the air.

Think of your air tube or column as coming all the way up your throat to the top of your tongue as it is high in the back of your mouth.

Cultivating a good inhale will help enhance your upward direction and help you find your three-dimensionality from the inside of your body. There is no need to feel any resistance to the air coming in. When the air is moving freely you will probably “feel” less.

When you breathe in well, you are ready to speak, sing, or exhale without doing anything extra or changing anything.

Clues:

1. If you are hearing sound on your inhale, your throat is tight!

2. There is no need to try to open your throat on the inhale!

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