Base-Line Healing logo. Stick figure with arms outstretched above shoulder height, legs apart. Rainbow of colours up midline. Red at pelvic floor Base then a line of orange, yellow, green blue extending to the head. Showing the body aligned and balanced, the natural way to treat fibromyalgia. Use your body better slogan.

Breathing With Your Base-Line.

A good breathing technique is important for general functioning of the body, and so is a good habit to develop.(Getting sufficient air into your lungs and allowing time for efficient gas exchange between air and red blood cells, taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide to maintain healthy cell functioning.).

Breathing with your Base-Line will also help to build the connection between body and mind. Keep this simple technique in mind, practice it throughout the day.

Firstly, practice this:

Breathe in through your nostrils.

Breathe out through your mouth.

Breathing with your Base-Line muscles. Image of face with arrows going up into the nostrils. Breathe in through your nostrils, feel your whole body extend. Breathe out through your mouth. Repeat.

Find a comfortable breathing pattern. Steady, deep - but mostly, relaxed.

Feel the air flow through your nostrils and mouth as you breathe in and out.

Think of your body lengthening with every in-breath.

Feel for the relative positioning of your midline markers as you breathe in(starting from pubic symphysis to navel to xiphoid process). Imagine these points aligning and let yourself move - however feels natural.

Now Think of Your Base-Line As You Breathe.

human figure seen from the front showing the Base-Line muscles. Base pelvic floor like a basket between your legs at the base of the torso. The rectus abdominis muscles the body's central line forming two ribbons of muscle, side by side and split into panels of muscle tissue, extending from pubic symphysis to chest. Breathe with your baseline to lengthen and align your midline. Engage and elongate the body's core pillar of strength, from where the rest of the body extends. Think stronger and longer with every in breath.

Think of activating and extending your Base-Line each time you inhale. 

Base-Line muscles

Take as many breaths as you need to feel some activation and extension, from pelvis to chest.

Begin by contracting your pelvic floor muscles.

human outline facing forward, seen from above. Showing the pelvic floor muscles in-situ spanning the pelvic canal. The pelvic floor is made up of several muscles, differing in shape and size, forming the basket slung from the bones of the pelvis. Left and right sides are a mirror image, with midline gaps for the anus and genital outlets.

Your pelvic floor is the BASE foundation from where all movement should stem.

pelvic floor keeping it simple pelvic floor in detail

Then activate your rectus abdominis muscles.

Outline of human figure showing the rectus abdominis muscles extending from between the legs at the front of the pelvis to the front of the chest. The rectus abdominis are two long muscles, lying parallel up the front of the abdomen attaching to the cartilage of the lower ribs. Each rectus abdominis consists of several sections of muscle tissue separated by horizontal strips of connective tissue known as tendinous intersections. The linea alba (white line) is a strip of connective tissue midline between the rectus abdominis muscles, running from pubic symphysis to xiphoid process of the sternum. The rectus abdominis - the body's central line that should be active and elongated to support the rest of the body.

The rectus abdominis muscles are the body's central LINE.They should be strong and flexible, supporting all movement.

Think of activating and lengthening these muscles, section by section, from pelvis to chest.

rectus abdominis keeping it simple rectus abdominis in detail

Use your hands over your rectus abdominis muscles and tap up the front of your abdomen as you breathe in. Imagine each pair of panels of muscle activating and extending in sequence, from pubic symphysis of the pelvis to your ribs.

Benefits Of Breathing With Your Base-Line

Breathing with your Base-Line develops the connection between body and mind, allowing you to feel your posture and state of balance extending from midline.

Lengthening and strengthening your rectus abdominis muscles will increase awareness of relative positioning of your midline markers for body alignment and balance.

midline markers body alignment and balance

It takes practice to activate the right muscles if you are not used to using them - so keep trying. Look at the anatomy pages, picture the muscles in your mind. Touch them on your body.

I found it easiest to work on my breathing whilst standing (in a relaxed manner) or lying on my back.

Do whatever feels good for you.

As I focused on my activating my Base-Line I found myself adjusting my position so that my body was a little more aligned. Let yourself move as feels natural.

Closing off one nostril with a finger and breathing through the other nostril can increase the sensation of airflow, helping you to feel the positioning of your head in relation to your body. Then swap sides and feel for a difference.

It can take a long time to break old habits and learn to activate the correct muscles if you are not used to using them. Be aware of when 'the wrong' areas of muscle activate. If you feel this happening - relax, breathe and focus on your Base-Line once more. Little by little improvements are made.

Breathe with your Base-Line.

Stronger and longer with every in-breath.

Build the connection between body and mind.

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