Massage and proper breathing go hand in hand. Deep, belly shaking breaths can be the difference between a painful experience and an experience that heals. So much can be assessed about a person from just seeing how they breath. Are they a shallow breather? Do they breath short and quick? When trying to relax, how long does it take for their breathing to level out? These are things that you want to watch for and trying to help them isn’t always easy.

Using breath with your stretches and techniques makes for an awesome experience. It creates a flow that is just so natural the client can’t help but relax, and you know what happens when the client is more relaxed? That’s right! More effective healing takes place. We get those people on our tables that just don’t know how to relax, and our job as good therapists is to help teach them. I like to give my clients homework, breathing exercises to do while they are laying in bed going to sleep or watching TV at night. Most of them probably don’t ever do the exercises, but for the ones that do boy does it make a difference. When they come back on the table in a week and aren’t talking, you can actually see the changes in their bodies happen. Breathe is a great tool for us therapists to use and the more you practice and use it the better you will become at showing others how to achieve good breathing skills.

This picture here is of a woman doing an exercise that I like. Sit like she is, relax your belly, take in a full breathe and then start snapping little breathes out. Don’t consciously take a breath in, it will happen on it’s own. Just make sure your belly snaps in with the breathe. Do this quickly about 60 times. Repeat twice. I do this two times a day, once in the morning and once at night. It makes you feel amazing! It’s also like a little mini ab workout!

Remember, learning to be a good breather yourself is great for you and your massage practice. Your clients will notice a difference in you, and they will like the changes. We are only taught to breathe in certain circumstances like, child labor or yoga. Incorporating good breathes into your day, all day can make the world a brighter place. So remember, practice, practice, practice!