Interestingly, if there is one thing almost all dancers need to work on, it is their breathing pattern. Many individuals know that they have an issue with their breathing, yet very few are aware of just how much this influences their flexibility, their core stability, their dancing, or their health in general.
An effective natural breathing pattern influences flexibility in a variety of ways: A calm and even cycle of breath helps regulate and down tune the nervous system; the effective movement of the diaphragm and its relationship to the pelvic floor help improve spontaneous deep core control; and the mobilisation of the head of the ribs helps improve spinal mobility, resolve neural tension and improve fascial mobility down the back line.
Understanding the anatomy of good breathing is an essential step in mastering it. As we inhale, the Diaphragm should contract downward, displacing the abdominal contents and resulting in a slight swelling of the abdomen. The External Intercostal muscles contract to expand the upper ribcage.On the exhale, the Diaphragm relaxes back up into the ribcage, while the Internal Intercostals contract to gently close the ribcage.
Some individuals demonstrate paradoxical breathing, where the abdomen sucks in when they inhale, rather than the other way around. This often takes some focused work to correct, but is time well spent, as everything starts to improve when the breathing is more functional.
