In this seminar we will explore the anatomy, mechanics and function of breathing while using the Tuning Board as a tool to increase our sensitivity to the gift that breath brings to our embodiment. Including the knowledge of the neurology of our breath with practice observing and increasing our awareness of when the breath changes is a valuable skill in transforming the ill effects of trauma and stress.

If you are breathing you are alive. The question at any given moment is how are you breathing? What are the structures of your body doing as you breathe? What is the rhythm, depth, rate, etc., of your breathing? Being aware of the movement of breath through the body is a miraculous integration of the movement of structures, organs, presence and, ideally, the accompanying sensations of the exchange of life-giving air inside and outside of us.

We, who value somatic embodiment, cannot ignore nor diminish the conscious and unconscious relationship we have with the phenomenal act of breathing. Every moment of our being alive is intimately shared with our breath. Though we may not be mindful of how we are breathing whether in a state of stress or a state of calm the breath is always there in one way or another with the experience.

Breathing is a core function and, thus, involves core structures in the body, such as, the diaphragm, lungs, brainstem, pelvic floor and spine. Every experience we have and every change of state we undergo is accompanied by changes in our breathing. Respiratory centers in the pons and medulla of the brainstem are coordinated with the vagus nerve close by regulating oxygen, rate pattern and emotion.

We will explore and play with voluntary and involuntary breathing, quiet breathing and calming breathing, inhalation and exhalation cycles and prana breathing. We will review the relationship between breathing and the vagus nerve and the effects on our presence. We will see how the Tuning Board is an ally in our embodiment and awareness of our breath. We will bring our attention to the micromovements and microsensing of the changing actions and rhythms of our breathing.

Breathing can be seen as the vehicle of our embodied presence. Each moment of such self-awareness informs us of our inner and outer world experience and our relationship to it. Where are our thoughts? What are the emotions in the moment we notice? What sensations are moving within and what movements may want to come into play? What postures are the shapes our body is presenting? What desires and fears and what is the breathing of those watchful moments? The practice of such attention to the embodied movement of breath supports grounding, stress reduction, emotional regulation and greater self-awareness.

Next date for the Basic Tuning Board class "The Body in Tune":
November 9 – 11, 2024
May 9 - 10, 2025