Clay & Air

Pillar two ยท Activating

Priming breath

30 reps a set · Sitting or standing · Nose in, nose out

Wakes the system up. Mornings, before training, or any time you would otherwise reach for coffee.

FlatBefore training

Before you start

  • This starts a stress response on purpose. That is the point of it, and it is why it belongs in the morning rather than before bed.
  • Finish with something from the relaxing pillar. Foundational breath is enough.
  • Breathing this hard can make you lightheaded. Sit down to do it, and stop if your head goes.

Watch

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The pattern

  1. 01Sit or stand with room to move your arms.
  2. 02Take a couple of ordinary breaths first, in through the nose and out through the mouth.
  3. 03Forceful inhale through the nose. Belly pushes out, arms go up overhead.
  4. 04Forceful exhale through the nose. Belly pulls in, arms come down with your elbows tucked to your sides.
  5. 05Keep the arms and the breath on the same beat. Thirty reps is one set.
  6. 06As many sets as you want. Then sit still for a few minutes.

It should feel mechanical, like a piston. The force is in both halves of the breath, not just the exhale.

Lightheaded means you are moving more air than you need. Slow the rate down, keep the force, and sit if you are not already sitting.

How it lands

You feel it fast. Warm, awake, and buzzing slightly, the way you do after the first minute of a hard walk.

What it does

  • Gets the blood moving
  • Expands and contracts the lungs hard
  • Wakes you up without reaching for coffee
  • Leaves you alert enough to sit and meditate afterwards
  • Boosts immunity and brings inflammation down

If you want a hand with it

This one works on your own. Some of it lands harder with someone in the room, and that is what the workshops are for.

Workshops

The rest of this pillar