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Welcome to the Physical Corrections Module. You will learn the Whole Body Breathing model and paradigm, understand and experience your body at an even deeper level, and access exercises to unlock the breathing / achieve your objectives in various body regions.
An Important Note: Thinking that you feel something is not part of Whole Body Breathing. Yes, initially sensation may be vague and subtle, just on the edge of perception. You must confirm, beyond doubt, what the actual sensation is.
In previous versions of the course, we called this C.O.R.E. training, or āCorrection of Reticulating Elementsā.
An important definition to keep in your understanding and experience:
tenĀ·segĀ·riĀ·ty
noun:Ā tensegrity
- the characteristic property of a stableĀ three-dimensionalĀ structure consisting of members under tension that areĀ contiguousĀ and members under compression that are not.ātensegrity constructionā
It is also important that you understand the anatomical concept of fascia. Fascia is the structural network of your body, interweaving and joining into the bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and organs. Indeed, we can extend the structural understanding down into the cells and up into the skin and beyond. Fascia transfers force and information.
In the Introduction to Whole Body Breathing training, we explored improper fascial constrictions and how to release them. That knowledge and experience needs to continue to be cultivated even as you move into CORE Correction of Reticulating Elements training. There is aĀ properĀ reticulating web of fascia in the body that allows for healthy form, function, and which can be noticed to provide the tensioning to pull the body / diaphragms open on each inhale. The goal of CORE training is to have you identify this proper fascial tensioning network and perform exercises / meditations to strengthen these proper connections. It will pull you back into form, and make releasing of improper patterns more powerful.
The Whole Body Breathing Model
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There are seven main diaphragms in the body which all expand on the inhale. These diaphragms interface with each other via the fascial lines and fascial web.
The Seven Diaphragms, from top to bottom, are:
- The Scalp
- The Main Head Diaphragm
- The Lower Jaw
- Thoracic Inlet
- Main Respiratory Diaphragm
- Pelvic Diaphragm
- Feet
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These diaphragms connect, interface, and interact through the entire fascial network, but especially through the fascial lines.
Where fascia is densest, small impulses can induce large movements. The fascia is densest in the meninges (spine and brain coating), the diaphragms, and along the fascial lines.
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The fascial lines can be separated into two categories of lines whose interplay is responsible for the tensegrity of the body - the Soft Inner and Hard Outer. The lines balance eachother out, and the diaphragms sit between them. As the entire tensegrity mesh merges into parts of eachother, these lines do not exactly line up with anatomy trains lines nor are they rigid. For example, the soft inner line of the leg goes through the psoas to merge with the hard outer line surrounding the spine - and yet the soft inner continues up via the linea alba and sternum.
There are specific structures within the Whole Body Breathing definition that constitute the central fascial line for soft inner and hard outer, but it is important to note that all of the surrounding structures will also be recruited into their movements.
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This is a 3D Model with animation. You can zoom in and rotate to see the breathing motion, diaphragms and the inner/outer lines.
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The bones within these regions are part of the diaphragm structure, and the rhythmic expansion and contraction of the structure is key to inducing and allowing growth. See Alt-Ramec.
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There is an as-above-so-below relationship between the head and torso, where the three diaphragms of the torso correspond to the three diaphragms of the head. The shoulder/thoracic inlet diaphragm, as a transition point, mirrors the feet as the main anchorage which the diaphragms above can tug on in order to expand.
The mirroring is as follows:
- Scalp/Thoracic Inlet
- Main Head Diaphragm/Main Respiratory Diaphragm
- Lower Jaw / Pelvic Floor
The diaphragms will all interact with each other and tug on each-other via the fascial lines.
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A Whole Body Breath:
- The inhale is driven by an impulse deep in the being, which first manifests as an increased pressure within the cerebrospinal fluid.
- The increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure causes an expansion of the meninges, skull and spine (and increases in space between vertebrae and joints).
- This expansion drives an opening of all seven diaphragms
- There is a positive feedback loop where the diaphragms open each other, and the increased pressure within the body against the spine and skull then drives increased CSF pressure, which further drives the inhale. See The Breath Drives the CranioSacral Rythme
- Every muscle and tendon in the body is recruited into the inhale. This is the most effective way to inhale - a slight tensioning across the system to open everything up. This continues until the body reaches a point of maximum expansion, which will depend on the level of structural growth and compensation patterns present. The exhale is then the same process in reverse.
- This rhythmic expansion and contraction opens up the diaphragms/structure. The body grows using this steady rhythm of fluid and structure expansion/pressure and contraction until it reaches its ideal sizes and ratios.
- The same process happens in reverse o the inhale, with simultaneous drops in body expansion and CSF fluid pressure
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Whole Body Breathing Craniosacral Theory
The Whole Body Breathing theory of movement for the skull, spine, and the fascial/muscle system around it is an approximate marriage between traditional craniosacral theory and the concept of fascial lines and meridians. In this video we will be exploring the theory for skull expansion and the origins of such thought. Whole Body Breathing looks at the anatomy of the body and sees how the various movements and systems fit together.
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Waking up Further Fascial Connections
Getting a Deeper feel for the fascia
In this video weāll get a better sensation of the fascia running through our body. How its elasticity contributes to keeping your shape. You will feel the rebounding force of the fascia, put your hands on the actual fascial structure of the thoracolumbar facia to differentiate it from muscle, and learn deeper psychosomatic truths about how holding yourself has to do with thoughts.
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Waking up the Arms, Head, and Legs
In this video weāll go from confirming movement in the torso to awakening movement in the arms, head, and pelvis.
The exercises are : Pushup/Shoulder Breathing for arms, SCM / Head Tug for head, and the Psoas Situp for legs.
It is important to pay attention to attachment points, as these are likely where you will feel the most sensation. You may at first feel a generalized sensation, tingling, and you should stay with it until/if it becomes more clear.
It may be helpful to try in various postures, or in various stretches, to increase the amount of sensation felt.
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Addendum to Video: If you breath into your belly and feel the organs push into the pelvis, that is another good way to get a feel for movement into the pelvis. You can also tension the feet lines and get a feel for the tension of your glutes pulling open the pelvis.
The spine extension exercise below has another exercise for feeling the pull back on the head
Respiration/Posture Lines
The reason that posture and breathing are linked is because you must be able to breath in any posture and move from any posture - the body does not have redundant lines of force transfer to accomplish this, the same lines of force are used. The main lines of your resting posture are the main lines of your resting breathing, the compensated lines of poor posture/form can be the compensated lines for poor breathing. This is usually ok, so that you can still breath while in strange or hunched positions by recruiting improper fascial/muscle chains, but if the compensation becomes your natural / default breathing mode then your form will be pulled out of shape by the force of 20,000 pulling motions from the breath every day. In developing individuals it will clearly be improper skeletal structure; In developed individuals who later become compensated it will first manifest as pains and joint issues (or other issues) before the actual structure begins deterioration.
Let us explore the proper lines of respiration and posture:
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Opening the Hips and Ribcage
With a side note about attractive appearance and growth, and the mirroring of the head with the torso. We have cartilage in the front of the ribcage between the proper bone and sternum, and this will likely need to be stretched / further developed. Remember that the breath happens mostly into the back and causes rib lifting/expansion backwards as well. Additionally, there is cartilage at the pubic symphysis of the left and right hip in the front, and a facial/tendon web connecting it to the sacrum at the back. These need to be stretched/developed to pull the hips into a wider stance and in better orientation (with eachother, and with the rest of the body).
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Spinal Extension
The spine naturally extends and lengthens on the inhale. This is a result of the deepest level of breath, and drives the breath impulse through to the fascia of the rest of the body. As the fascia of the meninges and spine are densest, their slight movement all at once when the CSF fluid increases drives a large movement through the fascia of the rest of the body/diaphrags - which then increases CSF pressure, a feedback loop that drives a proper inhale. And vice versa on the exhale. The tension between the from of the skull and back of the skull being pulled in opposite directions can generate tremendous force, which is proper development in terms of pulling the neurocranium (skull) away from the viscerocranium (nasomaxilla, jaws). The feeling of spinal extension when slumped over is also a good way to get the feeling of force generation from the neck to the head.
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Further Depth for Each Region:
Be sure to go into these individual pages to further understand theory and practice!
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Whole Body Walking
The fascial tensegrity system plays roles in breathing, posture, and all movement. The main movement unique to the human form is walking, and indeed the fascial network used properly supports the body through a proper walk cycle. In addition to the video contents, the ribcage/torso connection to the skull which pulls the skull open on every inhale would also exhibit such a tug on every step, discussed very briefly here: YouTube Short
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Breathing Elasticity:
What we want to feel is the upper and lower limits of natural breathing - where the breathing pattern goes from relaxed and easy into compensation, and play in that area. You can also play in the red area, but not as a constant practice (in my opinion). Itās important to feel the elasticity between the inhale and exhale
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Pressurized Systems
The body is composed of fluid. Most of it liquid, some of it more dense, and with even the air and gasses playing a role in the fluid dynamics. These are the sorts of dynamics which actually contribute to strengthening or properly working the facial network. We need to play into this fluid dynamics pressure in order to loosen the improper constrictions in the front and backlines, and also to strengthen them - it is this pressure along the fascial lines which results in expansion on the inhale. This internal pressure also drives the systems of the body - cardiovascular, lymphatic, gas exchange, fluid exchange et al.
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Guided meditations for pressurized System:
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Breathing out Longer for better releasing / state
Itās time to start shifting our attention towards the other half of the the respiration process - the exhale. Deepening your connection with the exhale will reveal new physical patterns of constriction and help your to further release those found in modules 1 and 2. It will also put you into parasympathetic states, deeper awareness from which you can better notice and release subtle sensation and gain the subtlety of perception to better handle esoteric work. Incorporate this into your daily practice, your constant yoga nidra. Also refer to the guided breath-with-music video from Module 1.
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Tensegrity Stretching
The level of perception and sensation in Whole Body Breathing is intended to become more and more subtle, such that your interference with the body becomes minimal - you give the body a cue, and observe its behavior at a deep level. This is important for waking up connections that would otherwise escape perception. In this session, we look at how to stretch and flex the musculature in a way that we can deeply perceive the state of the tissue and its connections.
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Revisiting the deep reactions
Deeper levels of stillness expose subtler and subtler sensations. Itās this subtle tensioning which we must become aware of and release for long term and large scale improvement. Talking interferes with breathing as you must necessarily be in a controlled exhale while talking. The is a very tight link between thought and speaking, to the point where someone can articulate even before having the thought be concrete in the mind - or, in many cases, speak without thinking. For good or bad. This means that subvocalization - to think something and have the tongue begin subtly twitching it or move into speaking postures - could be a very big limit on freeing of the jaw and skull diaphragms, and in causing tension through the body. Subvocalization could be like having a car out of gear but the flywheel still vibrates when the engine is on (content idea). When you exhale consciously you are inhibiting the subvocalization process. Eye movements are also linked deeply with neck muscle movement, and eye movement is also linked to thinking. Combined subvocalization, eye movement, ear vibration, inner vibration translate deep into the internal and external structure of the skull. The nervous system will be directly influenced to sympathetic or parasympathetic as the neck/skull holds nerves such as the Vegas, have a direct link into the myodural bridge and tentorium, and the constant tensioning of this area will directly interfere with the exhale - an exhale which is needed to trigger parasympathetic states
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You may be able to see in the interlinked, convoluted description above why the WBB theory is so interlinked. Where to start explaining? Everything links into everything, every new piece of knowledge fit a piece of the puzzle and unlocks 3 more. To work out a billion piece 3D jigsaw puzzle requires a deeper level of intelligence to be tapped into.
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Resources for Further Research and Understanding
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