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……..hi all, in addition to diaphagmatic and midriff breathing the month 7 instructions for breathing into the liver indicate breathing into the side and mid to lower thoracic rib cage (mainly on the right side, and to some extent on the left to account for the anatomical position of the liver). This seems similar to the thoracic side chest breathing advocated in Pilates (although in Pilates the intent is symmetrical and focused on the lungs – which displace the liver down wards as the diaphagm contracts on inhalation) – has anyone else experience with Pilates and noticed the physical similarity?
Hi, Colin. I don’t know anything about pilates, but Bruce is taking us through the Taoist breathing techniques that he also calls longevity breathing. One of the big distinctions Bruce makes when he contrasts Taoist and yogic breathing is what happens with th chest, which in Taoist breathing is completely relaxed, dropped, and sinks. Is that consistent with pilates?
….thanks Matthew, in Longevity Breathing my understanding is that once relaxed abdominal breathing is well developed one can begin adding in breathing into the back of the chest (gradually working up to the top of the back of the chest). Month 7 is the first time I’ve heard Bruce instruct breathing into any other part of the chest, and I recall hearing that Joseph Pilates advocated side thoracic breathing(apparently at the time, this was thought a good way of breathing for asthmatics). Generally Pilates is much closer to Hatha Yoga than to Taoist practice. From memory I think Joseph Pilates folded elements of Hatha Yoga, martial arts (probably Japanese) and Swedish physical culture into his system – much in the way that Feldenkrais did.
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