Self-Study: Breath
Stephanie Webb
I cannot remember where I first heard, “If you are able to breathe in a movement, you have mastery over that movement.” It seemed so accurate at the time, that I have repeated it in my own classes and have not thought to question it. I am in the throes of questioning it now in the context of breathing while inverting and doing other high level pole tricks.
In teaching upper-level pole tricks, it is so common for students to hold their breath – it seems like a way of limiting external distractions, holding onto blessed focus, and making that new move happen. Students are literally moving their body as little as they can in order to feel a kind of control; however, holding the breath creates a stress response in the body, which can ultimately force the body to work harder for longer to perform the physical tasks being asked (Davis, Eshelman, & McKay, 2008). Gasping and then holding onto breath is a panic response, and it can also be indicative of a lack of self-awareness, as many individuals do not realize they are holding their breath until they feel the tension of not breathing (Davis, Eshelman, & McKay, 2008). Interestingly, putting too much focus on breathing can also create stress – people can experience a sense of not getting enough air or not breathing correctly if they are focused too hard on their breathing patterns (Davis, Eshelman, & McKay, 2008).
If a student who is either holding their breath or focusing on it too hard can exacerbate their stress levels, compounding the stress of learning a new trick, would a student breathing naturally when executing a trick be demonstrating mastery? If so, how can we practice this without exacerbating their stress by adding too much focus?
It is well documented that breath impacts various aspects of movement, such as our ability to maximize oxygen uptake during intense exercise (Pilacho, 2017). However, the way in which breathing impacts our internal pressure is more applicable to the nature of the question at hand. For example, in picking up heavy loads, Lamberg and Hagins (2010) suggest that individuals inhale right before lifting a heavy object and exhale while the object is in lift. This allows us to regulate the pressure in the chest with the exhale, while using the inhale to prepare the body for load. Especially applicable, when Lanberg and Hagins (2010) tested this with people lifting milk crates, they mirrored this breathing pattern.
They chose lifting milk cartons because it was a heavy load, but it was manageable for participants, and it allowed researchers to measure breath. Arguably, the participants were effective at this task – an indicator of mastery (without going into the formal definition of mastery here).
To apply this information to mastery of inversions in pole dancing, it is important we consider maximizing oxygen uptake and regulating abdominal pressure. My approach to managing stress would be to bring basic breath work activities to movements that students have to do often; they can practice mindful breathing in a way that does not induce stress. Then, it would be important to continue to cue intentional breathing while students build up skills. For example, making sure that students practice an inhale right before lifting a leg in an inverted tabletop on the pole, and then exhaling when they lift their leg to prepare for inversions.
By approaching breathing on each step towards the inversion, students will build body awareness, and the movement will be naturally paired with intentional breath. As they move into higher level tricks, the goal would be for them to notice if they are not breathing, and either bring attention to that experience, or regress until they are able to regulate their breathing.
References
Davis, M., Eshelman, E. R., & McKay, M. (2008). The relaxation and stress reduction workbook. New Harbinger Publications.
Lamberg, E. M., & Hagins, M. (2010). Breath control during manual free-style lifting of a maximally tolerated load. Ergonomics, 53(3), 385-392.
Pilacho, R. (2017). Breathe In, Breathe Out…Breathing During Exercise. Engineering Exercise and Sports. Accessed: https://sites.udel.edu/coe-engex/2017/04/09/breathe-in-breathe-out-breathing-during-exercise/