The Bellows

Breathing in is Yin, breathing out is Yang. When performing internal martial art forms, we associate breathing in with defensive movements, while we associate breathing out with offensive movements.

In The Bellows, we coordinate breathing with movement while exercising the spine, shoulders, and hips.

Start on your hands and knees, with the hands directly under the shoulders, and the knees directly under the hips. Relax the back, while pushing the shoulders back (upwards) with the weight of the body.

Breathe in as you arch your back and roll your shoulders forward (down).

Breath out as you return to the original position. Perform 25 repetitions with deep long breaths acting as the engine to your bellows.

Breathing is the key to mindfulness practice when practicing the martial forms. Coordinating your breath with the movements is key. Practicing the bellows is one way to soften your torso while learning to coordinate your breath.