IV. Preparation for Controlled Breathing Exercises

As in any type of exercise, you must first master the basics before you can advance to the higher levels. The basics of Controlled Breathing begins, not with breathing, but with Standing. Although the breathing exercises may be practiced sitting or lying down, the benefits will occur much more quickly if you practice in a standing position.

It is recommended that you practice Controlled Breathing in a standing position until you have mastered the proper technique enough to incorporate physical movements with the exercises (Level Five), but you can always do additional practice sessions in different positions (sitting down at work, or lying down in bed at night, for example) as long as you do your basic practice sessions standing up.

The following section will give you step-by-step directions for how to stand in the proper position for Controlled Breathing exercises.

How to Stand

As with breathing, you probably have developed some bad or odd habits in standing. Here is how you should stand for Controlled Breathing exercises.

Step 1: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. You should be in a comfortable stance, with your feet neither too spread apart or too close together. (Fig. 1)

Step 2: Now look at your feet. You are probably standing with your toes turned slightly outward. Turn your toes slightly inward so that the outer edges of your feet will be parallel to each other instead of in a "V" position. (Fig. 2)

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