Calm is the essence of inner-beauty.  Calm is the platform for good relationships and healthful living.  We all know that we need more of it, but most of us struggle to find and keep a calm balance.

If you would like to secure a regular, calm space within each day, the Pilates method of breathing can help.  A single, deep breath releases stress and promotes a sense of well-being.  Take ten deep breaths and calmness prevails.  Joseph Pilates wrote, “Breathing is the first act of life and the last.  Above all, learn to breathe correctly.”

To understand the Pilates method of breathing, place your hands on either side of your rib cage.  Take a deep breath in and let the space between your hands expand to the sides, creating a gap in the middle. Exhale slowly and allow the rib cage to decrease in size.  Let the hands come together.  It helps to imagine that you are wringing the air out of your lungs.  Notice that when you exhale all of the air from your lungs you can feel your abdominal muscles activate in the process.

You can rely on the ten-breath calmness technique anywhere you go.  The time it takes to breathe ten complete breaths is minimal.  The calming results are maximal.

- Pam Brooks

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