Understanding that ‘big breath’ we focus on so often .... post 44

 

Breathing is life! Two distinct ‘feelings’ we experience consciously when submerged in water is that of ‘pure pleasure’ or that of ‘suffocation’ by it

 

 

 

Since we have spent much time learning/teaching/practicing breathing skills, the sensations, the skill, the progressions we have learned we’ll now understand through that which we have experienced. Mostly we have learned through methods and techniques which do not teach the obvious.

To move on to advanced ‘breathing skills’ which we need for swimming strokes and use in diversified water sports and activities we now learn/teach a conscious understanding of ‘breathing skills’

Air in our lungs is much like a floatation device which keeps our body afloat on the surface of the water. Diving down into water with our lungs full of air allows us to swim around, look around and play around, like looking for toys to pick up   

http://swimmingguidance.blogspot.com/2014/02/swimming-guidance-learnteach-skills.html post 43

 
When we are under water with our lungs filled with air we can feel that the water naturally wants to lift us to the surface. We learn skills on how to stay underwater until the oxygen in the air in our lungs is used up then we must surface to take a fresh breath of air

 
 

When we are about to submerge in water we always and we only take a breath in through the mouth

Our nose has two rather tiny holes. Try to breath in fast, the nose closes slightly. To keep the nose open breathing in requires that we do so slowly. A drop of water breathed in or sniffed in will cause us to choke which in turn will cause coughing. Coughing is the reaction to choking which clears the airway to recover to the state of comfortable, rhythmic breathing above the water

To an infant, a child of any age, an adult who are novices in water choking and coughing causes discomfort, pain and fear of attempting to submerge in water. A choke with a cough that follows can be turned into a fun, silly game by everyone coughing together with a positive outcome

The bigger and wider we open the mouth the throat too opens wide so that we breathe in lungs full of air. We can breathe in fast or slowly, though slowly allows for a deeper, fuller inhalation. The air filled abdomen extends outwards. Learn/teach that air should be held in our lungs. Our cheeks are not big enough ....

We create our own sense of well being, comfort and safety. Under water, lungs filled with air give us confidence. We manage and decide our own abilities and boundaries in and around water

Breathing out is through the mouth only or the nose only or out through the mouth and the nose at the same time (explosive breathing). When we have learned and practiced the proper breathing in skills our body will naturally decide to exhale out of the mouth, the nose or both. While under water we might from time to time gently need to expel air out of the nose to prevent water from entering the nose. These life skills will also be used in many diversified activities

 

       

                                         

 

Blowing air out of our lungs is best controlled by using the voice. Out of the mouth is ‘moo’ bubbles, out of the nose are ‘mmmm’ bubbles (we close off the throat) and out of the mouth and nose are mostly ‘mwooo’ bubbles. We can practice blowing out fast or slowly ....

Where we can stand, a fun breathing practice which brings concentration, focus, rhythm is to ‘breath in’ above the water surface, sink down under the water to ‘blow bubbles’ then come up to ‘breathe in’ to sink again to ‘breathe bubbles out’ repeatedly for at least two to three minutes or longer ... have fun!