Postural Restoration Institute

Hruska Relief Position
- Perch at the edge of your chair
- Abduct (moves out to the side) and externally rotate (turn out) your legs.
- Lift your sternum (breastbone) slightly
- Tuck your chin in and look straight ahead
- Supinate (turn out) your arms as you slowly inhale with your diaphragm through your nose
- Feel your upper lateral chest wall open
- Avoid using neck muscles
- Repeat 2-3 times every 20-30 minutes when sitting

Breathing Like a Baby
-The abdomen expands first, then the chest. Don't use the neck!
-Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, or in and out through the nose for quiet breathing 8 to 10 times per minute
-When performing breathing exercises, exhale twice as long as inhaling to recruit abdominals.

Observation Breathing
- Position: seated with eyes closed and your feet flat on the floor and with your knees level with or above the hips. Comfortable clothing.
- Observe or focus on your breathing, however, do not attempt to alter it.
- As you passively follow your breathing pattern of inhalation and exhalation, even as it may change, try to note when each phase begins and ends.
- Allow yourself to completely relax.

Exhalation Breathing
- Position: sitting with feet flat on the floor and knees level with or above hips, or lying on your back with knees raised and supported.
- Focus on your breathing, however, do not attempt to alter it.
- Concentrate on the exhalation phase of breathing only.
- Exhale through your mouth “haaaa…” or sigh as you exhale.
- Think of exhalation as the beginning of the breathing cycle.

Individual Breathing
- Position: lay on your back with knees raised and supported and with eyes closed.
- Focus on your breathing, however, do not attempt to alter it.
- Imagine upon inhalation that the universe is blowing air into your entire body. Imagine upon exhalation that air is being “pulled” from your entire body.
- Continue in this manner for several breathing cycles.

Stimulation Breathing
- Position: sitting with eyes closed and your tongue placed on the alveolar ridge (soft tissue between the teeth and the roof of the mouth).
- Keep your mouth closed, quickly inhale and exhale through your nose.
- Try to keep each phase short and equal. These quick short breaths will activate musculature at the base of the neck.
- Attempt to breathe 2 cycles per second for a total of 15 seconds for the first session, then increasing total time to eventually 1 minute.

Relaxing Breathing
- Position: sitting, on your back, standing, or walking
- Place your tongue on the alveolar ridge. Maximally exhale making an “ah” sound. Close your mouth and silently inhale while counting to 4.
- Do not exhale…hold for 4 seconds.
- Now exhale through your mouth with an “ah” sound for 8 seconds.
- Repeat this cycle 3 more times.

Yoga Deep Breathing
- Position: sitting
- Exhale making an “ah” sound. Time yourself and try to increase the duration of exhalation each time you do this exercise.

Vacuum Breathing
- Position: sitting
- Breathe normally for 1 minute as you exhale making a groaning sound and inhale attempting to make the same groaning sound.

Yoga Deep Breathing
- Position: standing
- Exhale through your nose. Attempt to keep your entire body very still with the exception of your stomach and chest.
- Contract the sphincter muscles of the rectum by pulling them inwards and upwards.
- Quietly exhale and then immediately inhaling deeply through your nose. Repeat 10 times.

Relaxation Breathing
- Position: on your back with eyes covered and knees supported
- Breathe slowly and deeply relaxing each set of muscles individually from your head to your toes.
- Then, concentrate on breathing into every muscle simultaneously.
- Repeat, concentrating on tensing your entire body and then gradually relaxing each muscle.

Purification Breathing
- Position: sitting
- Slowly exhale through left nostril, keeping the right nostril closed with your right thumb.
- Then close the left nostril with the right ring finger, open the right nostril and slowly inhale.
- Repeat this cycle trying to keep each phase equal in length.
- Then switch, exhaling through the right nostril and inhaling through the left.