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Lesson Outline

Note: This detailed write-up of Jeff Haller’s lesson is included here with the explicit permission of Jeff Haller.
While standing notice your sensory bubble:

  • How much space do you take in the room?
  • Do you hear better to the right or left; up or down; forward or back?
  • Do you experience light better to the right or left; up or down; forward or back?
  • Do you sense the space around you better in front or behind; between or legs or on the outside of your legs?
  • Would it be easier to turn to the right or left?

While lying on your back (feet standing if it is more comfortable):

  • Sense your breath. If you were to come up to standing, which side would you roll to? If you were to roll to your stomach, which side would you roll to?
  • Pelvic Floor: What happens to the pelvic floor as you breathe in? Does it expand or contract? As you breathe out?
  • Exhale and wait. As you start the inhale, notice the first movement you can sense.
  • Floating Ribs: For each breath, exhale and wait. As you start each inhale:
    • What is the movement of the floating ribs — toward the floor or away?
    • Place your hands on your floating ribs under your back. At the first moment of the inhale, does the pressure increase or decrease on your hands? Which side lifts first?
    • Lift your floating ribs slightly when you breathe in. Which direction does your pubic bone move?
    • Determine which side lifts more easily.
    • Lift your floating ribs more to the easy side.
    • Lift your floating ribs more to the hard side.
    • Alternate lifting the easier side and the harder side. Make the difference between amount your lift each side smaller and smaller until on each inhale both sides are lifted the same amount
  • Rest. Sense differences
  • Stand. Can you sense the movement of the breath in your stomach, back, and chest? Can you continue to sense it as you begin to walk around the room?
  • Break

While lying on your back (feet standing if it is more comfortable):

  • Sense your breath.
  • Pelvic Floor: What happens to the pelvic floor as you breathe in? Does it expand or contract? As you breathe out?
  • As you breathe in:
    • Lift your floating ribs. What direction does your sternum move?
    • Initiate the movement from your sternum.
    • While initiating with the sternum, is it easier to lift the left side or right side. Play with the side that lifts easier. Alternate lifting one side then the other while making the difference between the two sides smaller and smaller.
    • Alternate initiating the movement first from the floating ribs and then from the sternum
    • Combine into a single movement.
  • Repeat the above step with each movement lower your floating ribs and sternum.
  • As you breathe in, alternate lifting and lowering your floating ribs. When is your spine lengthening and shortening? When is your back widening and becoming more narrow?
  • Repeat the above 3 steps, but do the movement on the exhale (instead of as you breathe in).
  • Do seesaw breathing:
    • Notice the front of your torso under your skin.
    • Notice the back of your torso under your skin.
    • Do seesaw breathing diagonally (move air into your left shoulder and right hip; then move the air into your right shoulder and left hip).
  • Ring breathing
    • As you breathe in, fill your belly in all directions (like a ring around you).
    • As you breathe in, have the breath fill your belly. Have the ring move up and through you expanding your lower chest, and upper chest.
    • As you breathe in, start the ring at your feet and have it move up and through you to your belly, chest, head, and above you.
  • Stand. Sense your breath. Keep sense of breath as you begin to walk around the room.

Focus of Jeff’s Teaching

  • Finding the breath globally (front, back, stomach ribs)
  • Finding the internal expansion.

Related ATMs

See Theme Breathing:

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