It’s been well documented that people with scoliosis experience movement restrictions in their ribcage and lungs. I know I’ve felt it. It starts in my upper ribcage, and at times, it’s almost debilitating.
This is why breath is extremely important, particularly for people with scoliosis, it helps facilitate movement. You can even control which part of your body is helped by focusing on sending the breath there. Pretty cool, right?
I was reminded of the importance of conscious breathing and its effects on the body several summers ago when I was going through very intensive training. There was a ton of ribcage movement and breath work involved. I can honestly say it was more than I had ever done.
One afternoon as I neared the end of the multi-week training, I took a walk with my young boys to the park. My oldest son wanted to sing while we were walking and I happily obliged.
Before I knew it, I was belting out “Wheels On The Bus” from somewhere deep within my body that I had never accessed before. My voice was so loud, clear, and bold, it actually freaked my kids out! They stood frozen in their tracks, their eyes wide with fear. One of my sons asked, “Mommy! What happened?” I belly laughed in sheer happiness, realizing that all the ribcage release and deep breath work I had been doing had freed up my lungs, diaphragm, ribcage muscles, and fascia, allowing me to access my breath, and my voice, like never before.
As a movement practitioner, my goal is to teach my scoli clients how breath helps scoliosis. Breath is life. Without it, we cease to live. It’s that simple. As someone living with scoliosis, I need you to understand the magnitude of this. Say it again with me, breath helps scoliosis.
Do you need to learn how to breathe? If you’re not sure, my at-home exercise video Hard Core Scoli teaches you breathing exercises, so I encourage you to check it out, especially if no one has ever taught you how to breathe before.
Let’s take this concept of breath one step further. I live in Nashville, known as “Music City,” and the caliber of music here is arguably some of the best in the world. Last year, a band called All Sons And Daughters led the worship service at church. This wasn’t a stereotypical, old-fashioned “church” where the congregation sings ancient hymns with a sweet little grandma playing the organ. Oh no, this music was alive.
All Sons And Daughters started singing the song “Great Are You Lord,” and I broke. My knees buckled and tears started pouring out of my eyes from deep within my soul as the words and music brought me to a new place of understanding on the importance of breath.
As a body practitioner who specializes in working with people who have scoli, I have dealt with different forms of breath and know why it’s important. However, that moment in church brought my understanding of breath to an all-new level.
Meditate on these lyrics and let them sink into your soul.
Great Are You Lord
By All Sons And Daughters
You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord
It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only
All the earth will shout
Your praise
Our hearts will cry
These bones will sing
Great are You, Lord
The longer I work with the scoliosis community, the more emotional anguish I get to help my clients work through. As I’ve helped the physical body, I’ve realized I must also help heal the emotional body. If you haven’t tapped into what’s going on with you emotionally, I suggest you pry that door open. I created My Scoli Journal to help you do precisely that.
If your ribcage is free but your soul is not, you’ll still be stuck. Freedom in movement is life-giving. His breath is what gives us true life. Let the Lord breathe Life into your body.
Have you breathed today? Did it help your body move? Did it release your soul?
If you’re looking for more scoliosis resources than the ones mentioned above, you can find them, along with personalized lists, here.
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