Before I decided I wanted to be a writer, I worked as a massage therapist. The vast majority of my clients suffered from tight shoulders, neck and back aches or carpal tunnel-like symptoms. I was constantly reminding them how hard the age of computers is on our bodies. I suggested that they stop every 30 minutes to an hour for a short stretch or ramble around the office. I reminded them to drink plenty of water and get the rest they needed, etc. Quite often it seemed these suggestions fell on deaf ears. “Don’t they want to get better?” I’d ask myself. “Don’t they see that a little effort could go a long way?” I wondered.

Fast forward fifteen months, about 200,000 words, a couple of blogs, several handfuls of classes…

About a month ago, I was whining to my husband about how my back and neck hurt and how that pain seemed to be moving into my shoulder. “Well, you have been sitting at the computer a lot lately,” he answered, oh so helpfully.

DUH!

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! I’d become my clients with whom, only a few months earlier, I’d been so frustrated. After several similar conversations with some of my author friends, I decided that maybe we authors needed a gentle kick in the pants (myself included). I mean come on, how can we do our best work when our physical foundation is hurting, aching, crumbling?

So I decided to channel my massage therapist self and pass on some gentle reminders, to help us all “Just B.R.E.A.T.H.E.”. Each letter stands for a different way in which we can physically support our writing. Today we’re going to talk about “B” for breathing. It’s a relatively easy place to start – we’ll work our way into the harder stuff (where we actually have to get off our duffs and move away from the computer screen. “No, say it isn’t so!” my writer self is crying). :0)

Most of this information isn’t new to us. We’ve all heard it before, but maybe we can see it a little differently by realizing how it applies to our work as writers.

So, imagine yourself an athlete competing in the arduous, demanding sport of Olympic writing. We’re prepping for the all-uphill marathon. (Isn’t that what being an author sometimes feels like?) And it’s one heck of a race full of obstacles (less then stellar contest results, editor and agent rejections, characters who simply refuse to talk to us) and fierce competition.

Would you jump into a marathon without any training? Heck no! You’d do every possible thing you could to prepare, to be the best you could be and to triumph. So, slap on those sweats, tennis shoes and headband…on your mark, get set, go!

Breathing:

First, a quick trip to Biology 101. On a very basic level, breathing is our body’s way of getting nourishment. As we inhale (or inspire), we are bringing oxygen to our body and all of its systems. As we exhale we are carrying away waste in the form of carbon dioxide. The word “inspiration” has an interesting double meaning. In addition to “breathing in”, inspiration also indicates, according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, “the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions”. Hmmm, sounds vaguely like what we try to do as writers – move our readers’ intellect and emotions – don’t you think? Here’s another fascintating tidbit. The word “inspire” comes from the Latin root “spiritus”meaning not only breath but soul. So, it seems breathing is important on many different levels (physical, mental and spiritual). Throw in its positive stress-reducing benefits, and we’ve also got an emotional component. Pretty powerful stuff!

But enough waxing philosophical. How can breathing help us build a strong physical foundation for our writing marathon? The oxygen we bring in during breathing feeds the muscles of those crazily typing fingers (they are crazily typing, right? :0)  ). It also brings much needed fuel in the form of oxygen to that most important organ, our brain. Our brain makes up only 2% of our body weight yet requires 25% of the oxygen we breathe in. That’s one hard working organ! Feed it right with good breathing.

Most likely, we’ve all heard of deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing. Well, that’s a good place to start. Tune into your breath right now…

When you inhale, where does your breath stop? Your neck? Your chest? Your abdomen? In order to bring in all of the oxygen you need and clear out all of that nasty carbon dioxide, you want to breathe into your abdomen. Try it a couple times. Really feel your ribs expand, stick out your belly, stretch your shoulders up and back. Feel any different? More relaxed? Maybe more awake? More focused? Take the next couple days to periodically check in with your breathing. Strive for an inspiration that goes clear to your abdomen, an inspiration that clears and feeds your brain for writing, writing, writing.

If you feel like you have a good grasp on diaphragmatic breathing, there are other breathing exercises that specifically target increased awareness or improved creativity.

Scientific studies have shown that single nostril breathing corresponds to increased activity of the associated brain hemisphere. So, to give your creativty a kick, gently close your right nostril and breathe in through your left nostril (which is associated with your right brain, the typically more creative side). After you inhale, release your right nostril and exhale through both. Repeat the cycle several times and notice any differences.

A quick note: if you feel overly light-headed while working with these exercises, stop. It’s like training for a running marathon, you have to build up your strength and endurance.

Here are some resources if you’d like to learn more:

WRITING BEGINS WITH THE BREATH by Laraine Herring

8 WEEKS TO OPTIMUM HEALTH by Andrew Weil

BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT by Jeffrey A. Migdow & James E. Loehr

I’d love to hear your favorite creativity kicking techniques (breathing or otherwise) or more about your experiences with the ones mentioned above.

My next post (April 20th) will be the letter “R”…What does it stand for? I’m going to leave you in suspense…Mwahahaha!