Why the Belly Position?

The Belly position is always the first position we do in any Block Therapy class. Why? Although most of our pain pesters us from different parts of our body, like the back, knees, feet, and neck, the most effective way to address pain relief is to start in the belly.

The Position

Before I go into why that is, first, what does the belly position look like? To try it out yourself, simply take a folded and rolled-up towel if you don’t have a block and place it on the floor (or bed if you are limited). Then, you will simply lay on top of it so that the tool is just underneath your belly button. You will notice immediately the sensations of pressure in the belly, which may surface further as pain. This is normal, but respect your limits.

Now comes the most important part. The purpose of the belly position is to activate the diaphragmatic breath. While in position, inhale so that the belly is expanding into the block, lifting your torso toward the ceiling, then exhale so that your belly button shrinks towards your spine, allowing the tool to sink into the belly. Continue breathing like this for 3 minutes. You want your breath to be relaxed, but complete in both ranges. Breathe in and out through the nose, and take this time to give your mind a break by just focusing on the breath and the sensations of the tool in the belly.

Now, after 3 minutes, how do you feel now? Relaxed, warm, energized? Maybe you felt more stressed while you were in the position, but the stress went away when you released the pressure. Just take note.

The Explanation

The most important part of the belly position is the practice of the breath. As we collapse into the core with improper posture, our diaphragm becomes restricted by the fascia’s powerful grips. The stunted breath that results starves the organs and extremities of blood and oxygen flow. With the Block’s pressure into the belly, the restrictions that hold the ribcage into the core are slowly released, increasing space for these muscles and organs. 

Let’s discuss the breath itself a bit more: The cells require a certain temperature to function optimally, but much of our body’s tissue is cold and stiff from lack of flow. The diaphragmatic breath can be considered as the internal furnace for the body. As opposed to a space heater, which heats only one room in the house, a furnace will deliver heat to every single space that needs it. All of our cells need the breath’s heat, and a habit of turning on this internal furnace will do wonders for the health of our tissue!

Here’s something else: did you know that 80% of weight loss and detoxification is done through the exhalation phase of the breath? Combine this with the benefits of increased oxygenation to the gut organs, and it can be easily seen how important a full, strong breath is to metabolism regulation.

But wait - there’s more! What’s the number one thing you're doing that’s making you stressed? You guessed it - it’s probably breathing wrong. Most of us pay little attention to our breath, and ask little of it. We form a habit of breathing shallowly through the muscles of the upper chest, which pulls in 6x less oxygen than a full diaphragmatic breath. Pay attention as well to whether you’re using your mouth or nose to breathe, as breathing through the mouth can cause a myriad of issues on top of increased stress.

The Recap

I like to say that if you had only 5 minutes per day to devote to your health, the belly position would be the best use of your time. The reasons I listed above really only scratch the surface of why the breath is so important, and the added fascia decompression in that area is invaluable for the health of one of the most important areas of your body. It’s simple yet powerful!

Want to learn more about Block Therapy? Follow me on Facebook and Instagram, or contact me with any questions! Hope to see you in a class sometime!