HUFF & PUFF CLUB

Exercises

The exercises have the greatest effect when the coach and participants are physically present together. Coach can sense the participants’ daily form and the immediate effect of the exercises, and adapt the training accordingly.

To be able to train individually on a daily basis, or because you are prevented from participating in the training sessions, here are some series of exercises.

New exercises will be added to this page on an ongoing basis.

Morning Program 1

Program 1. sound 34:07

Experience the natural spontaneous breath

  • Sit upright
  • Draw your attention to your nostrils
  • Experience breathing in and out through your nostrils – relax jaw muscles
  • Invite peace into your spine
  • Keep your attention at your nostrils – experience breathing in and out of your nostrils
  • This is one round

 

Blacksmith’s Bellow Breath – 3 rounds

  • Sit upright with your hands resting on your knees
  • Breathe powerfully in and out through both nostrils with jerky rapid breaths – approximately 20 times
  • Afterwards – inhale deeply through both nostrils and then hold your breath – bow your head slightly forward in a neck-lock
  • At the same time squeeze/pull the crotch, rectum and genitals/pelvic floor together. This is your root-lock
  • Hold your breath and the 2 locks as long as you can effortlessly.
  • Release both locks and lift your head up
  • Exhale through both nostrils
  • This is one round

 

Sun Breath – 3-5 rounds

  • Sit upright – close your eyes
  • Relax your body where possible. Close your left nostril with your right index finger
  • Inhale deeply through your right nostril until no more air can get in – hold your breath
  • Take your right hand down and bend your head in a neck-lock
  • Activate the root-lock (hold as if you had to pee) – hold your breath as long as possible
  • Release both root-lock and neck-lock
  • Close your left nostril with your right index finger – exhale slowly through your right nostril

 

Cooling Breath – 3-9 rounds

  • Sit upright – close your eyes
  • Either: Fold your tongue like a tube and inhale slowly through this tube making a faint sound   
  • Or: Bare your teeth, biting gently together and inhale through your bared teeth making a faint sound
  • Hold this breath for a short time – while you also hold the 2 locks, just like in Blacksmith’s Bellow
  • Release both locks and slowly exhale through your nose
  • This is one round

 

Alternating Breath – 5 rounds

On counts of 1-4-2

Breathe in counting silently to 4 – hold your breath while counting silently to 16 – exhale counting silently to 8

  • Sit upright – close your eyes
  • Focus on the natural rhythm of your breathing – sense your nostrils and the air flowing in and out through your nose
  • Place your right index and middle finger between your eyes. Now you can close the right nostril with your thumb and the left nostril with your ring finger
  • First close the right nostril – inhale through the left nostril while counting to 4 – close both nostrils, hold your breath while counting to 16 – exhale through the right nostril while counting to 8
  • Now shift nostril
  • Inhale through the right nostril while counting to 4 – close both nostrils, hold your breath while counting to 16 – exhale through the left nostril while counting to 8
  • This is one round
  • Continue with the rounds and let your breathing become slow and completely calm throughout the rounds

 

Ujjayi Breath – 10 minutes

  • Set an alarm for 10 minutes –
  • Sit upright
  • Feel a hoarse sound at your vocal chords when you inhale and exhale
  • Make some resistance/friction, both with your inhalation and exhalation, however without straining
  • If it feels comfortable, place the tip of your tongue at the palate – this can enhance the hoarse sound
  • Find peace and stillness in the repetition. It may take a while before the peacefulness arises.

Enjoy!

Afternoon / Evening Program 2

Program 2 Click for sound 32:52

Experience the natural spontaneous breath

  • Sit upright
  • Draw your attention to your nostrils
  • Experience breathing in and out through your nostrils – relax jaw muscles
  • Invite peace into your spine
  • Keep your attention at your nostrils – experience breathing in and out of your nostrils
  • This is one round

 

Vitalizing Breath

  • Lie or sit upright
  • Draw your attention to your nostrils
  • Sense the inhalation is cooler than the exhalation
  • Keep your attention on that for 4-7 breaths
  • Inhale – count silently to 4
  • Hold your breath – count silently to 4
  • Exhale – count silently to 4
  • Hold your breath – count silently to 4
  • Continue this sequence of 4-4-4-4 for 5 rounds
  • Next:
  • Inhale – count silently to 4
  • Hold your breath – count silently to 4
  • Exhale – count silently to 8
  • Hold your breath – count silently to 4
  • Continue this sequence of 4-4-8-4 for 5 rounds
  • Lastly:
  • Inhale – count silently to 8
  • Hold your breath – count silently to 8
  • Exhale – count silently to 8
  • Hold your breath – count silently to 8
  • Continue this sequence of 8-8-8-8 for 5 rounds

 

Blacksmith’s Bellow Breath – 5 rounds

  • Lie or sit upright
  • Breathe powerfully in and out through both nostrils with jerky rapid breaths – approximately 20 times
  • Afterwards – inhale deeply through both nostrils and then hold your breath
  • Hold your breath for as long as you can effortlessly
  • Release the breath
  • Exhale through both nostrils
  • This is one round

Three Part Breath – 5 rounds

 

Three Part Breath – 5 rounds

  • Lie or sit upright
  • Observe your spontaneous breathing
  • Relax around your stomach muscles and diaphragm
  • Inhale 1/3 air – hold your breath gently
  • Take in 1/3 more air – hold your breath gently
  • Take in the last 1/3 part air – hold your breath gently
  • Exhale naturally through both nostrils
  • This is one round

 

Wave Breath – 9 rounds

  • Lie or sit upright
  • Relax around your stomach muscles and diaphragm
  • Inhale moderately – your natural inhalation
  • Hold your breath
  • While holding your breath, relax those parts of your body which can relax
  • Using your stomach muscles and diaphragm move the air up towards your ribs and then down towards your stomach
  • Repeat several times without straining
  • Exhale when the air is up towards your ribs
  • This is one round

 

Ujjayi Breath – 10 minutes

  • Set an alarm for 10 minutes
  • Lie or sit upright
  • Feel a hoarse sound at your vocal chords when you inhale and exhale
  • Make some resistance/friction, both with your inhalation and exhalation, however without straining
  • If it feels comfortable, place the tip of your tongue at the palate – this can enhance the hoarse sound
  • Find peace and stillness in the repetition. It may take a while before peacefulness arises and you find your own controlled rhythm

Enjoy!

General Exercises - Program 3

Program 3 Click for sound 48:47

Experience the natural spontaneous breath

  • Lie or sit upright
  • Draw your attention to your nostrils
  • Experience breathing in and out through your nostrils – relax jaw muscles
  • Invite calmness into your spine
  • Keep your attention at your nostrils – experience breathing in and out of your nostrils
  • This is one round

 

Awareness Exercise – 5 rounds

  • Lie or sit comfortably
  • Close your eyes – relax jaw muscles
  • Invite your natural breathing in without controlling it
  • Focus your attention at your right foot
  • With your next inhalation, move your attention up the right side of your body and up through the right nostril to the area between your eyebrows
  • Exhale while simultaneously moving your attention down through the left nostril and down the left side of your body to your left foot
  • Inhale while simultaneously moving your attention up through the left side of your body and up through the left nostril to the area between your eyebrows
  • Exhale while simultaneously moving your attention down through the right nostril and down the right side of your body to your right foot
  • This is one round

 

Alternating Breath – 5 rounds

  • Lie or sit comfortably
  • Close your eyes and focus on the natural rhythm of your breath
  • Sense your nostrils and the air flowing in and out of your nose
  • Place your right hand index and middle finger between your eyebrows. Now you can close your nostrils – the right nostril with the thumb and the left nostril with the ring finger
  • Close the right nostril – inhale through the left – exhale through the left – inhale through the left – Close the left nostril
  • Open the right – exhale through the right– inhale through the right
  • Close the right nostril – open the left – exhale through the left nostril
  • This is one round
  • Allow your breathing to become slow and completely calm throughout the rounds

 

Wave Breath on filled lungs – 5 rounds

  • Lie or sit comfortably
  • Relax around your abs and midriff (diaphragm)
  • Inhale moderately – your natural inhalation
  • Hold your breath
  • While holding your breath, relax those parts of your body which can relax
  • Using your abs and midriff move the air up towards your ribs and then down towards your stomach
  • Repeat as many times as possible without straining
  • Exhale when the air is up towards your ribs
  • This is one round

 

Wave Breath on emptied lungs – 5 rounds

  • Lie or sit upright
  • Relax around you’re your abs and midriff (diaphragm)
  • Inhale moderately – your natural inhalation
  • Exhale moderately – your natural exhalation
  • Hold your breath with the existing air in your lungs
  • While holding your breath, relax those parts of your body which can relax
  • Move the air up towards your ribs and then down towards your stomach
  • Repeat as many times as possible without straining
  • Exhale when the air is up towards your ribs
  • This is one round

 

Blacksmith’s Bellow l – 5 rounds

  • Lie or sit upright
  • Breathe powerfully in and out through both nostrils with jerky rapid breaths – approximately 20 times
  • Hereafter inhale deeply and hold your breath for as long as possible without straining
  • Release the breath and exhale through both nostrils
  • This is one round

 

Blacksmith’s Bellow II – 5 rounds

  • Lie or sit upright
  • Place one hand up in front of your nostrils – exhale – the nostril which is most open is the one to start with – close the other nostril with one finger
  • Breathe powerfully with jerky breaths in and out through the open nostril – approximately 20 times
  • Hereafter – inhale deeply – close both nostrils with your fingers or lower your hand
  • Hold your breath as long as you can without straining
  • Release the breath – exhale through both nostrils
  • This is one round

 

Perfect Breath – 5 rounds

  • Lie or sit comfortably
  • Invite your natural spontaneous breathing into this exercise – you need to control where the movement of your breathing starts and ends.
  • Inhale – the stomach rises – the ribs expand – the chest lifts up
  • Exhale – the stomach lowers – the ribs contract – the chest falls into place
  • This is one round

 

Frog Breath / Packed lungs – 5 rounds

  • Lie or sit comfortably
  • In this exercise you use your mouth, tongue, larynx and throat and yes, even your cheeks. You work by inhaling through your mouth – a sense of ‘mouthfuls’ of air being transported down into your lungs.
  • Inhale and exhale deeply before you start
  • Inhale normally – hold your breath
  • Continue inhaling through your mouth, as if it were a straw you are sucking on
  • Close your mouth – transport a ‘mouthful’ of air down into your lungs (almost like a swallowing sensation)
  • Continue several times with sucking more air in through your mouth – ‘swallowing’ along the way
  • REMEMBER – do not lose any air along the way!
  • Hold your breath with packed lungs
  • Exhale through both nostrils
  • This is one round

 

Ujjayi Breath – 10 minutes

  • Set an alarm for 10 minutes
  • Lie or sit comfortably.
  • Feel a hoarse sound at your vocal chords when you inhale and exhale.
  • Make some resistance/friction, both with your inhalation and exhalation, however without straining.
  • If it feels comfortable, place the tip of your tongue at the palate – this can enhance the hoarse sound.
  • Find peace and stillness in the repetition. It may take a while before peacefulness arises and you find your own controlled rhythm.

Enjoy!