Part of the Oxycise! Basic Breath incorporates the abdominal “lift”. The following practice exercise may help you understand and duplicate this step more easily:
Breathe in slowly and naturally, with your abdomen relaxed. Then fake a cough and notice what happens to your abdominal muscles — do you feel the lifting (as the muscles push UP, from beneath your lungs) and the scooping (of the lower abdominal muscles) that happens automatically?
Repeat, as needed, until you can feel the lifting and scooping, and the muscular power created by your abdominal muscles. Practice holding this muscle contraction for longer and longer periods of time. The Oxycise! lift is simply a matter of holding this same contraction of the abdominal muscles by consciously tightening and scooping.
When you do the Oxycise! Basic Breath, you will be doing the “lift” along with several other steps: the 3 sniffs, the exhale, and the 3 puffs. What you are doing is using the power of your abdominal muscles against your diaphragm. This creates an internal isometric exercise that will help tone your whole midsection.
