First time trying this. The focus on feeling the ribs stretch was great...was aware of my abdomen lifting but the hands on my ribs were the primary guide.
Lovely, keep your tummy soft before the rib stretch and let the rib stretch do the work. You'll feel your tummy engaging involuntarily, normally feels like light tugging just below the ribs!
So helpful, the final rib stretch explains what to do perfectly. I am new to your channel and feeling so fortunate, lucky and excited to have found you. I trawled and searched the internet/RU-vid for hypopressive information and videos last August, I got so lost and disheartened I gave up on hypopressives as I wasn't sure I was doing them properly and didn't want to cause myself any harm. I continued with PT exercises only. I was right to stop, after watching your videos I now realise I was doing them wrong. Looking forward to starting my hypopressive journey again now with you. A huge thank you for your channel and videos x
This was really very helpful and really breaks down the breathing, which I find so difficult sometimes, having followed some of your 30 days. It's so kind of you to spend so much time putting these videos together. Thank you so much. x
You're welcome Heather! Just really glad they have been helpful for you. There are some more videos coming soon with in depth teaching on the hypopressives breathwork and some easier flows too x
Hello mam....Here in India noone is aware of hypopressives....For a person like me you are an 😇 (Angel) ...I am diagnosed with uterine prolapse and heard good reviews about hypopressives which can heal prolapse...So looking for these exercises.. hopefully it will help
Hello Alice. Many thanks for clarifying the Hypopressive exercise in such a concise and precise manner. It has been very helpful! Also, I appreciate your calm presence. 🌸
Hi Alice, thank you so much for all the videos - this is SO helpful!! One issue I have is that in that last breath in ( after holding it) I tend to open my mouth and directly put air in my tummy... I need to be really focus to do the last inhale via the nose... But will keep trying! Thanks again
Hi Sara, you could try holding for a shorter amount of time and if you have your hands around your rib cage you can focus on breathing into your hands on the inhale after you've held your breath :)
You’re presence is sooo calming! I am total newbie question. On the final exhale when you exhale and you move your rib cage out, are you also slightly “sucking in” your tummy?
Great to have you here - thanks for watching! Nope, there's no conscious sucking in of the tummy area - this is an involuntary action, which happens during the rib stretch. Internally it will probably feel like a tugging at the top of the tummy area or a lift in the pelvic floor area, depending on the pose. Hope that helps?
Thankyou Alice, very clear video. Just wondering what should the rest of body and pelvic floor be doing when you take that first inhale after ribstretch? Thankyou
Hey, thanks for your question! Just carry on holding the pose and your pelvic floor with just move with the breath rather than you doing anything consciously if that makes sense?!
What is the difference between when you first taught the "wiggled/moved" your ribs into your hands versus when you actually demonstrated the hypopressive movement and the vacuum occurred? Why didn't the vacuum occur when you moved your ribs versus the vacuum occurring later? Is it the absence of air on exhale? Are you pulling in and up? Are you relaxing abdomen?
Hey there, the wiggle of the ribs as a practise is just to help with the proprioception for the rib stretch. The vaccum occurs after the 3rd exhale, pause, close off the mouth and nose and then stretch / open the ribs. The rib stretch causes an involuntary contraction of the pelvic floor and core and the vaccum (appearance of the belly moving in) is due to the pressure changes with the exhale and rib stretch. Tummy is relaxed during the rib stretch - no pulling in and up for hypopressives for pelvic health. Hope that's helpful!
Hi Angela, hopefully if you go through the first few videos in the beginners playlist that will help you get the basics of the technique. It can be tricky to learn on your own - so do get in touch with one of our team if you're having difficulties!
Just heard about hypopressives for the first time. Breathing question? Why the open mouth on the exhale. I'm working so hard to only use my nose for breathing. Is there a reason not to exhale through the nose?
Hi Holly, great to have you here - are you trying to do nose breathing more generally in daily life then? Benefits of exhaling through your mouth are that you are more likely to relax your jaw which is important (tight jaw can = tight pelvic floor), and also as the poses get harder, it can be difficult to keep the exhale through your nose without getting out of breath. Hope that makes sense, Alice
I'm trying to learn hypopressives but I'm not quite getting what you're doing here. Are you inhaling, exhaling, holding your breath, pushing out the ribs by pulling in your tummy while still holding the breath? Is that right? I'm only feeling my ribs moving when I inhale or exhale. When I hold my breath I can't get my ribs to move. Even when I pull in my tummy those stubborn ribs of mine are staying put. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 😊
Hi Helen, so there are 3 inhales and exhales (as explained in terms of length of breath). Then, when you've exhaled for the third time, you hold your breath (after you've breathed out), pause, soften and then stretch your ribs sideways - without breathing in. This creates the vacuum! Then your breath in to release the vacuum. Sometimes practicing the rib movement you're struggling with can help - just focusing on using your intercostal muscles to move your ribs sideways (rather than your belly) and then relax a few times can help (without doing anything breathwise). You don't want to pull your tummy in consciously, this comes with the rib stretch - essentially a suction so the belly pulls in automatically. Hope that helps!
Hello, at one point in your video you say something about not continuing pushing out your breath and I can't quite understand what you're saying. Are you saying that that can cause post pressure in the pelvic area? What does that mean? Thanks for your videos
Hello, yes - if you exhale too hard or for too long, you can put pressure downwards - it's unlikely to cause any problems, just that you'll find the symptoms improvements you'll get will probably be limited. We find women get better symptoms improvements when they have a shorter exhale and don't try to exhale all the air. Hope that helps!
Im sure some other instructors say to do a fake breath in to rib stretch for apnea? You say that the vacume will happen naturally? Have i got that right...thanks Alice
Hey there, you can either initiate the vacuum / apnea with a false inhale i.e. close your nose and throat and mimic a breath in without actually breathing in / or initiate it with an active rib stretch or opening - so moving the ribs consciously sideways. I'll teach an active rib stretch rather than the false inhale the majority of the time when I'm working with clients as I prefer using this method to initiate the vacuum. It just feels better somehow. The false inhale can often end up being more in the upper rib cage and shoulders if not coached well, so if you're using this method to initiate the vacuum then focus on starting the false inhale at the lower part of the ribs rather than in the upper chest if that makes sense, and keeping your shoulders down. Hope that's helpful! Alice 💙
Hi Sebastian, after the cycles of inhaling and exhaling 3 times, you need to pause, relax your belly and stretch your ribs sideways, almost as if you're breathing in but without letting air in. The belly draws / sucks in automatically with the pressure reduction in the pelvic and tummy area, when you stretch your ribs sideways. Hope that helps!
Hi Amanda, welcome! Yes - you exhale for the third time and then hold your breath - and then keep holding your breath for the rib stretch. Then breath in when you feel you feel the urge to breathe in. Hope that helps! Alice
Hello - welcome! So it's important that it's not a conscious pulling in of your belly - but you should feel a sort of tugging / pulling in at the top of your tummy as you relax the belly and stretch your ribs (particularly if you do the breath work sitting up). The tugging feeling comes as an involuntary movement as everything is drawing in, in the belly area. Hope that helps. The video on how to know you're doing it correctly is a good one to watch. Alice x
Hi Helen, yes - 3 x inhale and exhale, then hold your breath, stretch your ribs (while still holding your breath, like inhaling but without breathing in). Hope that helps!
Thanks for your message and sorry to hear you are struggling - I'd suggest you have a chat with myself or one of my coaches to see how we can help you in your postnatal recovery - you can get in touch via my website. Congratulations on your baby!
