Breathplay Approach to Whole Life Fitness

Athlete and coach Jackson has developed a training method that is based on active exhalation rather than inhalation, which, he maintains, is key to overall fitness. BreathPlay, a modern-day version of Kundalini yoga, operates on a reversal of the ""normal'' process of breathing, and instructs how to exhale actively and inhale passively, thereby alternately stretching and relaxing the spine. Three skills comprise Jackson's rhythmical breathing techniques: UpsideDown breathing, BodyMind breathing and SwitchSide breathing; each can be practiced in a number of situations, including lying on the floor at home, sitting at a desk in the office, grocery shopping. Not only for the serious athlete, BreathPlay is intended as effective remedy for back pain, headaches, stress and sore muscles, and recommended during pregnancy to alleviate anxiety and decrease labor pain. Jackson's chattiness sometimes clouds clear instruction, but otherwise his is an accessible, appealing method for fitness, suitable for a broad range of life-styles.(August 22)