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Why We’re Using an Ab Mat for Better Breathing, Core Strength and Yoga
Sometimes the best additions to your practice are the simplest ones. Recently, one of those additions at Balanced Planet Yoga has been the SPRI Ab Mat — but probably not for the reason you’re expecting. Yes, it can be used for traditional abdominal exercises. But what really got our attention was learning how to use it to explore lateral breathing, rib-cage expansion and the relationship between breath and core function. Because if you know us, you know we love anything that gives us another way to ask: Wait… what is my body actually doing here? And this particular rabbit hole started with someone we trust enormously: our own Dr. Carly Egrie, PT, DPT, MBGHWC,…
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Breathwork for Stress and Energy
Stress and fatigue often arrive together. Long workdays, constant screen time, or even the emotional drain of daily life can leave us both wired and tired — mentally stressed yet physically sluggish. Breathwork — intentional, regulated breathing practices — can help us downshift from stress and upshift from lethargy. In this article, I’ll cover how breathwork works in both directions, the most evidence-based practices, and highlight the systematic review by Tanya G. K. Bentley and colleagues that gives us a practical framework for doing breathwork well. When stressed, our breathing becomes shallow and fast. When sluggish or lethargic, it becomes flat and under-energized. Both disrupt balance in the autonomic nervous system. Breathwork helps by: Think of…
