Remember being told you should start dieting if you could “pinch an inch” around your midsection? (Thanks Special K cereal ads…) Growing up, our bellies were often made a point of shame as they were poked, pinched, and otherwise derided. For many, that shame gets deeper in the menopause transition. That urge to suck it in and suck it up when our body image suffers has damaged more than our psyches (though that’s bad enough!). It’s damaged our relationship with our bodies–and even our breath, which is not only the very essence of life, but also one of our greatest tools for relaxation and recovery, and for helping manage the challenges of menopause. This week, we sit down with Jill Miller, author of Body by Breath and go deep into the power of breath, the emotional and physical (hello, tight muscles) factors that can constrict our breathing, and, of course, how we can fully access our breath to optimize our health and performance. 

Jill Miller, C-IAYT, ERYT, is the co-founder of Tune Up Fitness Worldwide and creator of the self-care fitness formats Yoga Tune Up® and The Roll Model® Method. With more than 30 years of study in anatomy and movement, she is a pioneer in forging relevant links between the worlds of fitness, yoga, massage, athletics, and pain management. She has trained thousands of movement educators, clinicians, and manual therapists to incorporate her paradigm-shifting self-care fitness programming into athletic and medical facility programs internationally. As the creator of some of the world’s best mobility tools, she has crafted original programs for 24 Hour Fitness, Equinox, YogaWorks, and numerous professional sports teams. She and her team of 500+ trainers help you to live better in your body with an emphasis on proprioception, mobility, breath mechanics, and recovery. You can learn more about her, her books, and her work at tuneupfitness.com

Resources: 

Body by Breath book here

Coregeous (and other self-massage balls) here

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