Week One - Trust and connection
An introduction to ENO Breathe with some easy wins and low stakes activities to build trust and connection.
Week one - an offline session
In response to requests from participants of ENO Breathe, we have prepared an offline version of each week’s session in the form of an audio track which you can listen to like a podcast. Settle yourself somewhere calm and comfortable and revisit week one of ENO Breathe in this offline session led by Suzi.
Alternatively, for reminders of specific exercises that we cover in week one, please scroll down for videos, audios and text-only versions of individual exercises.
Mind and body check in
Good posture supports efficient breathing, speaking and singing, but more than that – being present in your body and feeling attuned to your mind prepares the soil so that new ideas might take root. Observing yourself at rest is not straightforward however; when focusing on your breathing, it can be tempting to immediately change or ‘correct’ what you are doing.
We all have different preferences in terms of both how we take in information and what triggers fatigue. The film below mirrors the start of an ENO Breathe session and features ENO Breathe’s creative director, Suzi. Follow along to bring your attention to your mind and body, with an awareness of your breathing. Alternatively, you might like to explore other leaders’ mind and body check-ins – some of which are in the form of audio tracks rather than videos. Or you might like to use these written prompts to guide you through the same process.
Video
Exercise One - Gesture and breath
Connecting mind, body and breath
Moving your body along with your breath externalises the internal and this can be an effective way to calm rapid breathing and alleviate the associated anxiety.
Connecting a physical movement to breath makes slowing your breathing more achievable. Grounding your breath in a gesture and then slowing the pace of a sequence you can see and feel is more tangible and effective than trying to to slow your breathing via thought alone.
Choose between the video or audio below, both of which are designed to take you through ‘Gesture and breath’, or use these written prompts to guide you in the exercise instead.
Exercise Two - Countdown to calm
This exercise is helpful for anchoring yourself in the present moment at times when you might feel anxious or overwhelmed. Like gesture and breath above, you can use it as a means of connecting with your breathing and to slow down fast shallow breaths.
A good time to try this one is when you are lying in bed – especially if you are finding it difficult to go to sleep.
The track below will take you through the exercise step by step, or alternatively, you can use written prompts for the same technique at the bottom of this page.
To sing - Abiyoyo
This week’s lullaby is practically wordless, so there is very little text to worry about. When you sing it on your own, focus on the sort of breath you might take to convey soothing calm.
Below you’ll find karaoke versions of the song for you to sing along with, together with a downloadable song sheet. You can choose whether to sing with Suzi, Lea or just with the backing track. Pick whatever feels most comfortable.
You can also listen to the song from Week One on SoundCloud:
Download a zipfile of the audio tracks and the songs sheet (right click, save as):
About Abiyoyo: Abiyoyo is the name of a monster in South African folklore. The folk singer, Pete Seeger, introduced this song to the West by incorporating it into a story based on the traditional tale, in which the song is sung to neutralise the monster, Abiyoyo. In Seeger’s version, a magician and his son are banished from a town for causing mischief. When the giant, Abiyoyo, comes to town, the boy and his father sing the song to send the monster to sleep and make him disappear. After this feat, they are allowed back to town.
Extra activity
Whether you use your voice to speak or to sing, voices are wind instruments powered by the air that we breathe. This short film features the fantastic singer, Nardus Williams and shows what happens in our bodies when we make vocal sound. It was produced by ENO Engage together with BBC Bitesize.
Video
Calming playlists
If you head over to the calming playlists page you’ll find music to listen to curated specially for ENO Breathe. You might choose to immerse yourself in the playlist of songs we will be singing in the programme, or perhaps you’d prefer a moment of lullaby escapism – in which case, try the playlist of lullabies from operas.
If you have any difficulties using these online resources or if you would like any information in an alternative format, feel free to contact ENO Breathe by email at [email protected].
Exercise prompts
If you would prefer to read instructions for each of this week’s exercises, you will find these below:
- Get comfortable in a straight backed chair, or stand if you prefer. If you are sitting, you might want to put a cushion or a rolled up towel in the small of your back if that is more comfortable for you
- First of all, get flexible with your eyes – look around the space you are in and really situate yourself as a three-dimensional being in your space
- Now shift around in your seat, leaning forwards / backwards / side to side. This is to bring awareness to how you are sitting and to give your body some different options in terms of balance, rather than simply sitting as you habitually do
- Once you have settled and feel well aligned, bring your focus to your mind. Notice what’s happening in your head like you might watch traffic on a motorway. If you were to describe the quality of your thoughts as a stream of cars, what would they be like right now? Rush hour? Gridlock? Gentle Sunday drivers? How about the content of your thoughts – Anxious? Distracted? Focussed? Problem solving? See if you can step back from them and just notice
- Now picture a subtle lengthening of your spine in two directions; down through the bottom three vertebrae, and up into the base of your skull. Check that your shoulders are over your hips and that your feet are flat on the floor. Are there any areas of tightness in your body? If there are, see if you can ask them to release. Wiggling your toes is a good physical reminder not to hold onto tension
- Direct your attention towards your breath. Try to resist doing anything special or different with your breathing; rather just observe the air entering and leaving your body. Pay attention to the rhythm and pace of your breathing. Try to be curious rather than judgemental in your observations
Gesture and breath – connecting body, mind and breath
- Sit with your hands in your lap and start by noticing your breath
- As you breathe in through your nose, bring your hands towards your face, palms up
- As you breathe out through pursed lips, extend your hands away from you, palms out
- As you breathe in through your nose, bring your hands back towards your face, palms in
- As you breathe out through pursed lips, push your hands towards your lap, palms down
- As you are moving your hands, imagine that the air provides resistance, as if you were performing this exercise under water
- Concentrate on moving at a steady, smooth pace with no jolts or stops
Countdown to calm
- Begin by being aware of your breathing, noticing how it feels
- Count your breaths backwards from 10 to 1, separating the inhalation from the exhalation
- In your head, say ‘I am breathing in 10, I am breathing out 10. I am breathing in 9, I am breathing out 9’ and so on
- Count each breath in and out all the way back from 10 to 1
- The moment you notice your focus drifting or your mind chattering, make a point of bringing your attention back to your breathing and start the count again at 10
- If you manage to get all the way to 1 without re-starting, begin at 15 next time
© ENO Breathe / 2020
