Second Update:
While teaching my class recently I noticed one of my students putting her hand facing the floor when she was doing “Directing the Energy” so I asked her “Mary Pat why did you have the palm of your hand face the floor” and she explained to me that it sometimes helped her balance when doing that exercise! After she told me that I remembered that when I was first learning the exercises my teacher said that sometimes it helps to have your extended hand face the floor(earth) when doing “Directing the Energy” and “Saluting the Mountain”, I had forgotten to include that in my video. I have since been teaching those positions that way and what a difference it makes. For both positions your extended hand should be slightly bent at the elbow and your core body in ‘Child Pose’ so that your back is softly straight with just your knees creating the movement to each side in “Directing the Energy” and your knees creating the movement of going down then straight back up in “Salute the Mountain”. Wish I had remembered that for the video!

First Update:
Shortly after making the video I discovered the book THE JOY COMPASS by Donald Altman, from page 26 to 30 he has describe and excellent of how to help your body relearn how to belly breathe. I wish I had included these instructions in the video. Altman describes an excellent way to help you learn how to diaphragm breathe. Teaching yourself to diaphragm breathe is so important and
this is a very effective exercise, please try it! The 9 steps exercise Altman describes starts on page 27 of his book “1. Sit up in a chair. Don’t be rigid, but don’t slump either. 2. Clasp your hands together behind your back just toughing the hands is okay, at long as your arms are moved back.(this stretches muscles in the ribs and helps open the rib cage so that you can breathe more deeply.) 3. Let your abdominal muscles relax. (For many who have been taught to hold the stomach in, you can difficult at first) 4. Breathe normally. If you feel light-headed or dizzy, you could be breathing too quickly or taking breaths that are much larger than normal. 5. Don’t worry about whether you breathe through your mouth or nose. Just Breathe naturally. 6. Exhale slowly to create a longer an more relaxing breath. 7. Place your attention on your abdomen. Don’t force your stomach out. Simply allow and notice how the abdomen naturally rises and falls with each breath. 8 If you want, use a visualization to help you imagine the breath, such as a wave rising with each in-breath and falling with each out-breath. 9. Continue doing this for one minute as you pay attention to getting your breath into your belly, and notice how your body feels.”