Week 7 - Breathing: Learning & Transfer

I’ve been in BodyFlow class for about 8 weeks now. This week I’ve been doing some thinking about the most important element between Tai Chi, Yoga, and Pilates, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s breathing. Breathing technique is one of the most transferred skills in BodyFlow class. Each pose or movement can be affected significantly by one’s breathing. This week we are reading about Learning and Transfer from the book, How People Learn, and I’m relating transfer to breathing in BodyFlow class.

I am still watching the breathing videos I described in my first blog post, and they help me understand better breathing techniques. I consider this learning social learning about breathing to be initial learning for breathing with Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates. The text indicates that “without an adequate level of initial learning, transfer cannot be expected.”

The text also notes the importance of giving feedback in learning. Students need feedback about the degree to which they know when, where and how to use the knowledge they are learning. With breathing, I know how to do the techniques, but not always when to apply them. The instructor’s feedback on when and how to breathe throughout different poses has helped me to fine tune the times in which I apply certain breathing techniques.

When I learn about different breathing techniques online or from other sources, and then apply them in class, I can better learn how and when to breathe and can stretch deeper in to poses or hold them for longer periods of time. The text from this week about Learning and Transfer discusses that learning is most effective when people engage in “deliberate practice” that includes monitoring of ones experiences. This has been true for me because I have been able to learn more about breathing in class when applying the skills I’ve learned.

The last relatable note I’ll make about the readings this week is that it takes time to learn. When I consider my breathing skills 7 weeks ago, they were fairly poor compared to how I was breathing in BodyFlow class this week. By spending time over the past 7 weeks on breathing, I have been able to better my skills. The more time I can spend on my breathing skills, the better I hope they become.

References

Bransford, J., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.