Don't Burn Your Bra... Do This Instead

I am a huge fan of lingerie. And when it comes to selecting my skivvies, I have an epicurean appreciation. I love the luxury of some well made lace, and I love the way I feel in my For Love and Lemons finest. 

But I absolutely HATE bras.

While I truly consider Date Night a different story, I generally despise underwire. It’s uncomfortable. It’s annoying. And I really don’t require the help of a bra for support. My boobs sit where I want them to. I don’t see the case for such bother.

But the real problem isn’t that they are just irksome. That feeling of vexation we have is merely symptomatic of a larger issue:

Bras can restrict our ability to breathe correctly. 

You know this truth inherently. How many times have you made it to the end of a girls’ night out for one of your gal pals to cry out “I just can’t wait to take my bra off!”

No shame on that Uber ride home. You definitely agreed(if it wasn’t actually you delivering this proclamation) because you were imagining that same blissful feeling.

Unstrapping that hook, stripping off your makeup, and crawling into bed, are what we say we want.  But taking a full, relaxing, deep breath is what we’re really looking forward to. That sweet relief of zero restriction.

Dysfunctional breathing is a vicious little cycle, and that's what you get when you've got a torso wrapped up tight.

It starts with that rib cage that cannot expand properly, leading to a less than optimal breathing pattern -- compensating with a lifted rib cage to get adequate oxygen, when what we really need is an expansive rib cage.

But this odd pattern of breathing also upsets our muscular balance in the upper back. The relationship of strength in our muscles becomes altered. And soon, our heads are beginning to inch forward in a kyphotic manner. 

image www.healthline.com

Both these issues excite seemingly mysterious feelings of anxiety.

As you've likely experienced at one time or another, anxiety upsets our breathing pattern further…

And the snowball keeps rolling, getting bigger and more threatening; until that is, we take off the bras and feel instantly more comfortable and calm. 

Sigh.

So I’m not going to tell you to start burning your bras in the street.

I am a feminist, yes. When I get my lady clients to breathe with a naturally expanding rib cage, they are wide-eyed at the difference. And my favorite response is to yell out loud “They tryna hold us down, yo! You feel that?!?!?”

But it’s a joke. I do not believe men are so smart that they realized they could restrict our breathing and render us to anxious, reactive, dependent creatures with constant headaches all with a little bit of nylon. Muahahaha.

As I said before, I love my lingerie. It makes me feel powerful and sensual. And that’s what feminism really is. Embracing your goddess goodness. If your bras makes you feel fully woman, I say keep 'em.

It’s also not very sisterly to tell you that your fears of “hanging out” or “headlighting” are not valid. I don’t mind my nipples poppin.’ But ask my mother. She’ll tell you I’ve never been one to care too much about authority and social norms.

I am all about the impending #sideboobseason but I judge no elegant females for their propriety.

And for my more voluptuous vixens who rely on the wire, I know ditching it all together is probably not realistic. I will tell you though, that I support D’s on a 32in torso and wear bras as little as possible aside from the gym(sports bras can be even worse!) and certain Saturday nights.

But I also support your inevitable defense and decision to keep em’ where you’re comfortable.

So agin, Don't burn that bra! 

I instead challenge you to take time each day to practice better breathing. I look at bras as the same tradeoff as some hot heels. If you wear them often, go ahead with your bad self. But there’s certain exercises you need to practice to offset the possible negative effects. That way you can happily enjoy the benefits of sexiness and support.

In this video, my friend, Cody Benz, Strength and Conditioning Coach at Drive495, is going to teach you a quick breathing exercise that will help you reset your UNDERwiring problems and get that rib cage moving the way it needs to.

In closing, I want to make it perfectly clear that I wear lingerie and bralettes. Randee Tucker will just kill me if I don't reinforce this truth. 

And to remind you that getting perfectly sized by your local lingerie purveyor can be a really big help. Victoria has her secrets but Randee's shop is where I first got an accurate measurement. 

Breathe, ladies!And keep rocking' the skivvies that make you feel sexy. #sophisticatedstrength