F. M. Alexander

Mika Hadar Borthwick

The Hidden Pathway: Discovering the Breath Canals

How sensing the breath’s quiet horizontal journey transforms head–neck awareness

By Mika Hadar

The Hidden Gateways of Breath

Inside the architecture of the head lies a pathway most of us never think about, yet we use it every moment of our lives. These are the breath canals — the two narrow passages that carry each inhalation and exhalation from the nostrils toward the throat and back. Although they are part of our everyday breathing, they remain almost completely outside our conscious awareness.

What makes them so interesting for the Alexander Technique and somatic practices is their direction. The breath does not simply fall down into the chest. It travels horizontally first, like two soft tunnels running through the base of the skull, before turning downward. When we begin to sense this horizontal journey, something immediate and surprising happens: the head becomes lighter, the neck releases, and we discover a new clarity in where “forward and up” actually is.

Understanding the Pathway

The breath canals lie just behind the surface of the face, continuing inward through the bones of the head and emerging at the back of the nose, near where the head balances on the spine. Although the details of the structures are complex, what matters for our practice is simple: the breath begins at the nostrils, travels backwards through a horizontal path, and only afterwards descends down the throat.

Because of this horizontal direction, sensing the breath canals naturally draws our attention to the area that Alexander called Primary Control — the delicate organisation at the base of the skull that influences the whole body’s coordination.

A Gentle Practice to Explore the Breath Canals

Begin by noticing the breath at the nostrils. As you inhale, allow yourself to sense the cool air that travels backwards through the head along soft horizontal corridors. On the exhale, feel the warm air returning forward. This simple awareness often creates softening at the base of the skull, eases jaw tension, and allows spaciousness in the head-neck orientation.

Breath Canals and Primary Control

When we sense the breath travelling through the region where the head balances on the spine, we often stop pulling the head back. The neck frees, and the whole body reorganises with less effort.

Bringing the Breath Canals Awareness to Daily Life

This awareness can be explored anywhere — during rest, work, walking, or before sleep. Simply sensing the quiet corridor of breath can bring ease and presence.

Closing Reflection

When we become aware of these hidden pathways, the head finds its natural poise, the breath deepens, and the person becomes more coordinated and present. The pathway has always been there; we simply learn to notice it.

About the Author:

Das Auge der Liebe (The eye of love), 1952 :: Photographer: René Groebli

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"100 days. 100 hints on singing. No. 42. 

“Tekubi," "ashikubi", "kubi," are a trio of our freedoms, neck, ankles, and wrists. Their linguistic commonality in Japanese speaks to their common function, conduits of freedom to our extremities, hand, head, and feet. If we cultivate their freedom we become better painters, better dancers, better singers, each part contributing to the whole and the whole to each part. That is certainly what F. M. Alexander saw in the head, neck, torso relationship, a facilitator of freedom throughout the torso, a tune to which ankles and wrists are counterpoint. Free your neck in order for the wrists and ankles to be free, free your ankles in order for the neck and wrists to be free, free your wrists in order for the ankles and neck to be free, your whole body an organ of singing. You’ll never find the all of it, but that part of it for today, begin it now. Waiting is not an option."

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