time to change – just like any habit. While there are very detailed instructions on how to breathe that are available in books dedicated to the topic, here are some simple strategies that you can use to begin to incorporate healthier breathing into your daily life.
• To develop awareness of your current breathing pattern, sit straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Notice how you are breathing. Are you breath- ing only in the upper chest area or does it include movement in the diaphragm? Are your breaths quick and frequent or slow and deep? Does your stomach draw inward when taking a breath or expand outward? Do your shoulders rise? • To get an idea of how the air should flow into the body place your hand on your abdomen and blow out every bit of breath in your lungs. When you feel you have blown out all the air, try to blow out a bit more to ensure that your lungs are as empty as possible. When you in- hale, notice that the air will first fill your abdomen first, followed by expansion in the chest wall as the air reaches the up- per part of the torso. This is an exagger- ated example of what the natural move- ment of the body should be when breathing. If the stomach draws inward during a breath it pushes the diaphragm upward and constricts further airflow. If the shoulders elevate while breathing it means the breath is too shallow and originating in the chest region rather than the abdomen. • Set aside 10-30 minutes daily to focus on breath work. This can be done in conjunction with quiet time or medita- tion. Initially these sessions are best done when your stomach is empty – or at least not full. • Make sure your clothes are loose enough to breathe properly from the abdomen. If the abdomen cannot fully expand with a full intake of breath, then your clothing is inhibiting your ability to breathe naturally. • Close your eyes and allow your whole body to relax. Maybe even imagine that you are sleeping. • Exhale fully. Many times people don’t breathe naturally because they are not letting go of the current breath fully. In order to take in a full breath you must release a full breath first. • Inhale gently through the nose, allow- ing the lower part of your lungs to fill first. Then fill the rest of your lungs in one
Natural Triad Magazine
continuous and easy manner. Allow, rather than force, the breath. • Exhale gently from the top of your lungs in the chest area, working down to emptying the abdominal region last. • If you notice tightness or constriction that you are not able to relax, then sim- ply notice it without judgment. Don’t try to force it to relax. Over time, with prac- tice, any constriction will release. The goal is always to allow the breath. • Continue this process for 10-30 min- utes. Allowing the breath to gently flow in and out. The flow of breath is in from the bottom up, and out from the top down. • During the course of the day do peri- odic ‘check-ins’ to see if your abdomen is moving with your inhalation. If not, then simply relax your stomach, exhale fully, then take a few gentle breaths—in and out—and let go. • Check your posture. Sometimes the muscles attached to the diaphragm be- come tight and constricted because of poor posture. If you tend to sit or stand in a slouched manner, you might benefit from some gentle stretches that will al- low the muscles of the diaphragm to relax and release.
• Consider doing a life assessment to see you are physically ‘holding’ onto your
feelings of stress rather than fully process- ing them and letting them go. If they are not being processed and flowing, then they will get stuck in the body and often in- hibit natural breathing. • Notice if you tend to sigh often. In Chi- nese medicine frequent sighing is tied to a common disharmony that can make it difficult to breathe with ease. It may feel as if the breath is ‘stuck’. This pattern re- sponds well to acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies.
Acupuncture and body work can help
free up a number of long held holding patterns that inhibit natural breathing. These modalities can be important ad- juncts to helping to unblock stuck Qi, making the breathing practice sessions more effective. They can also help address some of the underlying stress that often triggers constricted and shallow breathing.
Written by Diane Gross, M.S.O.M., Dip. OM,
L.Ac., CT, CI. She also has been trained in Chinese herbology, Shiatsu and Tui Na massage as well as Reiki, Emotional Free- dom Technique (EFT), Reconnective Heal- ing and Healing Touch. Diane can be reached at Stillpoint Acupuncture (www.
stillpointacupuncture.com) at 336-510- 2029 or
diane@stillpointacupuncture.com.
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DECEMBER 2011 29
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