People suffering anxiety often focus on fearful thoughts of
losing control or going crazy. Thoughts can trigger
anxiety but it is the body's response to the threat
conveyed by our thoughts or our senses that accounts for
anxiety. In other words, anxiety is the felt sensation of
our body reacting in some distressing way. Some of those
reactions include: increased heart rate, sweating,
trembling, shortness of breath, choking sensation,
tightness in chest or elsewhere in body, nausea, dizziness,
numbness, chills or hot flushes. Fortunately, it is
through breath therapy that we have a means to calm our
body and relieve the pain.
Breath therapy is a kind of mindful breathing whereby in
different ways one focuses on breathing and simply notices
it. This kind of breathing connects to chi, the body's
powerful healing energy. It is connection with chi that
gets lost during anxious episodes. Mindful breathing
reasserts chi connection. And as this happens it can evoke
a warm tingling or a subtle vibration as it eases pain,
accelerates healing, calms respiration, clears the mind,
soothes the spirit, invigorates circulation, improves
digestion, and contributes to restful sleep.
Yogis have known this for centuries as have informal
meditators, reiki practitioners, acupuncturists, body
workers, osteopathic physicians, and other holistic health
care providers. But you do not have to be a yogi
practicing for years to learn these powerful breath
techniques. Here are three examples:
Mindful Breathing--gently place tongue at above back of
front teeth and rest it there with mouth gently closed.
This is called the "yoga position." It closes the energy
circuit in the body protecting against dissipation of
healthy energy. Focus on your breath cycles--breathing in,
breathing out. Notice points at which one phase changes
into another. Do not force this, just notice for ten
cycles.
Letting Self Be Breathed--Lying on back, close eyes, arms
at rest along side of body. Image the following: with
inhale--the Universe is blowing breath into you, with
exhale--the Universe is withdrawing breath from you. Allow
yourself to be a passive recipient of this interaction.
Hold your perception for ten cycles. As the Universe
breathes into you try to notice your breath penetrating
ever part of you down to your toes.
Bellows Breath(stimulating breath)--eyes closed, sit
comfortably, back straight, tongue in yoga position.
Rapidly breath through nose. Action of chest should be
rapid and mechanical, like a bellows. Breath should be
audible both during inhale and exhale and as rapid as three
cycles per second. If comfortable, engage for fifteen
seconds, increasing by five seconds until you are up to a
minute. After each cycle breathe normally. This is real
exercise and you might feel some muscle fatigue in chest,
at the base of your neck above the collar bone and in the
diaphragm. You will also begin to feel a subtle but
definite movement through your body when you return to
normal breathing. Use this breathing method when tired.
With breath therapy the more you engage with your breath
the more aware you become of its subtle changes and the
more easily you will be able to use your breath to calm
anxiety. As always, however, when contemplating working
with the body, check with your physician to verify no
health conditions exist that would contra-indicate breath
therapy.
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Ms Desert is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in
Baltimore, MD with a holistic private practice and
specializes in the treatment of depression, anxiety,
trauma, and associated addictions. For more information
please visit her web site at
http://www.singular-pathways.com
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