Breathwork
People often have difficulty breathing deeply because the back muscles and intercostals (around and between the ribs) are too tight. Stress, lack of exercise, too much exercise, or bodily held feelings often cause the muscle groups around the torso to restrict the movement of the rib cage.
Breath Awareness or Conscious Deep Breathing is one of the most simple ways to calm and integrate the mind and body. The body is always breathing. You are always breathing. The first step toward having the breath be your ally is to become more aware of it. The next step is to make subtle shifts that will allow the breath to be easier and deeper. You might notice that your belly is tight and the breath is shallow. Or, the exhale is quick and unconscious while the inhale is almost non-existent. Whatever your particular patterns are, there are some simple directions toward breathing well and being well.
Benefits
- 70% of the body’s toxins are eliminated by breath
- Releases stagnate energy stuck in old injuries
- Creates a calm, centered and relaxed mood
- Resets out of sync or light breathing
- Oxygenates the system
Treatment
After an initial chat, you will be asked to lie down comfortably and brought to an awareness of your breathing pattern. It is ideal if the length of the inhale and exhale are approximately the same. As you pay attention to your breathing, you may first find that your belly is not moving. Correcting this takes practice with softening, relaxing, and stretching the abdominal wall, in addition to allowing long relaxed breaths, both in and out.
During the session, you will be asked to breathe actively and consciously. In this time you may experience physical sensations, pictures or images of recent or past events, feelings or thoughts about people and/or situations. This is all very normal and part of the process as you become more aware of your body. Hurt people often avoid their pain by breathing superficially, only with the tops of the lungs. Breathing deeply to a sore body part can diminish physical pain and cramps. This is not easy, but it will bring relief.
I normally introduce conscious Breathwork after a few bodywork sessions and then build upon the techniques according to the individual. This is a powerful tool for healing, on many different levels, and can be integrated outside of the session room into an everday practice. I encourage everyone to experience how far it can take you.
Research
New research from several internal medicine and cardiology professors and physicians shows that rhythmic formulas, such as the rosary and yoga mantras, have a powerful slowing influence on our breath and can thus "synchronize and reinforce inherent cardiovascular rhythms and baroreflex sensitivity." The researchers found, in fact, that "Rhythm formulas which involve breathing at six breaths per minute induce favorable psychological and possibly physiological effects".
You can read this detailed research report at:
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/323/7327/1446
Personal History and Background
To be continued...
