Conscious Breathing Therapies Reduce Stress, Improve HealthBy Lois Grasso
Founder of OxyGenesis Breathwork and the non-profit OxyGenesis Institute
Are you feeling tired, sick or anxious much of the time? If your cells are not getting enough oxygen, they are literally struggling to survive. This causes overall anxiety and a sense of lack or struggle, at best. Terminal illness and an early grave at worst. Low blood oxygen levels have been linked to an astonishing number of catastrophic illnesses such as heart disease and cancer, as well as a huge number of the more common physical and emotional ailments. And breathing does much more than contribute oxygen to the body. Rigorous movement of the diaphragm provides important stimulation of abdominal organs - especially the liver and intestines! And proper breathing is capable of eliminating an astonishing 70% of our body's waste!
So, why are most of us breathing improperly? First, consider the systematic "training" we receive throughout our lives, to "stop crying". In order to avoid crying when we need to express (ie., "push out") physical or emotional pain, we must hold our breath. With practice, we become so adept at holding in our feelings with our breath, we nearly lose the ability to breathe and feel. Eventually, we are holding the breath at the slightest sign of stress - when we need it most! In addition, the desire to look good leads to the wearing of under-wire bras, tight-wasted clothing and slimming undergarments. The standard "chest out, stomach in" ideal encourages men and women alike to make an effort to breathe using the chest muscles, instead of the diaphragm (the primary breathing muscle), which requires letting the belly soften and swell slightly.
With the assistance of a professional breathing coach anyone can learn to expand breathing capacity. Conscious Connected Breathing is the basis of a number of therapeutic processes (including Transformational Breathing™, Vivation™, Rebirthing™, OxyGenesis Breathwork™), which release chronic tension and retrain the body to breathe more fully. By using a connected breathing rhythm (no pause between inhale and exhale) that simulates a crying infant, we give our bodies permission to release previously unexpressed physical and emotional trauma that got stored in the cells when we stifled our tears.
Once the major energy blocks (tensions from stored trauma) and corresponding beliefs about ourselves are expressed and cleared, most people report a feeling of being connected more fully with their spiritual nature. This gives rise to a sense of faith and joy that changes life dramatically. Through breathing therapy, you can re-establish the natural, involuntary breathing response to stress, so that it becomes automatic to breathe deeply and relax after stubbing a toe, getting cut off in traffic, dealing with relationship issues or minor health problems. The negative effects of major stressors, including intense grief, addictions and severe illness or injury, can be reduced as well.
Your breathing can become a highly versatile self-healing tool for life. Try this exercise for a tiny glimpse of what conscious breathing can do for you:
Wearing loose clothing, sit or lay down comfortably. Close your eyes and take a moment to get quiet. Place your hands on your lower belly and press firmly with the tips of your fingers. Inhale slowly, feeling the expansion of your abdomen as it pushes your hands outward. (If your hands don't move, consciously force the belly to protrude as you inhale.). When the belly area seems full, continue the inhalation - letting it rise up under your breastbone, and gradually into the upper ribcage and under your shoulders. Allow (don't force) your shoulders to rise up and backward slowly and gently, your back arching slightly to expand the chest cavity. Notice and exaggerate every detail of the experience.
At the top of the inhale, when it seems no more air will fit in, take one last sip of air and then just relax your body as the exhale gushes out through the mouth with a big relaxing sigh. Once the exhale stops on its own, give the diaphragm a quick, gentle squeeze (pull it toward the spine) to expel more air from the lungs. As your diaphragm springs back, your next inhale begins the next repetition.
Do fifteen repetitions without pausing. Notice how your body and mind feel afterward. If you feel a little light-headed, that's okay. Just sit or lay there and enjoy the sensation. If you had difficulty taking in the breath, couldn't stay focused, or it was an unpleasant experience, these are signs that you are in urgent need of a consultation.
In today's modern world of high technology, it seems hard to believe that something as simple as breathing techniques can make such a difference. Why don't they use this in hospitals? Why doesn't my doctor know about this? The fact that breathing cannot be patented provides ample insight into its relative anonymity in the US: It's not highly profitable! Happily, learning to breathe more fully, with the assistance of a professional, remains amazingly affordable for those who are willing to take responsibility for achieving good health.
Why choose breathing therapy in a world filled with holistic therapies, some of which seem much more exciting? As one client stated, "Your lungs are with you every day." And as Andrew Weil, MD says, "Breath is the movement of Spirit on the body. Spirit is your essential power."
Lois Grasso is the founder of OxyGenesis Breathwork, and the non-profit OxyGenesis Institute in West Hartford, CT. She is available for individual and group breathing sessions, and seminars in corporate and educational settings. She can be reached at 860-747-3999. Visit her website at www.OxyGenesis.org