Guest guest Posted March 29, 2006 Report Share Posted March 29, 2006 Dear Sat Sangat: We all hold our breath during emotional stress. Our breathing in the western world in general is terrible. It causes all sorts of physical problems. If you ask people to start breathing deeply, a lot of them will start being teary eyed. We don't breathe because we touch pain so quickly when we breathe. As we learn how to release pain, we learn how to be kind toward self. Some kryia that help release fear are: Flexible and Free Have a heart Both are in Ravi Singh's Kundalini Yoga for the Body, Mind and Beyond There's also Awaken The Diaphragm In Self Experience compiled and edited by Harijot Kaur Khalsa Do you have asthma yourself, or are you just observing your breathing pattern with fear? Blessings, Awtar S Rochester, NY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Dear Awtar, I have asthma and have been on a steroid inhaler for about 5 or so years. I have severe reactions to rabbits which are easy enough to avoid, but my symptoms became life threatening after moving into the house where I am currently residing. We removed all the carpet downstairs and put in perego flooring which has helped tremendously. I respond strongly to cigarette smoke, some perfumes and exhaust fumes. (I guess most people do!) My lungs shut down around cigarette smoke- not just a little tightness and wheezing but a vice like feeling and very little airflow. I am supposed to use the inhaler twice daily but I tend to go for once every day and a half. I have had a greater quality of life since the use of the steroid inhaler, frankly. I'd love to be med free at some point hence my questions about the exercises/kriyas. I notice I tend to hold my breath most times! Not only in times of stress. I believe I posted to you earlier about the abuse and other issues of my earlier years. I truly feel at peace with all of it but am curious about the effects of it on my respiratory system. I never put the two together before. I have done Sodarshan for 40 days twice and find it to be extremely difficult. Not so much the stomach pumping but the breath holding. That sounds funny considering I tend to do this subconsciously anyway! I appreciate your response and value your words of advice and your previous words of encouragement. Blessings to you, Awtar, Sat Sangat ---do you have asthma yourself, or are you just observing your breathing pattern with fear? > Blessings, > Awtar S > Rochester, NY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 Sat Sangat penned these words: .......... > I have done Sodarshan for 40 days twice and find it to be extremely > difficult. You're obviously much more knowledgeable about pranayama than I am, but consider simple, basic nadi sodhanna (alternate nostril breathing). What does it do? Among other things it obviously doubles nose resistance on an inhale, because only half of the nose is available as an air passage. Asthma is characterized by a failure to take a deep breath - see research by Dr. Gwen Skloot and others - perhaps one of the most important things in life! As shown in my last posting, to take a deep breath more resistance, not less, is needed. Therefore, just putting two and two together, nadi sodhanna is a obvious, but not necessarily absolutely foolproof, approach to tuning the respiratory system to get improved nose airflow resistance and a normal deep inhale with an exhilarating feeling. I guess if you concentrate on sensations during the exercise, it is frequently possible to revive and rediscover the normal feeling of prana being released during the inhale in the exercise. Looked at in another light it is a replacement for the kick one gets with an asthma inhaler. Bottom line is that so-called "pulmonology" is allergic to pranayama and is only interested in concocting theories ("facts of asthma") with the intent of selling more drugs. When looked at from the utility angle, it is a lot of pseudo-science. The most probable cause of the asthma epidemic is the drugs, which rob us of our healthy breathing sensations. Blessings and good health, Richard Friedel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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