What's that stiffness in my neck?
Feel that lump come in my throat

Stomach dropping to my knees
Feel like I just missed the boat

Panic rising to my head
Heartbeat racing, breathing fast
Can I do it? Will I fail
How long will these feelings last?

Apprehension overwhelms
Nervous twitching, fingers curled
Tension headache, aching back
All these symptoms now unfurled

Now my body's overrun
Hormones racing from my glands...

Lost our way of fight or flight
Stored up anger, unreleased
Words and shouting flung about
Now it's time that raging ceased

Relaxation, that's the key
Integration of the mind...

Hold that stress out at arm's length...
Throw it out, release that woe

Find the tools you have inside
Make a choice to be serene...

A poem "Stress" by Sharon K. at http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~skort/page19worrypoems.htm#EXPECTATIONS

None of us is unfamiliar with stress. We've all experienced it... well, we daily do. Some stress is easier to handle than other. Some stress is more subtle than other... though, if subtle, it can creep up on us slowly but surely until one moment it all explodes and panic attacks. We lose it!

Is there anything we can do to keep stress at arm's length at all times? Fortunately the answer is YES!

Our overall health depends on many factors of which one of the most important is our breathing. As we all breathe - for if we didn't we would no longer be alive - we believe we breathe correctly. But, there is a correct and health promoting way of breathing, and an unhealthy way of breathing. If we learn to breathe right, a lot of the life's stresses would just float by, without getting us all worked up and anxious. In this Health First newsletter I wish to share with You about the right way of breathing and the easy steps we all can take to incorporate this health promoting habit into our lives... and if we do, we are taking a humongous step towards peace, calm, and greater overall health.

Due to the increasing stress levels, our rather sedentary life styles, and the popular image of the hard, flat belly that graces the covers of fashion- and health magazines, our breathing has become extremely superficial. Tight clothing and belts, being fashionable, but restricting abdominal breathing, lead us to relearn our breathing habits... though, not for the best. Most of us have not been taught about either diaphragmatic breathing or deep, abdominal breathing. Doctors usually have other solutions for their patients to cope with stress and anxiety, which, more often than not contain synthetic medications. Yet, there is a very simple but life changing habit that we can learn and incorporate into our daily lives that will help us keep stress at arm's length.

Although most of us engaged in abdominal breathing as babies and young children, we gradually became upper chest breathers. The end result of our poor breathing habits is not only insufficient oxygen to our brains and the other cells of our bodies, but also insufficient movement in our internal organs and in the fluids upon which our health depends. Without this oxygen and movement we quickly become susceptible to illness and disease.

Chest breathing is unhealthy, even dangerous

Shallow, incomplete breathing can result in lethargy, poor circulation, headaches, anxiety, panic attacks, and other problems. If already angry or anxious, the rapid shallow breaths reinforce the emotions. Unfortunately most shallow breathers don't realize this. They assume that, as breathing is automatic we naturally do it the right way. We do... well, we used to, as babies.

Chronic stress can lead to a restriction of the connective and muscular tissue in the chest resulting in a decreased range of motion of the chest wall. Due to rapid, more shallow breathing, the chest does not expand as much as it would with slower deeper breaths and much of the air exchange occurs at the top of the lung tissue towards the head. This results in "chest" breathing. Rapid, shallow chest breathing results in less oxygen transfer to the blood and subsequent poor delivery of nutrients to the tissues.

You can see if You are a chest breather by placing Your right hand on your chest and your left hand on Your abdomen. As you breathe, see which hand rises more. If your right hand rises more, You are a chest breather. If Your left hand rises more, You are an abdomen breather.

Watch how a baby breathes. Its abdomen rises and falls with each in/out breath, its lower lungs & diaphragm utilized. As we grow and mature, unfortunately, most of our breathing changes. Stress, overwork, pollution, sedentary lifestyles, and other factors contribute to poor breathing habits. Sill, there is good news - correct breathing can be (re)learned. Similar to learning to play an instrument or riding a bike, You can train Your body to improve its breathing technique. With regular practice You will breathe from the abdomen most of the time, even while asleep.

Using and learning proper breathing techniques is one of the most beneficial things that can be done for both short and long term physical and emotional health.

Why is abdominal breathing correct?

During times of emotional stress our sympathetic nervous systems become stimulated and effect a number of physical responses. Sympathetic nervous system is the part of the autonomic nervous system that helps mobilize the body for action. When a person is under stress, it produces the fight-or-flight response: the heart rate goes up, the blood vessels narrow - restricting the flow of blood, perspiration appears, the muscles tense, and the breathing becomes rapid and shallow. If this state remains for a long period of time, the sympathetic nervous system becomes over stimulated. This leads to an imbalance, affecting the physical health and causing inflammation, high blood pressure, and muscle pain to name a few. Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing can be used to directly influence these stressful changes causing a direct stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which results in relaxation and the reversal of the negative shifts. We can see how our bodies know to do this naturally when we take a deep breath or sigh when a stress is relieved.

How does it work?

The diaphragm is a large muscle located between the chest and the abdomen. When it contracts it is forced downward causing the abdomen to expand. This brings about a negative pressure within the chest forcing air into the lungs. The negative pressure also pulls blood into the chest improving the venous return to the heart. This, in turn, leads to improved stamina in both disease and athletic activity. Like blood, the flow of lymph, which is rich in immune cells, is also improved. By expanding the lung's air pockets and advancing the flow of blood and lymph, abdominal breathing helps prevent infection of the lung and other tissues. But, above everything else, it is an excellent tool to stimulate the relaxation response that results in less tension and an overall sense of well being.

In deep, abdominal breathing, the upward and downward movement of the diaphragm, combined with the outward and inward movement of the belly, ribcage, and lower back, help to detoxify inner organs, promote blood flow and peristalsis, and pump the lymph more efficiently through the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system, of course, is an important part of our immune systems and has a great impact on our health.

Abdominal breathing technique

Breathing exercises such as this one should be done twice a day or whenever You find Your mind dwelling on upsetting thoughts or when You are experiencing pain.

Loosen any restrictive clothing, such as tight pants and belts.

Place one hand on Your chest and the other on Your abdomen. When You take a deep breath in, the hand on the abdomen should rise higher than the one on the chest. This insures that the diaphragm is pulling air into the bases of the lungs.

After exhaling through Your mouth or nose, take a slow deep breath in through Your nose imagining that You are sucking in all the air in the room and hold it for a count of 7 (or as long as you are able, not exceeding 7). DON'T push your abdomen out as far as you can (no need to encourage a pot belly!).
Slowly exhale through Your mouth or nose for a count of 8. As all the air is released with relaxation, gently contract Your abdominal muscles to completely evacuate the remaining air from the lungs. It is important to remember that we deepen respirations not by inhaling more air but through completely exhaling it.

Repeat the cycle four more times for a total of 5 deep breaths and try to breathe at a rate of one breath every 10 seconds (or 6 breaths per minute). At this rate Your heart rate variability increases which has a positive effect on cardiac health.

In general, exhalation should be twice as long as inhalation. The use of the hands on the chest and abdomen are only needed to help You train Your breathing. Once You feel comfortable with Your ability to breathe into the abdomen, they are no longer needed.

Abdominal breathing is just one of many breathing exercises. But it is the most important one to learn before exploring other techniques. The more it is practiced, the more natural it will become improving the body's internal rhythm.

Benefits of slow, deep diaphragmatic or ab breathing exercises:

Increased intake of oxygen

Stimulation of abdominal organs

Boosted blood flow

Less stress on the heart

Relaxation

Increased energy

Tips

Breathe SLOWLY and EVENLY throughout the exercise

The standing position encourages greatest blood circulation

Next time You're emotionally stressed notice how it affects Your breathing rate and depth, then spend a few minutes doing slow, deep abdominal breathing and check again - Your breathing should be deeper and more even and You should feel better.

This slower breathing, combined with the rhythmical pumping influence of the diaphragm, abdomen, and belly, helps turn on the parasympathetic nervous system - our "relaxation response." Such breathing helps to harmonize the nervous system, thus reducing the amount of stress in our lives. And this, of course, has a positive impact on our overall health.

Warning

Every day we see more and more books being published outlining various advanced yoga breathing exercises. But until we learn how to integrate natural, abdominal breathing into our lives, many of these advanced yoga breathing (pranayama) exercises can be harmful to our physical and psychological health.

Information has been obtained from the following articles and websites:

https://www.amsa.org/healingthehealer/breathing.cfm

http://www.authentic-breathing.com/abdominal-breathing.htm

http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/anxiety/christine/treatment_breathing_techniques.asp

http://www.dstressdoc.com/abdominal%20breathing.htm

Eve

Body-Mind-Spirit Health, Fitness & Beauty in Organic Way

http://www.TheSpringOfLife.net