The Science Of Breathwork Therapy

By Nancy Gardner


Throughout the Seventies and Eighties, doctors largely ignored the rise of interest in and experts on the holistic medical approach to disease. These days many people are seeking a balanced approach, and many lack the insurance necessary to see traditional doctors. With such changes in attitude, the medical field has been forced to take a closer look at techniques such as breathwork therapy.

In order to utilize this therapeutic approach, both the doctor and the patient must be willing to acknowledge that there is a connection between the mind and the body. The ancient healers held that the thoughts of the mind could impact the health of the body, and this notion is being renewed. This is not an easy perspective for a very linear-thinking individual to embrace.

Those who follow esoteric practices hold fast to this notion of mind and body connection, stating that one must heal the mind as well as the body in order for health to occur. While negative thinking is a normal part of life and must be acknowledged, when allowed to rule our thoughts it can result in terrible depression. Doctors have long seen that depressed patients do not respond as well to therapy as those who seek to hold to a shinier disposition.

Because a deep-breathing exercise routine promotes relaxation and calm, it is being utilized by psychologists now for patients seeking a non-pharmaceutical treatment for anxiety or panic attacks. It takes practice to control the rate of breathing one is using, and this can prevent the hyperventilation often seen by those who suffer anxiety disorders. For many, these exercises have helped them get through stress without making their emotions a public display.

Helping adults with Asperger Syndrome to get through anxious moments is one area that this treatment has shown great results. This is helpful both to the autistic adult, as well as anyone who helps care for or watch over them. Panic attacks afflict many people, but none so dramatic as one who falls within the autistic spectrum.

Diseases such as COPD and asthma deal very directly with breathing, and this fast-shallow-to-deep-slow breathing exercise can help increase their lung capacity. Any time a COPD patient sees their doctor, they will be checked for their oxygen saturation levels. If there is a low level of oxygen in their blood, they run the risk of being hospitalized right away.

The average person, when breathing, only fills their lungs with normal aspiration. However, there are times when the body needs more O2, and will force us to inhale all the way through the diaphragm in what we call yawning. The body demands this of us whenever our oxygen saturation is low because there are more shallow blood vessels in the diaphragm.

For anyone facing serious illness, seeking the advice of your doctor about any additional treatments is highly recommended. It is important that the patient has a physician who appreciates their desire for the whole-body approach to wellness. Anyone who has fought such battles already knows, we must all play an active role in our own struggle to regain health and vitality.




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