Consider giving yourself the gift of breath this season and year.

Happy Holidays!

Maripat Abbott, CPCC
Life Coach

Top 10 Gifts of Breathing Fully

Did you know you have an amazing healing tool and it’s been hiding right under your nose? No need to wait until December 25th to unwrap the benefits of proper breathing.

1. Less pain. The next time you experience a headache,  or any muscle tension, spend 5-10 minutes focusing on your breathing. Your pain may be greatly reduced, or gone.
2. Increased elimination of toxins. In with the good and out with the bad. The deeper the breath, the more you can eliminate.
3. Improved focus. When you focus on your breath, you calm your mind and free up your attention span.
4. Increased brain function. If your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen, you will experience sluggishness, negative thoughts and depression. Proper breathing wards off these problems.
5. Better coping with negative emotions. Breathe through negative emotions and they will lose their grip on you.
6. Longer life. Animals which breathe slowly live the longest; the elephant is the best example of this.
7. Diminished Anxiety. Anxiety creates a physiological response in the body. Proper breathing reverses that response and stops it from spiraling downwards.
8. Increased spiritual awareness. Slowing down and paying attention to your essence enhances your connection to Spirit.
9. More energy. Increased oxygen in the bloodstream recharges your body’s batteries.
10. Experience the NOW.  Embrace the present moment, rather than dwelling on past or future, by following your breath.

At 83, my mom is very healthy and has been a keen influence on my own approach to natural healing. Up until last year, she has never been on a prescription medication, choosing to treat any malady with vitamins and herbs. So it was quite a shock to admit her to the emergency room last month after she had experienced a slight black out.

As part of the admissions process, a machine was hooked up to measure the level of oxygen in her blood. When they asked her to breathe deeply, with a stethoscope at her back, I watched in horror (as any Yoga instructor would) as she scrunched her shoulders to her ears and breathed right into her chest. I couldn’t believe that I had never noticed before that my mother was a shallow breather. How did I miss that? No wonder the monitor showed her need for oxygen; after 83 years of breathing improperly, her body is hungering for air.

Since we had plenty of time alone between tests, I took the opportunity to teach my mother about Pranayama, the yoga science of breath. The word Pranayama is a combination of the Sanskrit words Prana (life force) and ayama (control, mastering), and Pranayama breathing is a way to master the life force and use it to promote your own health.

The moment she began to initiate her breath from her abdomen, my mother’s oxygen level readings increased on the machine. It was fascinating to see the power of proper breathing displayed in such obvious quantitative terms. It didn’t take her long to realize that she had control over this part of her physiology, and this realization transformed her from disempowered patient into an empowered and active participant in her own healing.

I was surprised and disappointed that while she was tested and visited by a pulmonary doctor and respiratory therapist, as well as countless nurses and aides, NOT ONE of these people recommended or taught her any abdominal breathing techniques.

She was diagnosed with sleep apnea and COPD, and instructed to use oxygen at night and when active. As an 83-year-old woman with a history of perfect health who moves well and has a sharp mind, being tethered to an oxygen tank did not sit well. Her first words to me (out of earshot of the medical practitioners) were, “I’m going to get off this thing by using the breathing you just taught me.”

It was so gratifying to see my mother poring over my books about Pranayama, and I am convinced that she will reduce her need for oxygen as a result of her work.

You don’t need to be facing a medical emergency to start practicing proper breathing. Dr. Andrew Weil is an American author and physician who combines traditional medicine with complementary and alternative treatments. Dr. Weil cites breath- work as the most valuable thing we can do to contribute to our own healing.

By doing breathwork, you can harmonize the influence that the mind has on the body. When your attention is on the breath, you can feel safe and restful; it’s like you’ve put your consciousness in neutral. When you’re feeling fearful, upset or angry, slowing down and deepening your breath can neutralize any troubling images or thoughts.

Diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing is at the root of all Pranayama practices. It is the simplest and perhaps most profound way to bring conscious attention to the breath and to shift your body into a better place.

Watch a baby breathe and notice how the breath comes fully into the abdomen, but watch most adults breathe and you will usually see the chest rise. We have developed the unhealthy habit of holding ourselves tightly around the middle, thereby limiting the breath to the chest. See page 4 for step-by-step instructions for a basic Pranayama breathing technique.

Dr. Weil suggests that doing breath- work first thing in the morning sets the tone for the day, while practicing late at night aids in sleeping. Whichever times you choose, it’s important to stay with it, every day, without fail. You are attempting to actually transform the rhythms of your nervous system. Such change is possible, but only with consistent and regular work.

He asks us to think of the way water carves canyons out of rock. Though it may only look like a trickle, the constant stimulus and pressure of the water produces huge changes; what appears to be gentle force produces large results. Weil notes that even though Yogic breathwork can be intensive, you can experience profound results by just simply noticing the breath. So start now with gentle awareness, and witness the power of the breath.

PS—Let me help you keep your commitment to breathwork.  Sign up for weekly audio recordings, where my voice will guide you through breathing techniques.

Simple Abdominal Breathing Exercise for Relaxation

• Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Keep your shoulders relaxed, and  inflate your abdomen like you are filling a balloon.
• Exhale slowly through your nose, allowing your abdomen to fall.  Draw your navel  toward your spine
• Add “I am” to the inhale, and “relaxed” to the exhale.
• This can be done standing, seated or lying down.