Self Help

Conscious breathing

It has been a while since I promised a new self-help discussion for those of you wanting to understand more about this fascinating work I love. One of the things I find is that most people are very detached from their bodies and have very little ability or desire to access areas where they have tension or pain. They move away from those areas and learn to deal with their discomfort by dissociating or blocking out the pain. Sometimes they try exercise or meditation to cope and these things may serve as temporary palliatives but rarely offer a long-term solution.

One way I teach people to access their structure is to remind them that they breathe unconsciously into every cell in their bodies every second of every day. If they did not, these cells would quickly die from lack of oxygen and nutrients. My idea is a simple one. If we can breathe unconsciously into an area to keep it alive, we can also breathe consciously into that region. To demonstrate this, find a point where you hold tension and gently press your hand into it. Notice what it feels like just to press into it. Can you describe what it feels like fairly precisely? Notice things like temperature, degree of sensation (alive and active or numb and still), texture of the tissue (hard or soft). Describe the nature of the discomfort in precise words and write them down.

After you have a good sense of this region, slowly begin to visualize that you can direct your breath into that uncomfortable place. You might increase the pressure slightly in this region and imagine that the region is a just like your lungs, and try to feel the region expand when you inhale and soften and shrink when you exhale. Now, imagine a tube running from your chest to that place. Try this for about 60 seconds and notice how successful you are. Varying the pressure and pace of your breathing are ways to facilitate this linkage. Once you are done, reassess the area, asking yourself the same questions about how the area feels. Does it feel different? If so, how? Is it warmer, calmer, more relaxed or more agitated? Do you feel no change at all? Don�t get discouraged. This takes practice like any new activity. You might consider trying the exercise with a loved one who gently touches this or other areas where you hold tension or stress as you practice channeling the breath into that region. Sometimes having someone make small movements may you help focus. Try exaggerating the movement as you breathe, pressing the area into the resistance more as you inhale and backing off as you exhale. With practice, you should find that you can reduce tension and feel more in control of your body and its sometimes-distracting sensations. Always be mindful that pain can be a signal that something is wrong and may require medical attention if it persists. Pain is not always something to be ignored. It should be listened to at all times. Have fun with this technique and let me know what you discover.

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