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.

For a patient and their physician to appreciate why and how many holistic methods can be effective, they must first acknowledge that there is a connection between the mind and the body. This can be difficult for a doctor trained only in pharmaceutical treatments to accept. However, how we feel about our lives, our illness, and ourselves can impact whether or not we get well.

Followers within the New Age movement firmly believe that there is a connection between our thoughts and our health. They take it to the extreme sometimes, claiming that any negative thoughts are destructive. Negative thoughts are part of our reality and must be acknowledged, but there is no doubt that one who tends to be depressed has less chance of recovery than one who stays upbeat.

Deeper breathing helps to calm the mind. Psychologists have begun to utilize these methods to treat a host of psychological issues, and they have found great success in treating those who suffer panic attacks. Because a panic attack can cause one to hyperventilate, a patient who is able to control their breath can actually help themselves through these moments of anxiety.

Anyone who has cared for or just been around an adult with Asperger Syndrome knows what a panic attack meltdown looks like, and how stressful it can be for everyone involved. Many people with Asperger Syndrome have been taught to control their breathing with these methods. Being able to maintain control of themselves in a moment of anxiety can be a great accomplishment.

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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