A Breathless Lifestyle

How do we avoid breath creating distortions and return to a natural state of breathing?

A breath distortion can effect any part of our breathing cycle; Inhalation, Exhalation and Pause. The Pause cycle of the breath is where most problems occur. The 'Pause' happens at the end of the exhalation and is the time in which we are gathering energy for the next inhalation. Without the pause our organs are compromised and will remain in a state of chronic tension and poor function. Also our nervous and circulatory system are compromised. Our overall sense of well being becomes limited.

Any event in our daily experience can cause a change in our breathing cycle and with each experience our breath is adapting as we integrate or digest our experiences. Like a tree adapts to stillness after being moved by the breeze. The problem arises when we interfere with our ability for our breath to normalize. For example, if you did not allow your breath to normalize after doing a running sprint and then went into a intense conversation with your boss or loved one, the stored tension in the breathing muscle would quickly form a habit of breathing that is distorted and will be carried through to all your future experiences.

Another example deals with being parents or caregivers. Think of a child that is crying. The neurology of a child lacks the experience to self regulate and adapt to this completely new experience of intense emotions. The child sensing the environment changing relies on the parent for cues of comfort. If these cues are not effectively communicated, the child will begin to build an internal tensional habit that will effect their breathing physiology for a life time. Parents are initially responsible for supporting their children in returning to a natural breathing state.

We currently live in "Breathless Society" or a society in which most of the citizens participate in a lifestyle that does not allow for breath awareness and adaptation. The speed at which we transition from activitiy to activity has a lot to do with how our breath is able to return to a normalized state.

Symptoms of a distorted breath pattern include and are not limited to:
Chronic Anxiety
Prone to Anger
Depression
Chronic pain
Digestion Issues
Sleep disturbances

To develop a relationship with your breath will take a kinesetic sense or a sense of your body as it is breathing. If you are not familiar with your breath in a natural state seek out a teacher, like me, to help you learn an invaluable skill.