The Science Of Breathwork Therapy

By Nancy Gardner


For many years, the world of allopathic medicine has ignored the holistic approach outright. However, as more people have sought a more balanced and affordable way of dealing with disease, the world of science demonized those treatments as dangerous or irrelevant. In recent years the scientific community has been forced to study alternative treatments, 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.

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.

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.

Individuals who live with Asperger Syndrome have utilized this method to great success. By controlling their breath, they can control the way they handle an attack of anxiety in social situations. This ability helps to lessen the stress for those who care for them, and it gives them a greater sense of control over their own reality when they do not melt down in public.

The treatment is obviously helpful to those with asthma or COPD, as regular practice of deep breathing helps the lungs to expand more and allows more air to flow. Anyone with these ailments knows that they are tested for their oxygen saturation, and if it is low they could be in trouble. Deep breathing exercises definitely help keep the blood oxygenated.

The average person will take in more shallow breaths that only fill the lungs. However, we all take in deeper breaths through yawning, which fill the diaphragm and brings oxygen to an area with blood vessels that are more shallow than in the lungs. Yawning is the natural way to maintain a proper O2 saturation, which tells us that the body is already programmed to do what these exercises promote.

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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