The Importance of Breath in Health and Wellness
Explore the significance of breath in our well-being through a tale from ancient wisdom, delve into the practice of Pranayama in yoga, and learn about breathing techniques for optimal health. Discover how the way we breathe impacts us physically, physiologically, and psychologically.
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A MATTER OF LIFE & BREATH Anji Gopal Osteopath, NHS MSK Clinician, Yoga Teacher and Educator
The Colloquy of the Vital Breaths The Colloquy of the Vital Breaths Once upon a time, Tongue, Eye, Ear, Mind and Breath were arguing about who was the best amongst them. They appealed to their father, Prajapti, the Lord-of-Creation, for his opinion. Prajapati said He by whose departure the body seems worse than worst, he is the best of you . First Tongue left for a year, and on his return asked How have you been able to live without me? The others replied like mute people, not speaking , yet they were able to see, hear, think and breathe just fine. Then Eye left for an year. How have you been able to live without me ? The others replied Like blind people, not seeing , yet they were able to talk, hear, think and breathe just fine. Next Ear left for a year. How have you been able to live without me? The others replied Like deaf people, not hearing , yet they were able to talk, see, think and breathe just fine. Then Mind left for an year. How have you been able to live without me ? The others replied Like children whose mind is not yet formed , yet they were able to talk, see, hear and breathe just fine. Finally, as Breath got ready to go, she ripped at the other breaths, as a horse, going to start, might tear up the pegs to which it is tethered . The others realized immediately that they couldn t live without Breath. Madam they cried, thou art the best among us. Do not depart from us ! And so, the parable concludes, people don t call these five the Vital Tongues, the Vital Eyes, the Vital Ears, or the Vital Mind, but the Vital breath (Prana), for the Vital Breath is all these. Chandogya Upanisad, (c700BCE) translated by Robert Ernest Hume
Topics for today Intro How you breathe matters Yoga & Pranayama Anatomy of breathing Practical References
Does HOW you breathe matter ? Physical Effects are widespread Conditions Physiological Psychological
Pranayama One of the 8 limbs of Yoga Prana (Vital Breath) Yama (Control) Hundreds of techniques MANY research studies on effects and mechanisms of change Already used in healthcare: meditation / mindfulness / Autogenic Training / Progressive muscle relaxation Contraindications ?
Diaphragm Multifidus Transversus Abdominis Muscles of The Pelvic Floor
Practical Observation & Assessment Ribs, diaphragm, psoas etc 3 section breathing Nijmegen Questionnaire ? (Manual Treatment) Breathing Techniques Position of patient Ha breath Belly breathing Diaphragm breath Core breath
The Nijmegen Questionnaire Rare = Less than monthly Sometimes = more than monthly, less than weekly Often = at least weekly, but not daily Very often = at least daily A score greater than 19/64 suggests hyperventilation syndrome (HVS) Never 0 Rarely 1 Sometimes 2 Often 3 Very Often 4 Symptom Chest pain Feeling tense Blurred vision Dizzy spells Feeling Confused Fast or deeper breathing Short of breath Tight feelings in chest Bloated feeling in stomach Tingling fingers Unable to breathe deeply Stiff fingers or arms Tight feelings round mouth Cold hands or feet Palpitations in the chest Feelings of anxiety Total: /64 Refs: 1. van Dixhoorn, J. and Duivenvoorden, H. (1985). Psychosom Res. 29:199-206. 2. Vansteenkiste, J. and Rochette, F. (1991). Eur Respir J. 4:393-399 3. van Dixhoorn, J. and Folgering, H. (2015). The Nijmegen Questionnaire and dysfunctional breathing. ERJ Open Research 15.1: 00001-2015
References Doll, (2016) Mindful Attention to Breath Regulates Emotions via Increased Amygdala-Prefrontal Cortex Connectivity. NeuroImage, Vol. 134, pages 305 313 Gard T et al (2014) Potential self-regulatory mechanisms of yoga for psychological health, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Gerbarg & Streeter (2017) Iyengar yoga and Coherent Breathing, Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 23,3 p201-207 Jerath et al. (2015) Self-Regulation of Breathing as a Primary Treatment for Anxiety. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, Vol. 40, No. 2, pages 107 115 Kaminsky et al. (2017) Effect of Yoga Breathing (Pranayama) on Exercise Tolerance in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomized, Controlled Trial J Altern Complement Med. 23(9):696-704. Patel, 1973, 1975 and more. The Effect of Yoga and Biofeedback on the management of Hypertension. The Lancet Tsai et al.(2015) Efficacy of Paced Breathing for Insomnia: Enhances Vagal Activity and Improves Sleep Quality. Psychophysiology, Vol. 52, No. 3; pages 388 396 FURTHER READING: The Breathing Book, Donna Farhi,1996, Holt The Yoga of Breath, Richard Rosen, 2002, Shambala
