Page 199 - Wasserstoff Medizin
P. 199
Most modern people suffer from breathing problems. The common problems include
chest breathing (as opposed to abdominal diaphragmatic), mouth breathing, and
hyperventilation (breathing too fast), all of which reduce oxygen levels in body cells and
promote chronic diseases. Bottom line is the quicker we breathe the sicker we become.
Breathing too fast will end one in a casket if one is not careful, and certainly life will be
lived with pain and disease unless one gets control.
Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan writes, “I noticed that over 75% of the clients (not patients - these
were 'well' corporate employees) were breathing sub-optimally in ways that would make
them stressed, chronically exhausted, overweight and insomniac. It is very important to
our health to get our breathing right. My advice is simple - just for 21 days become even
slightly obsessed with your breathing. Notice it five times a day: first thing in the morning
before you get out of bed, last thing at night as you drift off to sleep, and then find three
other times during the day. Put your feet on the ground, drop your breathing into your
belly, exhale long and inhale fat. Breathe well consciously so you can breathe well
unconsciously.”
When you take a truly deep breath, you are expanding the lungs, pressing down the
diaphragm, and causing your abdomen to expand as your lungs fill with air. This is not
only wonderful for reducing tension, but research has shown that it may also help with
diseases that inhibit breathing, like emphysema.
Diaphragmatic breathing effectively calms us down. It also makes sure that you take in
lots of oxygen. If you are not sure you are breathing deeply enough try lying down and
putting a magazine on your stomach. Make sure you expel all your air, exhaling
completely, and then slowly raise the magazine as you inhale. Inhale for five nice, long
counts. Exhale the same way, counting until the magazine goes down. You can also use
your hand instead of a magazine.
Breathing retraining has a lot to offer anxious hyper-tense patients. Anxious people are
experiencing sympathetic nervous system (the fight or flight system) over-arousal. Slow
breathing reduces sympathetic nervous system over-arousal and increases
199