Posted by Rebel (Somewhere Usa) on 02/27/2015
★★★★★
Hey Robert Henry and Sye. There is a former professional wrestler, who has out a yoga program. The very first thing he covers in this is the way you breath, saying to fill up the diaphragm slowly and exhale slowly. He encourages people to get up to a 20 count. This is slow in and slow out. Starting with just like the count of 2 and then working your way up over time. He says he can go to a count of 60 and that this controls the way you react, adapt, and take action. I can't tell you the name here, but if you Google professional wrestler's This ain't your mamas yoga you will find it. His commercials are on early mornings 3 to 4.30 am eastern time on various stations. Not advertising here, but I made the purchase and breathing is the first thing covered on disc one.
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 02/27/2015
★★★★★
For anxiety, my input is to look at your breathing. I say this because I had the same issue as a young hard charger in industry. All the doctors said I was blacking out because of hyperventilation. They gave me Dilantin to prevent this. Years later, a doctor told me this was equivalent to killing a fly with a 105 Howitzer.
This treatment caused osteoporosis and lot of other problems I now have.
The anxiety eventually went away, but in my shady side of the mountain years, I am studying more and how you breathe is a biggie. 40 years ago I thought the doctors were full of stuff. Now I think they were right. I learned that chest breathing can cause this anxiety problem. You have to breathe with your diaphragm and let the exhale be as long as you can stand. You have to balance O2 and Carbon Dioxide. Both players are important.
I encourage you to read what Dr Shallenberger says about his patients and anxiety. He has a video on this subject. Goggle him.
Wish you well.=======ORH=========
Posted by Lmp (Long Island, Ny) on 07/25/2011
★★★★★
There is no right or wrong way to meditate. So take what other people give you and find your own way. I have carved out a small corner in one of the rooms in my house as my meditation corner. I keep my stuff there and usually meditate in the same place every day - although I will meditate in other rooms or outside if I feel called to do so. I don't really need much - I have a pillow to sit on, a candle that I light, my journal and occassionally I use lavendar oil. I also usually set a timer so I know how long I've meditated for. I light my candle, open my journal to a fresh page, and sit in a cross legged position, upright, with a straight and long spine. I do maybe 5-10 deep belly breaths... First focusing on my 3rd eye (the space in between your eyebrows), then focusing on the rising the breath up from my belly to my chest. Then I release the breath and just breath normally. And I just sit there. If a thought comes in, I don't judge it, I don't fight it - I just let it be. I let everything be - my thoughts, my breath, etc. In most of our lives we do the exact opposite - we are never happy just being... We are always trying to strive for me, be different, change and control things, etc. So in meditation I focus on just being. In the beginning its hard. I would keep my journal handy bc inadvertantly I would run through list after list of things I needed to do or remember. So I would write it down during meditation so I could get it out of my head. I started off with 10 mins once a day and literally it was 10 mins of to do lists. But I let it be. And eventually made my way up to 20 mins twice a day. I started noticing the to do lists would fade and I would just be sitting there enjoying being in the present moment, when all of a sudden it was 20 mins later.
The theory is that the more stillness you can bring to your mind through consistant meditation, the more still it will become... Sort of like working out a muscle. Also the more you connect with your spirit, higher self, the Divine, etc - the more you attract good things and the higher emotions into your life... Rather than lettting the mind and ego run rampant with lower emotions and thinking bad things. I will also sometimes ask "what do I need to know" and see what messages I get. Or sometimes I will do visualizations of living life without anxiety. I always end my meditation with prayer - gratitude first, and then what I need to help me serve other people.
I have tried MANY things for anxiety - and this has hands down been the most important practice in my arsenal. I can only hope that it does for you what it has done for me. Please feel free to reply back with any questions - I would love to help in any way I can.
You also have to keep believing that there is hope and that you will get better.... bc you will.
Posted by Joeyther (Memramcook, Nb, Canada) on 03/06/2011
★★★★★
In researching the causes of anxiety attacks, I believe it beneficial to note that 'breathing' is essential to physical well being. Shallow breathing which leads to insufficient oxygen appears a catalyst to these attacks.
What does that mean? When an anxiety attacks appears, get up and move, fast if you can, run, walk, whatever, just remember to get those lungs filled with air and gently exhale through your mouth. Repeat slowly and deeply enough to accomplish a replenishment of oxygen without hyperventilating. Hold your intake of air for a few seconds and slowly exhale through your mouth, repeat at least 10 times.
