Breathwork Therapy, The Whole Body Perspective

By Nancy Gardner


Allopathic doctors have made it a habit to ignore the rise in interest over holistic medicine. They have attempted to marginalize it entirely, but too many people wish to find better treatments for disease, and the millions of people without health insurance created a vacuum as well. The methods of breathwork therapy are merely one example of therapies being sought.

For a patient and their physician to appreciate why and how many holistic methods can be effective, they must first acknowledge that there is a connection between the mind and the body. This can be difficult for a doctor trained only in pharmaceutical treatments to accept. However, how we feel about our lives, our illness, and ourselves can impact whether or not we get well.

Those who follow esoteric practices hold fast to this notion of mind and body connection, stating that one must heal the mind as well as the body in order for health to occur. While negative thinking is a normal part of life and must be acknowledged, when allowed to rule our thoughts it can result in terrible depression. Doctors have long seen that depressed patients do not respond as well to therapy as those who seek to hold to a shinier disposition.

Deeper breathing helps to calm the mind. Psychologists have begun to utilize these methods to treat a host of psychological issues, and they have found great success in treating those who suffer panic attacks. Because a panic attack can cause one to hyperventilate, a patient who is able to control their breath can actually help themselves through these moments of anxiety.

Anyone who has cared for or just been around an adult with Asperger Syndrome knows what a panic attack meltdown looks like, and how stressful it can be for everyone involved. Many people with Asperger Syndrome have been taught to control their breathing with these methods. Being able to maintain control of themselves in a moment of anxiety can be a great accomplishment.

For anyone undergoing treatment for breathing-related ailments such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, controlling the breathing is very important to maintaining oxygenated blood. In order to maintain a healthy and functioning body, one must have the proper oxygen saturation, and this is tested every time such a patient sees their doctor. Deep breathing helps bring more oxygen into the blood, and this helps clear the mind and heal the body.

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 many facing serious illness, finding the right treatment means a balance between traditional medicine and a holistic approach. There are a few holistic MDs out there, but they are few and hard to find. When facing life-threatening illness, one must become their own case manager in order to find the treatments that will best work for them.




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