We know for better health, we should drink and eat in moderation. But, how many of us know that to breathe in moderation is also good advice?
As mediums, we are often told to relax by taking deep breaths. But what if deep breathing and exhaling too frequently, is actually the last thing you want to do in order to diminish stress?
How I breathed was not something I gave much thought to all my life until I was diagnosed with a circulation problem which my doctor told me had no cure (although severe cases respond to medication).
Considering that I prefer not to be medicated, I looked for other ways to curb my primary Raynaud’s disease. Raynaud’s, in my case, wasn’t anything life threatening, it just meant that my right index finger would go numb and turn white in cold weather or in contact with cold water.
I've had Raynaud's for a few years, and it just wasn't getting any better. I took this photo last October after riding my bike to work in 60-degree weather while wearing gloves, a fifteen-minute trip:
Pretty weird, huh? It’s also known as “Dead finger.” My index finger would stay like that for a few minutes as the tissue warmed back up, causing some discomfort.
In March, I consulted Dr. Joseph Mercola’s website for a natural remedy, and noticed he approved of a breathing technique called the Buteyko method.
Konstantin Buteyko was a Russian doctor who studied respiration and devised a method for improving health through light nasal breathing.
By mastering this technique, patients were able to control and diminish symptoms of asthma, allergies, snoring, stress, heart palpitations and a wide range of other issues, including Raynaud’s. (Disclaimer: Buteyko is not recommended for people with high blood pressure, pregnant women or others who may have contraindications so if you’re unsure, please check with your doctor if you’re interested in trying this method.)
As an introduction, I watched YouTube videos, and read texts online that gave me some hope that this might be useful for improving my circulation.
I am enthusiastic about patronizing my library, so I borrowed a book by Patrick McKeown called The Oxygen Advantage which I devoured over a few days and doing so changed my life for the better. Patrick studied the Buteyko method in Russia and used it to cure his asthma.
Apparently, the reason the circulation to my extremities was compromised was due to a lower amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in my blood. I was breathing too much!
Yes, CO2 is a waste product, but it’s not necessary to exhale it all as it provides some important functions, such as improving circulation and stabilizing blood pH levels.
No one would describe me as a mouth breather, but I would regularly sigh and yawn during the day, I’d breathe deeply during my twice daily meditations, and wake up with a dry mouth and drool on my pillow.
Pretty normal behavior, right? It was hard to see how breathing differently would help me.
Out of curiosity, I checked a five-year-old lab result and noted that my carbon dioxide reading was only 21 milliequivalent units per liter of blood (or mEq/L for short) which was low on some scales. I’ve seen 18-30 mEq/L as a normal range, as well as 23-29 mEq/L. My current doctor feels between 20-31 mEq/L is normal.
It’s likely that my CO2 levels were not optimal for many years, if ever! But no doctor ever mentioned this as a potential problem.
After reading Patrick's book, every day I practiced Buteyko breathing exercises which include a breath-holding pause, shallow breathing, and breath holding while exercising. The strangest thing I do is I tape my mouth closed at night with paper micropore tape. No more night drooling for me!
After a few days, I noticed that I stopped sighing, that it was easy to squelch yawns, even when other people around me were yawning. I woke up refreshed and felt so calm and clear-headed practically all the time, even after sleeping fewer hours than usual.
I also felt less hungry during the day and became sensitive to foods that affect the way I breathe. I noticed that my breathing felt more labored after eating Tex-Mex, even though I never gorge myself (and I do love me some nachos!).
I compared that to feeling light and comfortable after a lunch of fruit and spring rolls and realized healthy food can have an immediate result on how we feel by gauging the easiness of our breathing.
Quiet, gentle breathing became my low-key biohack. I asked my mediumship circle attendees to not take deep breaths and exhale through their mouths while preparing to make links. Steady, quiet, nasal breathing is what calms our nerves.
After six weeks of practicing the Buteyko method, I was able to go from being able to hold my breath comfortably for 20 seconds to 35 seconds (this is known as a “control pause”). During a wellness physical exam last week, I had blood work done and I’m happy to say that my carbon dioxide reading had jumped to the top of the normal scale at 31 mEq/L.
As for my Raynaud’s disease, it’s improved dramatically.
Since the weather started to warm up, I commute by bike wearing fingerless gloves.
The weather has been cool enough to bring on the dead finger, but I noticed that the tip of my finger would be only very slightly numb--the last time I had a reaction, there was only a small, yellow numb patch on the lateral side of my digit.
My goal is to raise my control pause to 40 seconds, to be rid of Raynaud’s disease and in improving my circulation, continue to enjoy better sleep, calm nerves, mental clarity, better digestion and less hunger, and more energy for my daily activities.
How will this translate to my spiritual life?
On a relative level breath is believed to be the life force that moves through us, the primal energy that links consciousness with our bodyminds: prana or chi.
As eternal, peaceful consciousness, we transcend our bodyminds, but living our daily lives we thrive best when our breathing is in harmony with our peaceful, essential nature.
Better breathing is simply beautiful!
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