Breath Wave and the Speed Bump of Life

To begin to unravel the mysteries and power of the breath, we need to combine the approaches of science, psychological exploration and spiritual practice. My intention is to awaken you to the awesome power of breathing and to guide you toward an ability to harness some of its power. Heightened breathing experiences result in heightened quality of life.

Tension and energy blockage in the thoracic area of the body can result in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dysfunction. The ancients called the lower thorax the "abdominal brain." A portion of this "brain" is the diaphragm, which I call the "speed bump of life." The "speed" of human possibility depends largely upon spontaneously accessing the balancing energies of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system responses. Those responses are in great part controlled by how we breathe.

Breathing is the foundation of our centering, emotional intensity and physical equilibrium, our feeling sense of internal power, physical satisfaction and fulfillment. Without the balance of this primary energy source, we can easily be lost in emotional and/or mental extremes. We can actively control and liberate our breath and through that we can influence our responses to almost every situation in our lives. A very small part of our conscious mind is engaged in guiding the breath in order to control the greater part of our mental and emotional responses. Balanced breathing invites a purposeful, balanced mind/body experience.

A few indicators of unbalanced breathing are tightness in the chest, sore ribs and sternum, pressure, ticklishness (not the light-touch type of ticklishness), low energy, chronic illness, fear or depression, frequent colds, poor attention, sighing or yawning, poor posture, and an inability to catch the breath. An irregular breathing pattern is a tip off. Repeating a poor breathing pattern over time will restrict or lock up the diaphragm, and the musculature of the pelvis, stomach, back, chest, throat, jaw and eyes*. Expressions like "gutless" and "intestinal fortitude" speak of how attitudes, tension, and anxiety are associated with these areas. Unhealthy cravings, addictions and inappropriate responses may be weakened or eliminated as a balanced breath wave is re-established.

We resist unwanted information and related feelings by holding, or reducing our breath. So, if someone is speaking and it seems logical but you notice your breath becoming slower, more shallow, faster, or deeper, you probably have an issue, positive or negative, with the information. It will pay off to become more conscious of your breath, body sensations, and the situation. To deny our body responses and somatic awareness is to suppress millions of years of somatic evolution and survival mechanisms.

The next time you feel your breath catching or find it suppressed, you might think of it as a message. Notice if you are afraid, anxious, at a loss for words or in some way not empowered. Then take one or more (sometimes hundreds are necessary) long, slow, deep breaths. Start in your belly and maintain a foundation there while letting the breath move up to the top of the chest. Then exhale by letting go. Many people do this without thinking, others not at all, as their attitudes, muscles and the speed bump resist.

Cigarette smokers take a deep drag off a cigarette to relax or collect their thoughts -- but it isn't so much the nicotine but the breathing that can focus, relax or energize; the belief that these effects come from the cigarette reinforces dependence.

A normal, relaxed, fully functional, balanced breath is like a wave. The breath wave must be able to freely transition up and down between the abdominal, mid and high-chest breath.

To better understand this breath wave, imagine lying down at the beach, on your back, with your feet pointed toward the water. Watch the rise of the ocean out about 50 yards. This is like your breath at your belly. Watch the calm, surf-less water rise and come forward where it meets the-uppermost part of the shore (the back of the top of your head), then recede back toward the depths of the ocean (your belly). Think of the water as your life force. Imagine your chin as a rubber raft that is gently raised as the water approaches the uppermost part of the shore (the top of the back of your head). That's the inhalation.

For the exhalation imagine the water receding and dropping somewhat evenly overall and slightly faster in the chest area. If you've watched waves rush in and recede, you will know what I mean. If you've never been near the ocean, watch for 20 minutes the breathing pattern of a 2-month-old baby in deep sleep, imagining it in slow motion.

Several variations in the breath wave may cause it to go out of balance; for example, instead of rising and coming forward to raise the belly, chest and chin, it may stay level or sink downward as if some one were pressing down) not allowing it to rise or fall. It may halt, then push upward again, having lost momentum and its smooth transition. We experience this as feeling "breathless" or "stuck."

The speed bump functions like a breakwater that restricts the natural ebb and flow of the breath. It may appear as a hitch or shuddering movement as the breath-wave travels erratically up or down within a breath cycle. The degree to which the breath cannot transition is the degree to which we get stuck emotionally and mentally, feeling anxiety, fear or numbness. Directly above the speed bump and visible in the path of the breath, in the middle portion of the chest is often a concave, sunken area. If the chest itself isn't visibly sunken or concave, its energetic counterpart may take the form of a dip in the breath wave. I refer to these collectively as depressions. This depression can feel like being held in a bear hug or like the sensation caused by a sudden dip in the road that lifts your stomach toward your throat, momentarily taking your breath away. It can also be so subtle that you don't realize that your breath, power or full self-expression, has been compromised. The free movement of the breath in transition over the speed bump into this dip or depression becomes restricted. Through any combination of surgery, habit, improper exercise, negative attitude or a chronic "startle reflex," the breath may be further restricted by tight abdominal muscles. These muscles will not let go and soften as the diaphragm draws in air. These obstructions inhibit a smooth flow between the belly breath and the high chest breath, reducing the spontaneously balancing force each can have on the other.

A significant, easy-to-measure life change can be made by reducing an abdominal based resting breath rate to fewer than 8 breaths per minute. Eight is optimum for many. Success is assured by practicing a few simple breathing exercises a few minutes each day. There are also sets of recorded exercises to strengthen breathing consciousness.

One exercise I call: #130 Better Breathing Exercise #2, aka "Tibetan Caffeine," interrupts negative patterns and gives a full-bodied experience of centered, energetic result.

The "Serenity Breathing Meditation" (#120 Better Breathing Exercise #1) goes deep into the healing place within and promotes a trusting letting-go from the inside out, a surrender to deep peace and to loving yourself.

Books abound with references to breathing exercises, but few people who read about breathing exercises make a practice of them -- why? Largely because of the lack of understanding or belief in their importance and their energetic effect on emotions, thoughts and issues related to the speed bump and other energy centers. Such as nerve ganglia, endocrine system and chakras.

People experiencing balanced breathing tend to release unresolved emotions, trauma, pain, and limiting beliefs, becoming more relaxed, alive, loving, passionate and powerful.

Professional massage practitioner, as somatic educators:

Clearly, breathing exercises affect or control functioning in the neocortex, limbic system, vagus nerve, autonomic nervous system, and all basic bodily functions and subtle energy systems. By appropriately and sensitively incorporating certain aspects of the breath into a massage session it can facilitate an incredible opportunity for empowerment and personal growth. For this, an experienced teacher or guide is indispensable.

The professional massage practitioner, as somatic educator, has an excellent opportunity to help clients regain full breathing capacity and aliveness, while simultaneously adding to the respect of a most healing and empowering art form and science.

Jan/Feb 1997 Massage Magazine

See also "Breathing Lessons" Woman's Sports and Fitness

#210 Optimal Natural Breathing Kit