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Educating
 
Touch
 
Professionals,
 
Students
 
and
 
the
 
Public
 
Breathing
 
for
 
Relaxation
 
and
 
Health
 
 A
 
Course
 
for
 
the
 
Public
 
By 
 
Doug
 
 Alexander,
 
BSc,
 
RMT 
 
 
 
2
 
Table
 
of 
 
Contents
 
Why
 
Focus
 
on
 
Breathing?
 
.............................................................................................................................................
 
3
 
The
 
 Anatomy
 
of 
 
Relaxed
 
Breathing
 
..........................................................................................................................
 
3
 
The
 
 Anatomy
 
of 
 
Tense
 
Breathing
 
..............................................................................................................................
 
3
 
Massage
 
Therapy
 
and
 
Breathing
 
...............................................................................................................................
 
4
 
Designing
 
Your
 
Breathing
 
Self 
 
Care
 
Program
 
.......................................................................................................
 
5
 
Pranayama,
 
or
 
Cyclical
 
Breathing
 
.............................................................................................................................
 
6
 
Purpose
 
.............................................................................................................................................................................................
 
6
 
Preparation
 
.....................................................................................................................................................................................
 
6
 
Technique
 
........................................................................................................................................................................................
 
6
 
When
 
to
 
Practice
 
...........................................................................................................................................................................
 
6
 
Diaphragmatic
 
or
 
 Abdominal
 
Breathing
 
................................................................................................................
 
7
 
Purpose
 
.............................................................................................................................................................................................
 
7
 
Preparation
 
.....................................................................................................................................................................................
 
7
 
Technique
 
........................................................................................................................................................................................
 
7
 
Problem
 
Solving
 
.............................................................................................................................................................................
 
7
 
Sandbag
 
Breathing
 
..........................................................................................................................................................
 
8
 
Purpose
 
.............................................................................................................................................................................................
 
8
 
Preparation
 
.....................................................................................................................................................................................
 
8
 
Technique
 
........................................................................................................................................................................................
 
8
 
Problem
 
Solving
 
.............................................................................................................................................................................
 
8
 
Serenity
 
Breathing
 
..........................................................................................................................................................
 
9
 
Purpose
 
.............................................................................................................................................................................................
 
9
 
Preparation
 
.....................................................................................................................................................................................
 
9
 
Technique
 
........................................................................................................................................................................................
 
9
 
Problem
 
Solving
 
.............................................................................................................................................................................
 
9
 
Next 
 
Steps
 
.......................................................................................................................................................................................
 
10
 
Tracking
 
Change
 
............................................................................................................................................................
 
10
 
Disclaimer
 
This
 
course
 
is
 
not 
 
meant 
 
to
 
replace
 
medical
 
evaluation,
 
advice
 
and/or
 
intervention.
 
If 
 
you
 
have
 
any
 
negative
 
reactions
 
to
 
these
 
self 
 
care
 
suggestions
 
or
 
any
 
type
 
of 
 
self 
 
care,
 
you
 
should
 
immediately
 
seek 
 
the
 
assistance
 
of 
 
a
 
health
 
care
 
professional.
 
TouchU,
 
the
 
author
 
and
 
any
 
other
 
providers
 
of 
 
this
 
information
 
are
 
not 
 
responsible
 
for
 
any
 
negative
 
outcomes
 
from
 
following
 
these
 
suggestions.
 
Only
 
you
 
are
 
responsible
 
for
 
your
 
health
 
and
 
the
 
decisions
 
and
 
actions
 
you
 
take!
 
 
 
3
 
Why
 
Focus
 
on
 
Breathing?
 
Why consider changing your pattern of breathing? Breathing is an automatic,unconscious activity that we don’t need to think about unless there is unaccustomed effort, suchas when we run up a flight of stairs, have a coldor maybe an asthma attack. However, there ismore to breathing than meets the eye.Just as we can have tense shoulders, hips or lowback, we can have tense breathing. When wehave tense thoughts or feelings our breathingoften adapts to what our body believes is a lifethreatening event in which we will have to fight or run for our lives! Then, when the event is over‐ because we haven’t actually fought or run forour lives ‐ our breathing can remain “stuck” in atense mode.Breathing can also be disturbed by healthproblems such as asthma, chronic bronchitisand/or pneumonia.
The
 
 Anatomy
 
of 
 
Relaxed
 
Breathing
 
Breathing is a function of the diaphragm musclethat separates the organs of the chest (heart andlungs) from the organs of the abdomen(digestive organs). The diaphragm is a domeshaped muscle that lines the inside margin of thebottom of the rib cage. When we breathe in, thediaphragm flattens and increases the volumeinside the chest. This decreases air pressure inthe chest and air rushes into our lungs. Breathingin also compresses the abdominal organs andstretches the abdominal wall.When we exhale, or breathe out, the diaphragmrelaxes and the elasticity of the abdominal walland the pressure in the abdomen pushes thediaphragm up into its original position. Pressurerises in the chest and air rushes out of our lungs.As a result, exhalation is a relaxed, almost energyfree activityBreathing with the diaphragm is very efficient; it takes very little energy. And there are otherbenefits. Because of the fluctuation in pressure inthe abdomen, the abdominal organs get massaged with every breath taken. The bloodand lymphatic vessels that return blood from thelegs work more efficiently with assistance fromdiaphragmatic breathing. The abdominal organsalso work more efficiently as the fluctuation of pressure in the abdomen massages the organsand helps to keep them healthy.Science has shown that purposefuldiaphragmatic breathing can be used to lowerblood pressure, improve digestion and help usfall asleep more easily.
 
And when we are feelingtense, we can decide to breathe in this way torelease the tension and feel relaxed again.Before learning to activate diaphragmaticbreathing, let’s look at tense breathing so weknow what we are challenging when we arebreathing for health and relaxation.
The
 
 Anatomy
 
of 
 
Tense
 
Breathing
 
When we are under stress we are feelingthreatened. And when we feel threatened webreathe in a very different way. Our body ishard‐wired to seek the maximum amount of oxygen in these situations, so we can run or fight for our lives. In anticipation of life threateningsituations we use the shoulder and neck musclesto lift the rib cage like a bellows or accordion.Breathing from the top, or apex, of our lungs iscalled “apical” breathing. When apical breathingis combined with the action of the diaphragm we
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