By Lois Grasso
We can live without food for up to 40 days. We can live without water for three days. But without taking a breath, we die in just minutes. Oxygen is our most essential nutrient. Yet nearly 80% of Americans constantly deprive themselves of oxygen by inhaling only 20 - 30% of their potential lung capacity. If you are not able to see your belly rise with the inhale and fall with the exhale, you are one of the 80%!
If your breathing is not powered by the diaphragm muscle, your cells are not getting enough oxygen. They are literally struggling to survive. At best, this internal cellular struggle causes “unexplained” anxiety and a sense of lack or struggle. At worst, it leads to terminal illness and an early grave.
And breathing does much more than contribute oxygen to the body. The movement of the diaphragm provides important stimulation of abdominal organs – especially the liver and intestines!
So, why are most of us breathing improperly? First, consider the systematic “training” we receive throughout our lives as we are constantly told to “stop crying”. In order to comply with this demand to resist what comes naturally under stress, we must hold our breath. It is the only way to stop crying and be acceptable again! With practice, we become so adept at holding in our breath - and our feelings! - we nearly lose the ability to breathe and feel. Eventually, we are holding the breath at the slightest sign of stress – just when we need it most!
With the assistance of a professional breathing coach, you can expand your breathing capacity and eject old emotional baggage from the driver’s seat of your mind and body. Conscious Connected Breathing is the basis of a number of “brands” of therapeutic breathwork (ie., Transformational Breathing™, Vivation™, Rebirthing™, and OxyGenesis Breathwork™), all of which help to release chronic tension and retrain the body to breathe more fully. OxyGenesis Breathwork also incorporates percussive acupressure (aka EFT), manual stimulation of tense muscles, and more. By using a connected breathing rhythm (ie., no pause between inhale and exhale) which is similar to the way an infant breathes when crying, we give our bodies permission to release unexpressed physical and emotional energy that got stored in the body (as tension) earlier on in life, because we had to stifle it.
Once those energy blocks and corresponding beliefs about ourselves (ie., “Being myself is not acceptable”) are expressed and cleared, most people report a sense of self-acceptance, clarity, and joy that puts the conscious mind in the driver’s seat
With enough practice, it can become automatic to breathe deeply and relax at the slightest sign of stress. The negative effects of major stressors, including intense grief, addictions and severe illness or injury, can be reduced as well. This is when your breathing becomes a highly versatile self-healing powertool for building a vibrant and joyful life.
Why choose breathing therapy in a world that is blossoming with new holistic therapies everyday, some of which seem so much more novel and exciting? If your true goal is a consistently joyful life, doesn’t it make sense to turn your most essential connection with life into your most reliable ally? As Andrew Weil, MD says, “Breath is the movement of Spirit in the body. Spirit is your essential power.”
Lois Grasso is the founder of OxyGenesis Breathwork, and the non-profit OxyGenesis Institute in West Hartford, CT (www.oxygenesis.org). She also uses EFT, with or without breathwork, and is available for local and long distance (phone) sessions and seminars in corporate and educational settings. She can be reached at 860-796-1480.