Just Breathe … and Heal!

Recently, I attended a friend’s dinner party and just as the main course was served, I felt as though a mini Mack truck had plowed into the side of my head. The pain was so sudden and so intense that it stopped me cold in my tracks. Because this wasn’t the first time I’ve experienced a classic migraine, I knew exactly what I needed to do – locate the nearest dark cool room. Minutes later, locked in my friend’s guest bathroom, I began my Pranayama Yoga breathing exercises and instantly began to relax. With each inhalation, I filled my lungs with cleansing oxygen, and with each exhalation, I released the toxic carbon dioxide.

Almost immediately, the muscles in my neck began to relax and the intense pain on the side of my head began to dissipate. A few short minutes later, the familiar tingling feeling – as if my hair was growing – let me know that the “danger” had passed and the much anticipated relief from the pain had finally arrived.

I first learned of Pranayama breathing while reading a book entitled, “The Magic of Believing,” by Claude M. Bristol. In the book, the author describes a woman who, after suffering from years of debilitating arthritis, healed her pain by performing simple breathing exercises. Being a migraine sufferer myself, the idea of using breath work instead of taking powerful prescription medications resonated with me. I also discovered that in addition to using breath work to help heal an array of illnesses, I alone possess the power to decide if I am going to be a vessel of health and peace, or one of stress, anxiety, and ultimately “dis-ease”. When you give into daily stressors, your heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension and blood pressure increases and in response, your body produces adrenaline. This is great if you’re in a life threatening situation, but not so healthy on a day-to-day basis. Practicing Yoga and Pranayama can help break this toxic stress cycle, and give your body the opportunity it needs to heal.  Yoga and breathing exercises may also help to alleviate common ailments such as allergies. According to Clifford W. Bassett, M.D., an allergist who is medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York, "Yoga and postural exercises exert a relaxation response that may modify the negative effects of psychological stress on proper immune function."

So breathe easy! Practicing deeply healing Pranayama breathing can transform your body, mind, and soul into a vessel of healing. For more information on Pranayama breathing, refer to “Breathing Lessons” by Tony Briggs at http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/219. For a step-by-step guided practice, Dr. Andrew Weil has a CD entitled, “Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing” at http://www.amazon.com/Breathing-Master-Key-Self-Healing/dp/156455726X/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324944199&sr=1-8.

Breathing exercises are easy to learn. You don’t need any special equipment or tools, and you can do them throughout the day to help relieve symptoms of stress, reduce tension, and improve your overall health.

Have you practiced Pranayama breathing before? If so, share your story with us here!