Asthma and stress related breathing problems
Asthma sufferers say the greatest problem related
to their condition is the feeling of rising panic as
their neck muscles tighten, their shoulders yank up
to their ears, and their abdominal muscles contract
as a terrifying fear grips them and they feel that they
will not be able to win the fight for their next breath.
In London at the beginning of the last century, F.M.
Alexander was known amongst the doctors who sent him
their patients as "the breathing man" because
of the success he experienced in the matter of breathing
by allowing the breathing mechanism to function normally
and eradicating harmful habits which can interfere with
this process.
We may have been taught by a music teacher to take
a deep breath before we begin to sing, the physical
education teacher might have said take several deep
breaths in preparation for a demanding exercise, but
this interfering of the breathing mechanism by the wilful
sucking or gasping in of air is very much what Alexander
wanted to discourage in favour of creating favourable
conditions for expansion of the bodily framework, thus
allowing by simple reflex mechanism the air to enter
by itself.
So much have we been conditioned to believe that it
is important to breath in and take for ourselves as
many good deep breaths as possible, Alexander’s
approach may appear to us to be something totally new,
but on the contrary, it is like going back to the very
first breath. When a baby is born the first movement
the lungs make is to expel the fluid contained in them,
to clear the breathing passages so that air can rush
in. During this first breathing experience no idea about
how this should be done, feelings of stress related
to achievement, panic or fear that it won’t happen
by itself interferes with this natural life giving process.
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