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Body Centered Therapist- 1984
• Body oriented Singing/Acting
training & performing- 1976
• Protégé voice therapist
Margaret Riddleberger (Tomatis
consultant)- 1979
• Body Centered Meditation
since 1980-90 Eastern and Western
• T’ai Chi- 1984
• 1984-present: body centered
psycho-therapist and educator
• Certified Rolfer® &
Psychocal.® Teacher 1985
• Taught mindfulness practices
since 1988 in NYC and around
the U.S.
• Ongoing serious practice
Psycho-physiological balance…
• The key to
physical,
emotional,
mental, vital, and
spiritual balance
is right under
your nose…
Lungs, heart, and diaphragm…
• The lungs, heart, and
digestive organs are all
continuous with our
respiratory diaphragm,
which is a domed shaped
muscle; pyhsiologically
divides the thoracic and
abdominal cavities.
Respiratory Diaphragm
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
• The respiratory
diaphragm is a domes
shaped muscle that is
like a parachute.
Before we take an
inhale, it is in it’s
upward position. On
the inhale, is is drawn
downward.
Alveoli
• Micorscopic bunches
of grapes (millions of
them) where oxygen
exchange takes place
between into the
capillary bed (bloodstream)
• Ancients suggested
that this is where
consciousness unifies
Psycho-physiological function…
• The role that breathing and respiratory behavior
plays in psycho-physiological functioning has
only recently begun to be recognized by Western
researchers and clinicians as an important factor
governing and influencing mental health and
disease processes.
Psyche-physiological:
physical, emotional, cognitive
(mental), vital, spiritual;
Western research…
• It seems clear that pertinent Western
research studies demonstrate that
breathing plays an influential role in
building up, preserving, and reestablishing physical and
psychological health.
•
The Psychophysiology of Respiration Richard C. Miller, Ph.D., Anahata Press, Sebastapol, CA. The
Journal of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, Vol.2, No. 1, 1991 and in Somatic
Magazine, Vol. IX, No.3, 1994 and Vol. IX,, No. 4., 1994
A. Diaphragmatic-Abdominal
B. Thoracic Breathing
• Two distinct styles of breathing emerge
from the Eastern and Western literature:
diaphragmatic-abdominal breathing, and
thoracic respiration. These two patterns
produce (and are produced by) diametrically
opposed physiological and psychological
phenomenon.
Research is now appearing which shows
the interrelationship between
respiration and other behavioral states
in the body such as cardiovascular
functioning, brain circulation, metabolic
activity, endocrine activity, muscle and
vascular tone, arteriole blood flow, blood
pH, and autonomic homeostatic
regulating mechanisms.
Grossman, Paul, Respiration, Stress, and Cardiovascular Function, Psychophysiology,
Vol. 20, May, 1983, pp.284-300.
Western researchers are now beginning
to realize what Eastern medical
practitioners (East Indian, Chinese, and Japanese to name a few)
have been saying for over 5000 years:
that significant improvement across a
range of somatic and psychological
symptoms can be made solely through
understanding and modifying habitual
patterns of respiration.
Two basic types of
respiratory patterns
emerge from the
Western research
literature:
Belly Breathing
• abdominal-diaphragmatic
dominant ventilation when there is
a slow, rhythmic respiration rate
with a relatively large tidal volume
of air being exchanged with every
inhalation and exhalation.
Upper Chest Breathing
• thoracic dominant ventilation which is
typically characterized by a rather rapid
and irregular respiration rate and by a
relatively low tidal volume of exchanged
air.
• With slow, rhythmic, abdominaldiaphragmatic breathing, relatively high
levels of CO2 accumulate in the lung
arterioles and the blood. As a result, blood
pH shifts toward acidosis, triggering
numerous positive psycho-physiological
processes.
Abdominal-Diaphragmatic
• Increased CO2 induces relaxation of
vascular tone, promotes coronary and
cerebral blood flow, oxygenation of the
heart and brain, removal of acidic
metabolites, and increase in oxygen transfer
from hemoglobin to cellular tissues.
• Diaphragmatic breathing, a
response opposite of thoracic
breathing and hyperventilation, is
characterized by increased vigor,
and decreases in tension, fatigue,
confusion, anxiety, depression,
and overall mood disturbances.
•
Harvey, J., The effect on yogic breathing exercises on mood, The Journal of Psychosomatic Dentistry
and Medicine, 1980.
• On the other hand, a ventilation
response characterized by thoracic
dominance, a rapid, irregular
respiration rate and a low tidal
volume, leads to a shift of blood
pH towards alkalosis (abnormally
high alkalinity-low hydrogen-ion
concentration of the blood and
other body tissues) resulting in:
• marked constriction of cerebral and
myocardial arterioles and
• decreased blood and oxygen supply to
the brain and heart as well as an
• inhibition of transfer of oxygen from
hemoglobin to tissue cells.
•
Hauge, A., Thorenson, M.,& Walloe, L., Changes in cerebral blood flow during hyperventilation, and CO2
rebreathing in humans by a bidirectional, pulsed, ultrasound Doppler blood velocity meter, ActaPhysiology, 1976, 41,
pp.734-738
• Hyperventilation Syndrome (via
upper chest breathing) occurs when
there is excessive intake of O2
beyond the current metabolic needs
of the body.
•
• Hyperventilation may be accompanied by
spasms, breathlessness, feelings of
apprehension, panic, a sense of unreality,
dizziness, palpitations.
• Numbness, tetany, and breathing patterns
which result in reduced oxygen supplies to
cellular tissues, especially the brain.
•
Fried, J., Rudin, S., Fox, M., & Carlton, R., Method and protocols for assessing
hyperventilation and its treatment, International Center for the Disabled, New York,
1983. (a)
• Hyperventilation syndrome may be
brought on by such diverse actions
as excessive sighing, yawning,
and/or chest-dominant breathing.
• Personality and behavioral traits among both
normal individuals and persons with clinical
diagnosis have been shown to be related to
respiratory parameters:
• Increased respiratory rate and volume,
• thoracic breathing, and
• decreased levels of CO2 have been observed
among a variety of disturbed individuals including
• depressed,
• neurotic,
• phobic, and
• anxious individuals.
• Interestingly, respiratory function
is brought back toward the normal
range as these patients show
improvement in their clinical
symptoms.
• Individuals whose habitual
breathing patterns are slow,
abdominal-dominant breathing
with large tidal volume and
elevated levels of CO2 are found to
be confident, emotionally stable,
and physically and intellectually
active.
• On the other hand, thoracicdominant breathers with low tidal
volume respiration and hence low
arterial CO2 levels, tend to be
passive, dependent, fearful, and
shy individuals.
• Increased respiratory rate and
thoracic-dominant breathing has
been shown to accompany anger
and anxiety while sharp
decreases in respiratory rate and
depth occurred when patients feel
depressed, overwhelmed or
defeated.
• Abdominal-diaphragmatic breathing
not only promotes a rise in CO2
throughout the system, but also
promotes 1. lymphatic circulation and
2. venous return to the heart as well as
enhances the 3. ventilation-perfusion
response (The injection of fluid into a blood
vessels in order to reach an organ or tissue, usually
to supply nutrients and oxygen. in the lungs).
•
• lymphatic circulation
• venous return to the heart
• ventilation-perfusion response
• These three effects result from the
down-and-up movement of the
diaphragm which should regularly
occur on inhalation and exhalation.
• (as when sleeping; observe!)
• On inhalation, the diaphragm acts
as a downward moving force,
allowing the inhaled air to be
pulled into the capillary and bloodrich lower lobes of the lungs
•.
• As a result, a larger exchange of gases takes
place than would if the inhaled air reached
only the upper and middle lobes of the
lungs as occurs during thoracic breathing.
* (Due to gravity, the lower lobes of the lungs
have a higher concentration of capillaries and
blood supply than the upper lobes.)
• As the diaphragm descends
during inhalation, it also presses
upon and helps bring peristaltic
movement to the stomach,
intestines, and liver and digentive
organs, thus promoting the health
of these organs.
• The pericardium of the heart is
continuous with the daphragm and
is stretched/moved as the
diaphragm moves downward
during inhalation providing a
massaging action to the heart.
• During exhalation, the ascending
force of the diaphragm helps the
venous return to the heart as well
as promotes lymphatic circulation
throughout the body.
Clarke, J., Respiration, heart rate, and the autonomic nervous system, Research Bulletin,
Vol. 3, No. 1, 1981 & Clarke, J., Lung capacity and breathing patterns, during rest,
exercise, and illness. Research Bulliten, Vol. 3, No.2, 1981
Abdominal-Diaphragmatic
Breathing
• Relatively easy to learn
• Can be done any time- standing, sitting,
prone
• Aid to reverse psycho-physiological distress
• Take direct responsibility of your own
organism
• Basis of all true Mindfulness Practice
Balance Point (Tan Tien. Hara, or Kath)
All classical meditations of ancient
eastern and western traditions
recognize the existence of the balance
point and have discovered that, by
concentrating in this point, you
substantially increase your awareness,
vital energy, and the depth of your
breathing pattern.
• The balance point (tan tien: Chinese and hara:
Japanese) is not an anatomical point
like the navel, but it is the body’s
center of equilbrium and
awareness, located 3 finger-widths
below the navel.
Balance Point
• When you focus our attention in this point, you
become aware of the sensitivity and energy of it,
giving you the impression that you are feeling
your entire body all at once.
• More neurons in the abdominal nervous plexus
than in cranial brain.
• T’ai Chi, yoga, meditation, performing arts,
professional athletes, etc… (also called core)
Exercise #1
• Describe your own breathing pattern
Exercise # 2
• Abdominal-Diaphragmatic
Breathing
Principles
• Awareness in lower belly (3 finger widths below
belly)
• Inhale and exhale through your nose
• Feel diaphragm being drawn downward on the
inhale, while belly remains relaxed throughout
• Feel diaphragm release back upward on the exhale
while belly remains relaxed and with awareness in
belly throughout
Principles (continued)
• Fill lungs- bottom to top
• Empty lungs- top to bottom
• Don’t strain or force
• Spine is long and relaxed
Questions
• Comments
• Discussion
• Feedback
QuickTi me™ and a
TIFF ( Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.