Symbols of Power

Stress-Reducing Breathing Techniques in CD II

In many older cultures, there is some form of self-healing practice of conditioning and strengthening the body’s natural healing energy. Unfortunately, in the last hundred or so years, with the emergence of pharmaceutical medicines, the traditional practice of restoring one’s vitality from within has been lost to the perspective of looking for the prevention of disease (or the aging process in general) to the outside -- in the form of a pill or potion.

With the modern rediscovery of holistic, natural therapies, we are now being reconnected to the psychology of recognizing that the internal healing power of our body is the most important protection we possess. New research has shown the effectiveness of diet, exercise and stress management in maintaining our wellbeing. In addition, holistic therapies such as acupuncture, reflexology techniques and deep-tissue massage are proving to show real benefits to physical health.

Breathing techniques are also time-proven ways for both reducing stress from daily life pressures and strengthening our body’s ability to heal itself. Through consciously controlling our breathing cycle, we can reduce stress effectively and regain our natural wellbeing. Nowadays, many blood samples show high levels of dioxide in the blood. While not immediately threatening, it indicates that the individual is not inhaling enough oxygen, which can result in fatigue, mental fog and decreased tissue function.

Deep breathing delivers a powerful jolt of oxygen through your cells. Deep, rhythmic breathing also expands the diaphragm muscle (under your lungs), expanding the lung’s air pockets and stimulating the lymphatic system. We don’t often consider our lymph nodes unless we hear about someone with cancer. And why this is surprising is because we have twice as much lymphatic fluid as blood in our bodies.

The lymphatic system is the body’s sewer system, forming a drainage system throughout the body, carrying dead white blood cells, unused plasma protein and toxins. The lymph fluid then drains into the circulatory system through the thoracic duct at the base of your neck, and eventually passes through the kidneys and liver. But lacking an internal pump (like the heart in the circulatory system) the lymph system is dependent on breathing and bodily movement to move waste fluid out of your body.

So if you aren’t breathing deeply or exercising regularly, most likely your lymph fluid is not draining as effectively as it should, which can result in weight gain, muscle loss, high blood pressure, fatigue, and inflammation. In addition to boosting the immune response (protecting us from viral diseases and bacterial infections), a higher volume of breathing increases oxygen intake – a key element in our body’s ability to produce energy.

Physiological Changes

Heart and Cardiovascular System
Slow, gentle breathing techniques are a means of guiding the mind to slow down and refocus, and the easing body’s autonomic nervous system to re-enter natural balance or homeostasis (See Healing Relaxation: Natural Balance – Homeostasis).

Each time you exhale, your brain sends a signal down to the vagus nerve to slow the cardiac muscle. Regular slow breathing signals back to your brain that you are safe from any danger. As one performs slower breathing, the fight-or-flight stress response is turned off and, in doing so, the sympathetic nervous system is quieted and the parasympathetic nervous system is activated

This results in slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure.

Redistribution of Blood Flow
Blood flow is redirected from the major muscles to the brain, internal organs and surface skin, resulting in an increase in mental clarity, increased physical energy and improved skin tone.

More Insight Into the Benefits of Breathing
Experts estimate that we inhale and exhale 1.4 billion times in our lifetime, with each vital breath functioning as a means to sustain our life. In fact, did it ever occur to you that receiving spiritual inspiration comes from the word inspiration (= inhalation… to breath in)? In ancient Sanskrit, atman means "world soul" and atma is "breath." In Hebrew, neshama means "soul" and nieshema means "breath."

Hostility Affects Breathing Rate
A study led by Dr. Benita Jackson, assistant professor of psychology at Smith College, has found that high scores on hostility testing coincided low performance of lung function in both men and women. The study, published in professional journal Health Psychology, surveyed over 4,600 healthy adults. Researchers factored controls for age, height, socioeconomic status, smoking and asthma. While theorists have predicted this type of causal relationship, this study – though not conclusive proof – was a first step towards correlating this behavioral phenomenon in adults. The researchers also found that for every one-fifth increase in hostility scores, there was a corresponding decrease in scores on the breathing tests.

Breathing Control Studies
Each time you exhale, your brain sends a signal down to the vagus nerve to slow the cardiac muscle. Slowed regular breathing signals your brain that you are safe from any danger. It also relaxes the heart and lowers blood pressure.

When individuals with normal blood pressure were subjected to mental stress for five minutes, their bodies required an average of 3.7 minutes for their blood pressure to return to normal. However when those individuals employed deep breathing, their blood pressure returned to normal in 2.7 minutes, a significant reduction in time.

Symbols of Power Breathing Audio Programs

The Symbols of Power Stress Relief Systems contain an assortment of audio breathing programs. System I contains one program, The Wheel of Healing. System II contains 6 audio breathing programs which comprise the final six selections of CD II. For a sample of one of these audio programs, click here to listen to Following The Waves:

Click to read a preview of the six breathing programs in CD II (last 6 selections)

Click to Purchase CD II