Know breath Know Life; No breath no life Alternatives for Asthmatics – by Meggan Brummer
You’re happily going along, simply minding your own business, when all of a sudden you feel your chest begin to tighten. You’re struggling to breathe, gasping for air, wheezing away - but it’s is futile. The harder you try the less you feel able to. You’re desperate and the more you panic the worse it gets. Finally, you collapse in utter exhaustion, by which time the nightmare subsides and you are able to breathe normally again.
An asthma attack may last for only a few minutes or for hours or days. During an attack, the air passages on the way to the lungs tighten and become inflamed and the smooth muscle of the bronchioles contract, reducing the diameter of the airways. Air moving in and out of the lungs becomes constricted, making it difficult to breathe. Not only do the body cells not get enough oxygen, but excess carbon dioxide remains in the body. As there is no supporting cartilage, the muscle spasms can potentially close off the airways, inducing a life-threatening situation.
How many of us are affected? Affecting between 100 and 150 million people worldwide, asthma is found amongst people of all age groups, but mostly in young children, with the majority of absentee slips in schools relating to asthma.
The Symptoms: persistent cough, recurrent episodes of dyspnoea, wheezing, tightness of the chest, a shortness of breath and a loss of energy due to excessive exertion on inhalation.
The Cause According to Western medicine, any of the following, either combined or on their own, can result in inflamed respiratory airways and cause or trigger asthma:
• Genetic factors
• Exposure to allergens (e.g. house dust mite, animal dander, moulds, pollen, flowers, grass, cockroaches, latex, food additives, soap powders, tobacco smoke and medications)
• Weather conditions (eg. cold air in winter and rainy seasons)
• Environmental irritants such as air-conditioning
• Exercise
• Psychological: Asthma often develops after an experience of loss, rejection or major threat to ones personal security. Eg. loss of a loved-one.
• Constipation: often asthmatics suffer from constipation, which either leads to or exacerbates their condition.
In Chinese medicine, asthmas is seen to be the result of phlegm (a by-product of a weak lung, spleen or kidneys). Similarly, in Ayurveda, asthma is considered to be mainly a kapha (the mucous element) syndrome.
How do I know if I have Asthma?
Pulmonary function tests and allergy testing can be conducted by doctors to determine whether you suffer from asthma or another respiratory illness.
What can I do?
Feeling desperate and helpless, asthmatics frequently come to rely heavily on medication. So far, Australia’s most common approach to asthma has been the use of orthodox medications. Treating symptoms this way is a temporary solution and medications often have negative side-effects. Eg. Inhaling steroids can cause yeast infections in the mouth, cataracts in the eyes and brittleness of the bones.
How can I empower myself rather than form a dependence on medication and drugs?
The Breath
As mental tension and asthma are interlinked, an asthmatic who learns to keep his mind relaxed can reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. This is why breathing techniques are so beneficial.
Rhythmic Diaphragmatic Breathing
With the shallow pattern of breathing many of us have acquired, we hardly utilize the diaphragm when we breathe. Deep diaphragmatic breathing is simple and effective and can be practiced when an asthma attack is imminent.
Lie comfortably on your back with your head supported on a folded towel or small cushion. With closed eyes, place your hands on your abdomen, palms of the hands facing downwards. Begin by taking a few normal breaths in and out through the nostrils, simply becoming aware of the breath. Gradually increase the length of the in and exhalation. Now take your awareness into the belly and as you inhale, focus on expanding the belly. With each inhalation the belly expands like a balloon; with each exhalation it relaxes. Complete ten breaths and then allow your breath to return to normal and rest with eyes closed.
Sudarshan Kriya Yoga According to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, we utilize about 30% of our lung capacity and yet 90% of the toxins in the body are released through the breath. The breath is the link between the body and the mind. With each emotion there is a corresponding pattern of the breath. Eg. when you are feeling anxious your breathing pattern changes, becoming shorter and harder. Similarly, when the mind is calm the breath is automatically slow, deep and easy. By changing the pattern of our breath, we can change our emotional and mental state of being, increase our energy and our overall wellbeing.
During an asthma attack the breath becomes short and hard. The shorter it breath becomes the person panics and the more they panic the shorter their breath becomes. Gaining a few breathing skills helps asthmatic to help themselves. Asthmatics around the world have benefited hugely from the practice of the Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) breathing technique, taught in Sri Sri’s Art of Living courses.
Shiby, who suffered from asthma since he could remember, controlling it with inhalers and steroids: “Since practicing SKY regularly I have been totally asthma free. SKY definitely changed my life.”
Srinivas, now 35 years old: “I had mild asthmatic symptoms in my early childhood until about 10 years of age. Since then I had severe bronchial congestions whenever there was flu about or when the weather changed. And then, a couple of years ago I developed a kind of allergic rhinitis situation and became allergic to almost anything (or so it felt). The doctors were at a loss as to what remedies to recommend. The allergic reactions soon transformed into a severe asthma condition and I started getting treated as an asthma patient rather than just for allergies. I was on inhalers and oxygen treatment and was at the hospital every 2 months or so. My lungs were severely clogged. It was the middle of the night when I started choking and wheezing heavily. I could hardly talk. I drove to the hospital for urgent medication. The doctor was so anxious for me, saying it was a miracle that I managed to drive to the hospital He said that hardly 5% of my lungs were functioning and put me in a wheel chair. I was admitted for a day and kept under constant observation. After 8 hours the wheezing stopped and I was discharged. I was on steroids, inhalers, other medication, diet restrictions, etc. I couldn’t even blow the thing the doctor had given me to measure my lung strength. I could not understand what was going wrong in my life. I felt completely lost. I had always led a healthy life and felt confused and desperate. Although I’d said nothing, my family members noticed changes in me which were due to the steroids and lack of exercise. I put on a lot of weight. I was afraid to walk much or do any kind of physical activity in the fear that it might trigger an attack. I was a nervous wreck. Then the magic of SKY happened. Although I did the Art of Living course in March 2000, I was not regular with the practice. Then in June 2001 I began practicing SKY regularly. I am now off all steroids, inhalers, etc. In fact, I just returned from a very good workout in the gym where I did the stepper machine for a good 30mins or so and then did other exercises as well. I have lost about 6 kg’s and have regained my lost confidence.
Ragy, now 37 years old, has been an asthmatic from the age of 10 years old: “Before I did the Art of Living course my lung capacity, measured by the pulmonary function test, was about 1 litre. For an adult my age I should inhale about 4.2 litres. One year after practicing SKY regularly I took another pulmonary function test. The doctors were really amazed to find that my lung capacity had more than doubled with an intake of 2.2 litres”.
What else can I do?
Become aware the environment:
• Reduce allergens and irritants at work and at home, eg. animals, smokers and dust mites. (Asthma occurs about twice as often in those children who live with parents who smoke).
• Keep the environment well ventilated and as free as possible from humidity.
• If your child is asthmatic, avoid sending them to overcrowded day-care centres.
Keeping a journal: To help you become aware of what triggers your attacks, keep a journal, recording when the asthmatic episodes occur (date and time of day), where you were when it happened, what you were doing, what the weather was like and your symptoms.
Food and Nutrition Tips:
Ayurveda (the Indian Science of Life) recommends an anti-kapha diet for asthamtics, ie. avoiding all mucus-forming foods. These include:
• yogurt,
• sour fruit,
• foods prepared with cold milk
• nuts
• dried foods eg. biscuits and bread
• bananas and
• ice-cream.
A balanced diet including salad, fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouts and leafy vegetables should be an essential part of an asthmatic's daily meal.
Honey: Honey is very effective for asthmatic patients as it absorbs moisture and has a fatal effect on germs.
Vinegar or Cider Vinegar: Both of these are wonderful for healing lung infections.
Grape juice: Grape juice effectively eliminates excess mucus and phlegm from the system.
Turmeric: This yellow coloured spice powder can be mixed with honey or warm milk to make a drink. Alternatively it can be warmed in butter with raw sugar and taken frequently in teaspoonful doses during acute attacks. The healing properties of turmeric are numerous and are beneficial for asthmatics.
Peppermint: Peppermint tea helps to eliminate hardening mucus.
Pineapple: Pineapple juice also helps dissolve mucus.
Spices: In the winter months when kapha is high, include more of the spicy spices in your diet to reduce kapha eg. chilli, pepper, garlic and ginger, cayenne and mustard.
Western Herbs: Include mullein, bayberry, sage and thyme in your diet.
Herbal Teas: Astringent teas such as thyme and ajwain are best.
Avoid cold drink:. Drink a small amount of warm water with your meals, but no more as liquid taken with meals dilutes the digestive enzymes and weakens the digestive system.
Increase the liquid in your diet: eg. have more soups (which can be eaten with well-cooked rice) and gruels.
Remedy: Lay very think slices of raw onion and garlic on a plate and spread honey on each slice. Cover with an inverted plate and let it stand all night. Take a spoonful of the resultant syrup four times a day.
Other tips
• Stop Eating as soon as an attack appears to be imminent.
• Breast fee for at least the first 4 to 6 months of your pregnancy to reduce the risk of your child having allergies.
• Remove rugs and carpets from your bedroom.
• Avoid lung tonics like ginseng, as they close the energy of the lungs.
• Implement routine in your life, ie. Go to bed and wake up at the same time, eat your meals at regular times and maintain regularity in your daily work routine.
• Have a light breakfast (one piece of fruit, fruit juice or herbal tea), a heavier lunch and a small dinner.
• Drink lots of water between meals. Asthmatics lose a lot of water through fast and laboured breathing during attacks.
• Developing physical fitness and losing excess weight will reduce respiratory difficulty. Swimming is an excellent form of exercise for asthmatics.
• Take cold shower every morning, paying particular attention to your shoulder and neck region.
Biography of Meggan Brummer When she's not writing, Meggan Brummer volunteers her time as a teacher of the internationally recognised Art of Living Courses, runs yoga workshops, singing workshops and innovative workshops on how to cook delicious vegetarian meals which are not only great for the body but also the mind! Meggan also loves entertaining crowds with her jazz singing. www.megganbrummer.com
