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

• 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.

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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 re-establishing 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, abdominal-diaphragmatic 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, thoracic-dominant 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 blood-rich 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

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