|
|
Member
Posts: 6
| Hello:
I have started to practice Ujjayi breathing for anxiety in sessions of 25 minutes (2) during the day. 6 seconds/inhalation and 6 seconds/exhalation using Coherent Brething sound cues.
The problem is that everytime I practice it I wake up with a lot of anxiety so I am almost sure that I am doing something wrong.
Unfortunately there are no yoga teachers with experience in that pranayama where I live.
According to the book I'm basing the technique on ("How to Use Herbs, Nutrients, and Yoga in Mental Health Care") you should breathe through your nose but even when my mouth is closed and doing the "ocean" sound I feel that I'm always breathing through it.
Could you shed some light please as this is kind of frustrating.
If I don't do the technique I wake up lessa anxious so as you can see this technique instead of making me feel more relaxed is having the opposite effect.
Thanks,
Roberto
Edited by robertin75 2010-09-03 9:57 AM
|
|
| |
|
| If you are having pain or problems with a Yoga discipline you should simply stop. What you are doing needs to be assessed by a Yoga teacher. If you have general anxiety issues, your Yoga practice should also be assessed by a counselor or therapist. You can have the therapist and Yoga teacher interact to decide which is the best way to go.
I have used breathing exercises to control panic attacks. It is not necessary to use a complicated pranayama technique. All that is necessary is to become one with the natural rhythym of breathing and learn how to relax into it. This work is discussed not only in Yoga literature, but is used by professional psychotherapists in their work with PTSD and other issues.
Here are some good articles on natural techniques to help with anxiety:
http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/Anxiety/anx_home.htm
+++
and here is a very simple and very safe Pranayama exercise:
http://www.yogaofsrichinmoy.com/yoga/pranayamafolder/pranayama
(In 2007, Sri Chinmoy was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev)
|
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 6
| Unfortunately as I said there are not knowledgeable yoga teachers where I live.
Most if not all Yoga teachers teach only yoga postures, movements, etc. |
|
| |
|
| I am sorry about your problems.
If that is the case, that you cannot get professional advice, you are best off not continuing with what you are doing.
As I mentioned above, I gave a link for a pranayama exercise what can easily give you plenty of peace and rest....and it is also completely safe.
Exercises which involve holding the breath can cause some problems for some people. If that is your difficulty and you can't find expert guidance, you should try some other form of relaxation. There are many, many relaxation techniques. It is not necessary to stick with the one you are doing. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 6
| I will try David Shannahoff-Khalsa kundalini techniques from his book "Kundalini Yoga Meditation: Techniques Specific for Psychiatric Disorders,Couples Therapy, and Personal Growth".
Have you tried them? |
|
| |
|
| are you practicing this breath seated or in a reclined position?
if you have not received formal training in posture and breath control it would likely be in your best interest to begin the practice laying down, supported by folded blankets or a firm bolster pillow.
...
like jon said, if it is aggravating your conditions of anxiety it would be in your best interest to stop.
...
have you received training in or conducted independent study of asanas? |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 6
| Hello dhanurasana:
I am practicing ujjayi breathing in a chair with my feet flat on the floor.
Do you mean to practice lying down on my back?
I don't know if the right word would be "aggravating". Just that there are some days in which I feel it's making the anxiety worse but nothing compared with not doing anything at all.
I have not received any training nor conducted independent studies on asanas. I am just a regular guy who has suffered from chronic anxiety and chronic fatigue for the last 13 years and have not found any real help from Western Medicine.
A week after I started practicing some breathing exercises from the great book "How to Use Herbs, Nutrients, and Yoga in Mental Health Care" (the authors who are very well respected psychiatrists recommend either ujjayi or alternate nostril breathing) I felt better than I have felt in the last 13 years.
I feel that I have taken the first step on a thousand miles journey.
Although I still don't consider myself cured I finally think that I have hit the main source of my problem:irregular breathing caused by an imbanance in my nervous system that went out of whack when I had a severe depression and anxiety episode 13 years ago.
Several sleep studies have shown that I have a shallow breathing (hypopneas) and that I sometimes stop breathing (apneas) but the problem is that neither CPAP or other treatments (dental appliances) have done anyhing to relieve my symptoms.
Blood gases results also showed that I sometimes have hypocapnia probably caused by hyperventilation from the anxiety.
Doctors have tried several CPAP pressures to see if my symptoms improve but guess what? Those adjustments have done nothing !!!
No combination of psychotropic drugs that I have taken since 1999 or any other kind of treatment (either pharmacological, psychological or other modality) has had the profund effect on my body and mind that the breathing techniques I'm trying to learn right now.
So I really prefer to feel worse for a couple of days if I do the technique wrong than to stop completely as jon suggested; that would mean to give up the ray of hope that I think I finally found.
And as I said there is no competent yoga teacher where I live that I can learn from. If there was you can be sure that I would be already practicing and learning from him/her.
Thanks,
Roberto
Edited by robertin75 2010-09-04 12:41 AM
|
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 6
| Anyone has some feedback?
Thanks |
|
| |
|
| Hello Roberto,
There are several things within your post to which I'd like to respond.
The first is to point out that someone with an abscessed tooth does not read a book, by some pliers, then extract their own tooth. It is of course very possible to do so but it is equally possible that the ramifications of doing so would far outweigh the benefits. When we perceive the tools of Yoga as potent and powerful we then must very carefully consider in what way(s) we can maintain integrity in learning them from this source or that. So I'm reiterating what others have mentioned - a powerful tool requires proper teaching in order to use it properly.
Second, 25 minutes of pranayama (any pranayama) is far too long for a beginning student. Students who are new to pranayama (in Purna Yoga) start ONLY in the supine position (lying on the back) as they are unable to maintain proper alignment while sitting. Chairs do not help in this regard.
Further, said beginners start with 4-6 minutes of radiant breath and continue that for several weeks before graduating to a calming viloma II breath. Even when the student is using Ujjayi (which is a fine beginner's pranayama) 5 minutes is plenty AND all students are advised that if they become warm or agitated at all to return to normal breathing immediately.
Dealing with anxiety through Yoga (the complete practice rather than the asana practice) requires changes in postures, breath work, lifestyle, nutrition, and meditation. This is what makes up a protocol. While I understand your logistical predicament perhaps you can change your circumstances. Some cannot. Others can. So perhaps seeking out few sessions with a Yoga Therapist outside of your general area, attending a conference or workshop, or arranging one in your area might be possibilities for you.
Where are you exactly?
Edited by purnayoga 2010-09-10 1:35 AM
|
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 6
| Hello Gordon:
I live in México (but not in México City where the major Yoga teachers are).
Looks like I have been overdoing the pranayama practices. There were some days in which I was practicing alternate nostril breathing 3 times a day, each session lasting 25 minutes. So a total of 75 minutes a day.
Guess more is better does not apply here but are just 5 minutes of daily pranayama practice enough to have some benefits in someone like me that has been battling chronic fatigue and anxiety for the last 13 years?
As I said I have been practicing both alternate nostril breathing and ujjayi breathing and there have been days in which I definitely feel improvement whereas other days I have felt a little bit more anxious (probably due to overdoing).
I would not like to mix a lot of different pranayamas so I don't know if it would be a good idea to include your recommendations about radiant breath and calming viloma II breath in my daily practice.
Right now I am just focusing on alternate nostril breathing, ujjayi and Unilateral Forced Nostril Breathing (UFNB) techniques.
UFNB is part of a Kundalini Yoga Protocol for treating anxiety disorders from the book of David Shannahoff-Khasla which by the way I have found very helpful.
Should any breathing tecnhique be practiced on supine position at this moment that I am just learning?
Normally all my breathing practices have been sitting on a chair.
Thanks,
Roberto |
|
| |
|
| Piluca is in Mexico City.
http://www.khyf.net/asp/main.asp?Pg=MM4_21&Ref=78
She taught one of my teacher training modules. Excellent.
I did not read all of the responses. But pranayama techniques in and of themselves can be highly stimulating. And anxiety provoking if one is trying to get it "right."
This is a stretch over the web. But if anxiety is an issue - let go of all the fancy techniques and just concentrate on extending the exhale.
Start with something simple.
5 in 5 ex - for 5 breaths
5 in 10 ex for 10 breaths
5 in 5 ex - for 5 breaths
If 5 is not comfortable try 4 - and try not to extend the exhale more than twice the inhale.
If 8 or 10 is uncomfortable for the exhale - then just keep adding a count to the exhale until you reach your comfortable maximum exhale.
You can do this seated or lying down if more comfortable. If lying down and you have a tendency to fall asleep - then bend the knees.
In my experience pranayama works best when you are comfortable. If you try to force it and/or become agitated - it is likely that your sympathetic (flight or fight) nervous system will kick in - this defeats the purpose.
Pranayama is an amazing technique - it can also have incredible unintended effects. Because of the great power of this tool - you will find many of us repeat over and over that a qualified teacher is required to get full benefits and avoid unintended consequences.
Best wishes.
Vic |
|
| |
|
| Roberto,
you make a good point about not adding to what you are doing right now. In advocating Radiant Breath and Viloma I was speaking more of the methodology of instruction of pranayama to students in Purna Yoga™. It is really up to you to determine what will suit you and what should be tossed and what should be retained.
I am not familiar with forced nostril breathing however I find it difficult to digest that "forced" anything is recommended AND effective for anxiety in human beings. Frankly, my practice began as a kundalini practice and I find the teachings to not at all suit my living. However I certainly respect others who chose it if and when its residue is a positive effect on their life.
I also can't tell you if 5 minutes of pranayama will help your anxiety. Number one, I"m not there teaching you. Number two, this is a significant issue which does not typically go away in 4 weeks. Students learn pranayama gradually so that they may LEARN pranayama not just do it. AND if it is effecting the student adversely, well as my teacher says "please feel free to use common sense."
Beginnings students rarely have an aligned spine. When a student engages in pranayama with a poorly aligned spine, the energy created by the pranayama vectors into undesirable channels. It is for this reason that the supine pranayama position is used. But again, if the chair is working for you, then it is not for me to say otherwise.
Edited by purnayoga 2010-09-11 12:50 PM
|
|
| |
Feeling worse after practicing ujjayi breathing
