How do I breathe????!!! - Lung & Respiratory Disorders / COPD Message Board

feloni · 11-07-2004, 04:51 PM

Feel free to skip the first paragraph if you want, cuz it's very weird.

I used to have scoliosis, and the Alexander Technique sorta helped me "free my organs", cuz my lungs, diaphagram and abs were very tight, and that's what the Alexander technique i about - freeing your muscles, your spine, neck, etc. Ok, so now that my passages are open, I'm very glad. But I'm really NOT used to breathe like this, I feel like I'm hurting my throat. I'm going crazy, I forgot how to breathe normally. When I try to do little effort I feel like I'm choking, when I take a deep breath I feel like I'm overdoing it.

ALRIGHT, so how do you breathe?

I need to know where you put your breathe at first, but tell me what you FEEL not what you see. I know breathing through the abs first is the best, but I'm unable to do it unless I concentrate on how it feels. Please, make this simple for me and tell me how you breathe. Cuz when IU concentrate on breathing through the diaphagram and abs, then chest, not using my nose too hard, and all that crap I end up faking it through and complicating it big time. Breathing should be easy and natural, so I rather use metaphores or feelings to guide me to optimal breathing.

FOR GOD'S SAKE WILL SOMEONE WITH A BRAIN PLEASE HELP ME BREATHE SO I CAN GO ON WITH MY LIFE.

Edit: Note, scoliosis is usually associated with reverse breathing, so now that my airways are free I still have the awful breathing habbits that I need to change ASAP.

proudmom47 · 11-07-2004, 09:34 PM

All I know is that normal relaxed breathing for me is through the diaghram. When I am in bed almost asleep and NOT THINKING ABOUT BREATHING - My diagphram rises and falls, not my chest. When I am nervous, anxious and too fixiated on my breathing I do go into the chest breathing mode. I have had breathing "issues" for awhile and, believe me, it all gets better when you don't think about it. I find the "diaphram breathing" difficult to do, though, when standing up. To me it is very easy when lying down. If this is true for you, practice it at night when you go to bed. Usually people with this type of breathing problem are very comfortable when they are asleep. I hope this helps you with your answer....
Cindy