monomer/program_peace · Datasets at Hugging Face

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contaminate the breathing of others
Is your breathing unhealthy Likely so Imagine that you are threading a small needle with a
thin thread As you line up the thread with the hole are you holding your breath You shouldnt
be Experience pronounced distressed breathing firsthand by doing the following activity
Breathing Activity Simulating Distressed Breathing
Sit comfortably and focus on your breath Time your inhalations and exhalations to last only a
second each and breathe like this for seconds Next time each breath to last for just half
a second Continue to breathe this way for one minute or until you feel uncomfortable
whichever comes first Now stop and observe your body and mind How does your chest
feel How do your shoulders and neck feel How has your mood changed Wouldnt it be
terrible to be stuck breathing like this forever
After performing this activity most people report uncomfortable sensations such as
anxiety panic or tension accompanied by increased heart rate physical agitation
breathlessness chest pressure or even the feeling of starving for air These are the typical
outcomes of distressed breathing and many of us unnecessarily subject ourselves to them
daily An anxious person will breathe at an average rate of to breaths per minute A
relaxed person practicing diaphragmatic breathing will breathe only five to seven times per
minute Problems with diaphragmatic breathing are best conceptualized as falling on a
continuum rather than as a threshold There are no firm diagnostic criteria for distressed
breathing virtually everyone is somewhere on the spectrum
Newborns breathe diaphragmatically but by age ten diaphragmatic function is usually
minimized This is because few of us experience childhoods that our bodies interpret as
optimal The transition away from diaphragmatic breathing occurs during early childhood as we
Chapter Breathe Deeply Smoothly Slowly and on Long Intervals
learn which environmental stimuli should be linked to concern and worry The process is
normal and prepares us to be especially cautious in specific situations However by the time we
reach adulthood nearly every situation recruits distressed breathing just some more than
others Distressed breathing is implicitly conditioned to occur alongside many activities and
postures and these associations are often never unlearned That leaves us gasping when the
telephone rings holding our breath while sitting at the keyboard and hyperventilating during
everyday conversations
We cannot immediately switch from distressed breathing to competent calm diaphragmatic
breathing because we are held back by longterm physiological changes wrought by years of
breathing shallowly These changes involve a multitude of alterations to the muscles and nerves of
the respiratory system They cause the diaphragm to atrophy and become stuck in partial
contraction These changes are driven by gene activity constitute developmental plasticity and are
largely responsible for the sympathetic overactivation discussed in the last chapter Fortunately
the changes are reversible However you cannot pay anybody to retrain your breathing for you
and there is no pill you can take It requires time and discipline As with the other exercises in
this book you will find the breathwork rewarding once you start to see the results
Many therapists books and selfhelp resources promote breathing exercises Most of
these exercises last only a few seconds are intended to counteract panic attacks and come
with no guidelines for permanently changing breathing style Moreover users are often only
told to breathe deeply or focus on the breath without being provided any further
instructions Simply focusing on the breath is beneficial because it prompts the individual to
note when their breath is unnaturally shallow It causes the person to think Wait my current
predicament is not all that bad so why am breathing like there is something at stake That is
a productive first step
Awareness of desperation in the breath is a start but it does not address the problem at its
source Rather than simply focusing on the breath we need to actively lengthen and deepen
our breaths throughout the day to strengthen the muscles and reprogram the unconscious
breathing circuits in our brainstems Consciously overriding its injurious commands will rewire
your brain and retune your entire body
Diaphragmatic Breathing Utilizes the Respiratory Diaphragm
Deep nondistressed breathing is controlled by the diaphragm a domeshaped skeletal muscle
that separates the thorax containing the heart and lungs from the abdomen containing the
intestines stomach liver and kidneys Only an eighth of an inch thick it extends across the
bottom of the rib cage and moves air into and out of the lungs by changing shape It moves like
a plunger When it contracts the diaphragm moves downward drawing in breath resulting in
inhalation When it relaxes it moves upward expelling air and causing you to exhale The
diaphragm can move as much as ten centimeters but many adults use only around one
centimeter or of the total range Expanding the range of your diaphragm is essential
and designed this chapters exercises to do just that But first lets explore how to move the
diaphragm at all
Diaphragmatic breathing also known as eupnea in the scientific literature and belly
breathing in the vernacular is an unlabored form of breathing seen in untraumatized mammals
You should be able to observe it in any young mammal resting peacefully It is easiest to spot
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body
in a sleeping infant a kitten or a puppy lying on its side The animals stomach will move up
and down with each breath How do you know whether you are breathing with your
diaphragm Your belly should move in much the same way Use the conventional guidelines for
belly breathing in the activity below
Breathing Activity Belly Breathing
Lie on your back with a pillow under your head Place one hand on your chest and the other
on your stomach Focus on how your belly moves Ensure that it rises with each inhalation
and falls with each exhalation When you are breathing with the diaphragm it displaces the
stomach causing it to move up and down On the other hand during distressed breathing
the chest neck and shoulders move and the stomach remains still
Distressed breathing makes you feel like you are growing taller and lengthening
Diaphragmatic breathing makes you feel like your belly lower ribs and lower back are
expanding Distressed breathing makes you feel like you are fighting to retain control over
your environment It can be hard to give up the false sense of security it provides
Diaphragmatic breathing may feel uncomfortable at first as if you are letting your guard
down to an extent that is unsafe You may find that letting your stomach rise takes courage
and a bit of faith
You should notice that that at certain points during your inhalation the diaphragm locks up
and the belly stops moving entirely Watch for these impediments Its almost like you are
trying to convince your diaphragm that it is safe to come out and play Try different breathing
styles until you find one that lets you easily and naturally keep your stomach rising and
falling It may help to place an object like a book on your belly Give yourself several minutes
to experiment
Exhalation Inhalation
N
Z y
Lungs rR Lungs
Deflate XS IN Inflate LY
W
Diaphragm J Diaphragm
Relaxes Y Contracts
J i

contaminate the breathing of others

Is your breathing unhealthy Likely so Imagine that you are threading a small needle with a

thin thread As you line up the thread with the hole are you holding your breath You shouldnt

be Experience pronounced distressed breathing firsthand by doing the following activity

Breathing Activity Simulating Distressed Breathing

Sit comfortably and focus on your breath Time your inhalations and exhalations to last only a

second each and breathe like this for seconds Next time each breath to last for just half

a second Continue to breathe this way for one minute or until you feel uncomfortable

whichever comes first Now stop and observe your body and mind How does your chest

feel How do your shoulders and neck feel How has your mood changed Wouldnt it be

terrible to be stuck breathing like this forever

After performing this activity most people report uncomfortable sensations such as

anxiety panic or tension accompanied by increased heart rate physical agitation

breathlessness chest pressure or even the feeling of starving for air These are the typical

outcomes of distressed breathing and many of us unnecessarily subject ourselves to them

daily An anxious person will breathe at an average rate of to breaths per minute A

relaxed person practicing diaphragmatic breathing will breathe only five to seven times per

minute Problems with diaphragmatic breathing are best conceptualized as falling on a

continuum rather than as a threshold There are no firm diagnostic criteria for distressed

breathing virtually everyone is somewhere on the spectrum

Newborns breathe diaphragmatically but by age ten diaphragmatic function is usually

minimized This is because few of us experience childhoods that our bodies interpret as

optimal The transition away from diaphragmatic breathing occurs during early childhood as we

Chapter Breathe Deeply Smoothly Slowly and on Long Intervals

learn which environmental stimuli should be linked to concern and worry The process is

normal and prepares us to be especially cautious in specific situations However by the time we

reach adulthood nearly every situation recruits distressed breathing just some more than

others Distressed breathing is implicitly conditioned to occur alongside many activities and

postures and these associations are often never unlearned That leaves us gasping when the

telephone rings holding our breath while sitting at the keyboard and hyperventilating during

everyday conversations

We cannot immediately switch from distressed breathing to competent calm diaphragmatic

breathing because we are held back by longterm physiological changes wrought by years of

breathing shallowly These changes involve a multitude of alterations to the muscles and nerves of

the respiratory system They cause the diaphragm to atrophy and become stuck in partial

contraction These changes are driven by gene activity constitute developmental plasticity and are

largely responsible for the sympathetic overactivation discussed in the last chapter Fortunately

the changes are reversible However you cannot pay anybody to retrain your breathing for you

and there is no pill you can take It requires time and discipline As with the other exercises in

this book you will find the breathwork rewarding once you start to see the results

Many therapists books and selfhelp resources promote breathing exercises Most of

these exercises last only a few seconds are intended to counteract panic attacks and come

with no guidelines for permanently changing breathing style Moreover users are often only

told to breathe deeply or focus on the breath without being provided any further

instructions Simply focusing on the breath is beneficial because it prompts the individual to

note when their breath is unnaturally shallow It causes the person to think Wait my current

predicament is not all that bad so why am breathing like there is something at stake That is

a productive first step

Awareness of desperation in the breath is a start but it does not address the problem at its

source Rather than simply focusing on the breath we need to actively lengthen and deepen

our breaths throughout the day to strengthen the muscles and reprogram the unconscious

breathing circuits in our brainstems Consciously overriding its injurious commands will rewire

your brain and retune your entire body

Diaphragmatic Breathing Utilizes the Respiratory Diaphragm

Deep nondistressed breathing is controlled by the diaphragm a domeshaped skeletal muscle

that separates the thorax containing the heart and lungs from the abdomen containing the

intestines stomach liver and kidneys Only an eighth of an inch thick it extends across the

bottom of the rib cage and moves air into and out of the lungs by changing shape It moves like

a plunger When it contracts the diaphragm moves downward drawing in breath resulting in

inhalation When it relaxes it moves upward expelling air and causing you to exhale The

diaphragm can move as much as ten centimeters but many adults use only around one

centimeter or of the total range Expanding the range of your diaphragm is essential

and designed this chapters exercises to do just that But first lets explore how to move the

diaphragm at all

Diaphragmatic breathing also known as eupnea in the scientific literature and belly

breathing in the vernacular is an unlabored form of breathing seen in untraumatized mammals

You should be able to observe it in any young mammal resting peacefully It is easiest to spot

PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body

in a sleeping infant a kitten or a puppy lying on its side The animals stomach will move up

and down with each breath How do you know whether you are breathing with your

diaphragm Your belly should move in much the same way Use the conventional guidelines for

belly breathing in the activity below

Breathing Activity Belly Breathing

Lie on your back with a pillow under your head Place one hand on your chest and the other

on your stomach Focus on how your belly moves Ensure that it rises with each inhalation

and falls with each exhalation When you are breathing with the diaphragm it displaces the

stomach causing it to move up and down On the other hand during distressed breathing

the chest neck and shoulders move and the stomach remains still

Distressed breathing makes you feel like you are growing taller and lengthening

Diaphragmatic breathing makes you feel like your belly lower ribs and lower back are

expanding Distressed breathing makes you feel like you are fighting to retain control over

your environment It can be hard to give up the false sense of security it provides

Diaphragmatic breathing may feel uncomfortable at first as if you are letting your guard

down to an extent that is unsafe You may find that letting your stomach rise takes courage

and a bit of faith

You should notice that that at certain points during your inhalation the diaphragm locks up

and the belly stops moving entirely Watch for these impediments Its almost like you are

trying to convince your diaphragm that it is safe to come out and play Try different breathing

styles until you find one that lets you easily and naturally keep your stomach rising and

falling It may help to place an object like a book on your belly Give yourself several minutes

to experiment

Exhalation Inhalation

N

Z y

Lungs rR Lungs

Deflate XS IN Inflate LY

W

Diaphragm J Diaphragm

Relaxes Y Contracts

J i