Lately I have been feeling really anxious, my chest feels tight and restricted, my heart heavy. So much has been going on in my head it feels like it is spinning out of control; my eyes are out of focus and I feel like I am gasping for air…drowning. The only thing I feel like doing is curling up into a tight ball in my bed. I feel like this is the only way to calm myself and it is not working. Curling up and shutting down constricts the breath, tightening…restricting everything.
Frantically, I seek for help, searching for videos online and stumble across a TED talk post on breathing by Max Strom. He goes on to talk about the importance of breath and even though I know how important breathing and yoga and meditation is, I still forget to take the time to breathe. What should be such a normal unconscious response, but is not, and also the reason why I find my chest tight and my heart heavy.
Most of the time we breathe shallow breaths, instead of practicing deep slow breathes all the way to the abdomen and out through the mouth. Deep breathing is important to our bodies overall health, balancing your nervous system boosting oxygen and delivering it to all the vital organs. Keeping the energy flowing (Qi) through the body.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine the lungs are associated with sadness and grief, it is most likely that many of us are feeling these emotions right now and it is important that we keep our Qi strong and nourish and nurture ourselves with breath.
The Lung is Yin while its Yang partner is the large intestine, they pertain to the metal element in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The metal element is responsible for taking in the new and expelling waste. Letting go is the most profound metaphor for these organs and why imbalances such as constipation issues often manifest (holding on to what needs to be expelled), as well as being unable to emotionally let go of issues or thoughts. It is important to nurture these organs with breath.
A good breathing exercise for the Lung and Large Intestine element is drawing the shoulder blades backwards and allowing the tension in your shoulders and chest to relax, therefore allowing breath through the diaphragm, allowing the ribs to naturally expand and contract. Imagine the breath as a wave in the ocean, making an Ssssssssss sound as you breathe out; the healing sound for the metal element.
breathe in deep and let go…..Ssssssssss
