MichaelGusack

DissolveStressin20Seconds…The2BreathTechnique

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DissolveStressin20Seconds…The2BreathTechnique

ByMichaelGusack

Stresscanhaveawayofsneakinguponyou.Itcancome“outoftheblue”without

warning.Whilecertainlythereareenvironmentalfactorsthatcantriggerdistress

andfrustration,itoftenshowsupunexpectedly.Itisasifyouareapressurecooker,

andwhenthepressurebuildstoacertainpoint,thevalveinthetopreleasesthe

pressureassteam.Thestressresponsecanactuallyprotectyoufromhavinga

strokeoraheartattack(although,whenextreme,itcanmimicaheartattackand

peopleoftencometotheemergencyroomatahospitalinthemidstofanepisode

believingtheyarehavingaheartattack).

Stresscanbedefinedas“theperceptionofathreatthatwefeelillequippedto

handle”.Noticethattherearetwopartstothedefinition…theperceptionofathreat,

and…oursenseofnotbeingequippedtohandlethethreat.Evenwhenwefeel

threatened,ifwehaveconfidenceinourabilitytohandlethethreat,ourstresslevel

ismuchmoremanageable.

ThetechniqueIamabouttoteachyouwillequipyoutoreleasethepressureina

matterof20seconds.Thatwillbegintoreversethesymptomsofstress.Sothatthis

techniquewillmakeperfectsensetoyou,Iwantyoutounderstandtheconnection

betweentheconcentrationofoxygeninyourbloodstreamandthesymptomsof

stress.Sostaywithmeforjustamomentandletmeaskyoutoimaginethe

following:

Imaginethatyouarewalkingdownatrailinthewoods,andabearjumpsoutin

frontofyou!Immediatelyandautomatically,withouteventhinkingaboutit,you

gasp,perhapsutterafewchoicewords.Thenyouholdyourbreathforabrief

time…butyoudon’tevenrealizeyouaredoingthat.Theconcentrationofoxygenin

yourbloodstreambeginstodropduetothefactthatyouareholdingyourbreath.As

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thishappens,muchlikeathermostatsensingwhethertheairconditionerinyour

homeneedstogoon,aglandinthecenterofyourskullcalledthehypothalamus

sensesthedecreaseinoxygen.Thehypothalamusthensendsmessagestoother

glandsinyourbody(liketheadrenalgland)toproducestressrelatedhormoneslike

adrenalinandcortisol.Asthesehormonescoursethroughyourbody,youfeelthe

symptomsofthe“StressResponse”(alsocalledthefightorflightresponse).Your

bodypreparestofightthebearifnecessary,andrunfromitifpossible.Yourheart

rateincreases,yourbreathingrateincreases,yoursweatglandsactivate,your

stomachknotsupandyourhandsandfeetcooloffasthebloodrushestoyourlarge

muscles,heartandbraintogetyoureadyforaction.Thereisoftenasenseof

impendingdoom.

Nowlet’simaginethatyouarelucky;yougettorun,andtosweetenthedeal…it’sa

slowbear.Youarerunningfasterthanyoueverraninyourwholelife.Thebeargets

sickofchasingyou,andeventuallyyoulookbehindandnoticethebearisnolonger

there.Youstop,andagain,withouteventhinkingaboutit,automaticallybreathea

sighofreliefandbegintocatchyourbreath.Asyoudo,theconcentrationofoxygen

inyourbloodstreamincreasesandthe“RelaxationResponse”isactivated.Your

heartrateslowsdown,yourbreathingrateslowsdown,yourhandsandyourfeet

warmup,yourstomachisnotalltiedupinknots,you’renotsosweaty.Youbeginto

calmdown.

So,nowit’stimetolearnhowyoucanintentionally,consciouslyactivatethat

relaxationresponseinaslittleas20seconds.Youmayhaveguessed,thetechnique

involvesincreasingtheconcentrationofoxygeninyourbloodstreambylearningto

breatheinaunique,scientificway.Respiratorytherapiststeachthistechniqueto

asthmapatientstohelpthemmakethebestuseofthelungpoweravailabletothem

andtoheartpatientstohelpthemregulatetheirheatrhythm.Forourpurpose,itis

aboutmanagingstress.So,let’stalkabouthowtogettheoxygenintoyoursystemas

efficientlyaspossibleintheshortestamountoftime.

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We’regettingreallyclosetoanamazinglysimpleandpowerfulexperiencethatcan

literallychangeyourlife!Alittlemoreabouthowyourlungswork.Eachofyour

lungsisshapedlikeapear…andthelargestpartofeachlungisatthebase,nearthe

lowestpartofyourribcage.Whenyouarestressed,youtendtotakeshallow

breathsthatfillonlytheupperpartofyourlungs.Yourchest,neckandshoulder

musclesareworking-yourshouldersraiseupandyourstomachtightensin.Thisis

calledCHESTbreathing.Chestbreathingtendstomagnifythesensationofdistress!

Now,thereisadifferentwayofbreathingthatactuallyhappenstobethewayour

bodiesaredesignedtobreathe.Thereisamusclecalledthediaphragmthatliesjust

beneathourlungswhichisdesignedtodo80%ofourbreathing.Itfillsourlungs

fromthebottomupand,sincethat’sthelargestpartofeachlung,wegetmore

oxygenintooursystem.WhenwebreatheusingthismuscleourbellygoesOUTas

weinhale,andINasweexhale.However,whenwearestressed(orfrustrated)we

chestbreatheandourbellypressesagainstthelowerpartofourlungsandmakesit

impossibletogetadeep,completebreath.Andwhenwearechronically,habitually

stressed,wetendtogetinthehabitofreversebreathing…ofbreathinginourchests

mostofthetime.Andsowecometothedetailsofthetechniquepromised…the20-

secondbreathingtechnique.

Tohelpyougetthehangofit,youcanputonehandonyourchestandtheotheron

yourbelly.Asyoubreathe,practicegettingthebellytoexpandonthein-breath,and

tightenontheout-breath.Itmayfeelbackwards,orawkwardatfirst,buteveryone

candothiswithalittlepractice.Chancesare,youbreathethiswaynaturallywhen

youareasleep.Anotherwaytopracticeislaydownonyourback.Thispinsthe

shoulderbladestothegroundsotheycan’tsoeasilygoupanddownastheytendto

dowhenchestbreathing.Thenplacea3-5poundbagofsugar,rice,orthe

equivalentonyourbelly.Practiceraisingtheweightupasyoubreathein,andletthe

weightpushtheairoutofyou,asyousimplyrelaxintotheoutbreath.Justrelax.

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Andhere’showitgoes.Youbreatheinthroughyournose.Youbreatheoutthrough

yourmouthandpurseyourlipslikeyou’reblowingthroughastraw.Thiscreates

backpressureinyoursinusesthatdrawstheairmoreeffectivelyoutofyourlungs.

Youwillonlyhavetotakeafewbreathstogetalltheoxygenyoursystemneeds!

Beginthetechniquebyfocusingontheoutbreath.Youwanttoslowyouroutbreath

downbybreathingoutwhileyouslowlycount1tenthousand,2tenthousand,3ten

thousand,4tenthousand.Puttingthewordsinbetweenthenumbershelpsyouset

thepaceproperly.Whenyouarestressed,youwilltendtocounttoofast.Nowthat

youhavesetthepace,allyouneedtodoisinhaleandexhaletwiceusingthe4count

pacing.That’sit!!!Itshouldn’ttakeyoumorethan20seconds!Therelaxation

responseisactivated.Andyoubegintocalmdown!

Let’sreview.Breatheusingyourbelly…inthroughyournose,outthroughyour

mouth.Setthepacetoacountof4andthenbreathein,breatheout,andonce

more…breathein,breatheout…allataboutthesamepace.Toenhancethis

technique’sbenefit,Iencourageyoutocontinuethebellybreathingforaminuteor

two,butdon’tfocusonthecounting.Justbellybreathenaturally.Thiswillhelpyou

maintaintherelaxation.

Sothereitis!Irecommendthatyoupracticethistechnique5timesadayatdifferent

timesoftheday.Thiswillgetyouintothehabitofbreathingthiswaymostofthe

time.Thisroutinewilltakelessthan2minutesoutofyourday!Youcangetsome

adhesivestickydotsatthedrugstore.Putadotsomewhereyouwillseeit

occasionallythroughouttheday.Anexamplewouldbethebottomcornerofthe

mirrorinyourbathroom.Andthenwhenyoubrushyourteethmorningand

night…takeafewbellybreathsusingyourtechnique.Thatway,notonlyareyou

spreadingyourpracticethroughouttheday;youaregettingachancetopracticeit

whenyouarenotupset!Thiswillgiveyou’rethebodythememoryofwhatitislike

toberelaxed.Thatphysicalmemorywillactlikeamagnetthatwilldrawyou

towardtherelaxationresponsemuchmoreeffectively.Otherwise…ifyouonly

practicewhenyouareupset,NORMALisasgoodasitgets.Dothispractice

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routinely…thatistosaydaily.Youwillactuallybetrainingyournervoussystemso

thatyourPHYSICALREACTIVITYTOSTRESSisresettoitsnaturalbalance!Youwill

noticethatthingsdon’tbotheryouinthesamewaytheyoncedid.Youwillalso

noticethatyourrecoverytimewhenyoudogetupsetismuchshorterthanitonce

was.Withpractice,overtime,youwillfindthatyournervoussystemautomatically

reactsdifferentlytolife’schallenges.

Youcanpracticethisanywhere,anytime.Practiceatastoplight,washingyour

hands,orcombingyourhair.Practicebeforeyougotobedtosetupagoodnight’s

sleep.Andevenifyouaremostlybreathinginyourchestinthebeginning,youwill

stillgetgoodbenefit…justevenmorewhenyoucandoitinyourbelly.Andnow,you

notonlyhaveawaytointerruptdistress,youalsohaveawaytodecreaseits

frequency.Thisisnotonlycrisisintervention;itisalsoprevention.Notonlycanyou

putoutthefire,youcanblowoutthematch!Sojustslowitdownandevenitout.

Bewell,keepbreathing,andpleaseletmeknowhowyoufindyourpractice.