Thierry’s core speciality is in clinical homeopathy. This branch of homeopathy puts a strong emphasis on the importance of lifestyle. Poor lifestyle and an inability to relax can affect the body’s healing powers and promote disease.
Please Read – Introduction on Breathing
We need oxygen at a cellular level, and we also need to eliminate carbon dioxyde toxic waste via breathing. There are broadly two ways to breathe:
– the “fight or flight” breathing: this is the way, we breath when we are physically active or in danger. However, many people do breath that way when we are stressed. This mode brings oxygen in, mainly to the brain and the muscles. The breath-in is usually equal or longer than the breathing-out.
– the “relaxed breath”: this is when the body feels relaxed and in control. It is not possible to “fake it”, it is just about allowing the breath to happen. Usually, the breath-out is longer than the breath-in as the body elimated toxins and carbon dioxyde in that mode. Both breathes are also slow. We should ideally be breathing 80% of the time in that mode, including when we are anxious, sad or work-focused (and there is no real danger to life)..
Re-training ourself to breathing properly is key, and this usually means learning to allow the body to do its job properly. Here are a few methods, you can try.
Breathing Exercise, Relaxation and Meditation
I can now tell when a client is chronically stressed or anxious by noticing their breathing patterns. Breathing is key for the body, to oxygenate the cells, but also because the body cannot relax without a good pattern of inhalation and exhalation. Re-learning to breath is for this reason key to optimal health. You will find a series of exercises that will help you calm down, oxygenate your body, and provide you with some inner experience. They start from very simple physical activities, to more meditative suggestions. Select what attracts you.
15-Minute Workouts & Regular Physical Activity
A simple 15-minute walk, 2 to 3 times a day, is a good start, and the strict minimum. Do your best to at least do this. Alternatively, add a few Breathing Exercises (below), in your daily routine. Engaging in more physical activities in a club, once or twice a week, may also help you a lot. Remember that the most gentle types of exercises are walking, swimming and cycling, and this is not a competition – this is for you!
Abdominal Breathing Exercise
Breathing properly is the most important activity that you can do for your long-term health. Here are a few tips:
– stand up with your knees slightly ben, or sit with your back straight.
– Inhale from your nose, as slowly as possible and fell the air come down into your pelvis and abdominal area. Feel as though the belly is filling with air. If you put your hand on your abdomen, you should feel a good 2 inch-5 cm move.
– While inhaling, your abdomen should extend fully, in front as well as on the sides.
– If you can, keep inhaling and fill up the middle of your chest.
– without holding the breath, begin exhaling as slowly as possible from the mouth this time.
– as the air is slowly let out, relax your chest and rib cage. Begin to pull your belly in to force out the remaining breath. The abdomen should feel as flat as possible.
– repeat these sequences.
Practice about 5 minute twice a day. While doing it, close your eyes, and concentrate on your breathing. Relax your face and mind. Let everything go. As you begin to slowly exhale, make a HUM sound. Keep making that humming sound as long as possible. Pull your stomach muscles in, squeezing out a few more seconds of humming.
Breathing exercise with affirmation
This is another extremely simple method that initiates the relaxation response. Perfect the exercises above, and repeat any of these messages to yourself while breathing in:
– “My hands and arms are heavy and warm”
– “My abdomen is relaxed, warm and comfortable”
– “My breathing is deep and even”
– “My heartbeat is calm and regular”
– “I remain relaxed & refreshed with each breath-in”
– “I am happy”
– Make up your own!
Meditating on your emotional being
Meditation is not an Eastern Art, but is part of any spiritual philosophy and religion, including the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. It comes from the Latin word “meditacio”, which means “to reflect on; contemplate”. Meditation is about contemplating your inner being and can be an excellent approach to connect to some parts of your being.
A simple meditative exercise that helps people connects to their emotion is as follows: lie down with your hands on your heart, and relax by focusing on your breathing. When you feel ready, shift the focus of your attention on your body, and also on your emotional state. Feel what comes, do not resist. Let the body do the job. You may feel that there is a need to laugh, to cry, to feel anger, and also to move some limbs or your jaw. Do not resist. If it becomes too intense, just shift your attention back to breathing or open your eyes. Do this exercise for 20 minutes a day until our next appointment.
Meditation on Conscious Emotional Release and Emotional Relationships
This is an exercise to do with a close partner, in turn. Sit facing each other with a physical boundary (table, pillow). For the first 10-minute, one person talks about their feelings, either of the day, or emotions… and the other is a silent observer and listens with his/her whole body (hearing, seeing, and feeling) and becomes aware of his/her own emotions. Then, you swap. This is a good way to release some emotions from the day or from a while in a safe and trusted environment. It is also a good way to learn to give attention to someone. It is good to schedule it on a regular basis (one to 2-3 days a week).
A variation is to look at each other in complete silence for 10 minutes.
Please, use our advice only as part of a treatment from our health practitioner. Also, refer to our Disclaimer and Legal Requirements.