I don’t know how to breathe.
Most of the time, my breathing is shallow. When I am anxious or stressed, I stop breathing. When my therapist asks me to take a slow, deep breath, she has to insist a few times until the breathing gets slower and deeper. Anxiety has always coexisted with my bipolar symptoms. After living through my first panic attack, I started seeking proper support for my mental health. I was walking down the streets of Montreal to attend a class when my heart started racing. I couldn’t breathe, and my chest hurt like a million daggers. I felt dizzy and couldn’t walk. In a torrid tango with my bipolar episodes, what ensued was a constant state of excessive worry over everyday things—personal health, work, social interactions—most days, even today, though to a much lesser extent. Sometimes in life, we are placed in demanding situations that feel out of our control. As a result, they lead to intense feelings of stress and anxiety. Although each person and each case is different, the best way to handle these negative emotions is to change the perspective through body-based techniques. Of these, breathing can be the most effective. For thousands of years, people have used the art of breathing for equally profound effects on the mind and body. Some have used it to relieve chronic pain and many more to cope with anxiety, stress, and depression. Some claim it led to spiritual enlightenment. But I’m as spiritual as a stone, so I use it to help me stay calm in a chaotic world and better appreciate everyday life's bittersweet beauty. Breathing seems so ordinary that its true significance can easily pass us by. But, unfortunately, it is so mundane that many of us have even forgotten how to breathe correctly — and this, as I found out during my anxious bipolar episodes tribulations, has vast implications for overall health and happiness. Correct breathing enhances the immune system and helps rid the body of toxins and pollutants. It calms the mind and wards off anxiety, stress, and unhappiness. And focusing on the breath with the mind’s eye is the heart of mindfulness meditation, which has been clinically proven to beat depression and enhance overall happiness, well-being, clarity of thought — and even decision-making and creativity. But there’s also a hidden — and equally important side to breathing. Your breath reflects and amplifies your emotions. So incorrect breathing can cause anxiety, stress, and even depression. It works like this: momentary stress causes the body to tense, and you begin to breathe a little more shallowly. A shallow breath lowers oxygen levels in the blood, which the brain senses as stress. Breathing then becomes a little quicker and shallower. Oxygen levels fall a little more. The heart begins to race. The brain feels a little more stressed. It’s a vicious cycle. But there is an alternative. A gently rising and falling breath stimulates the parts of the brain and nervous system responsible for creating a sense of calm tranquillity. Soothing hormones flow through the body. These quiet negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions, so you begin to breathe a little more slowly and deeply. You begin to relax. It’s a virtuous cycle. The art of breathing lies in paying attention to your breath in an extraordinary way. It’s the heart of mindfulness and as old as meditation itself. You can learn the basics in just a few minutes. However, mastering it takes somewhat longer. The art of breathing kindles a sense of wonder, awe, and curiosity — the foundations of a happier and more meaningful life. It grants you the courage to accept yourself with all of your faults and failings. To treat yourself with the kindness, empathy, and compassion that you genuinely need and help you to look outwards and embrace the world. And when you do this, you’ll start to live mindfully.
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AuthorI was born in 1986 in Lebanon. I'm still trying to find my passion in life and in the meantime I'm learning to navigate my bipolarity and redefining stability. Archives
February 2024
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