Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Cleansing Breath

Cleansing Breath can be useful when you’ve been breathing dry or dirty air, when you have been sleeping with your mouth open, when you have just a touch of asthma. It does not cover major chest infections or more serious problems.

The mucous blanket that lines your breathing tunnels and tubes MUST REMAIN FLUID enough to be pushed along easily by your cilia but sticky enough to grab airborne garbage. Occasionally mucous gets too thick and polluted and begins to clog things up. Often a few Cleansing Breaths will kick out a little mucous plug before you get into more serious blockage.

1. Keep your mouth CLOSED during the entire exercise. You will be inhaling SLOWLY and QUIETLY through your nose to avoid pushing the offending mucous deeper down into your chest.
2. Empty first, as always. Then fill quietly through your nose. Exhale as much air as seems natural and comfortable.
3. WHEN YOU ARE ALMOST EMPTY, add two or three small coughs (mouth still closed).
4. Continue to breathe in gently and add a couple tiny coughs at the tail end of each exhalation.

These small orchestrated coughs usually trigger a deep efficient cough that grabs and expels the offending mucous.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.