Optimal    
Breathing^tm

Asthmatic Bronchitis

Testimonial

Recommended program for asthma.

It is absolutely necessary that we find safe alternatives to steroids and  bronchodilators.  We need to utilize available CURES for asthma, not just symptomatic treatment.

Furthermore, I believe there is a strong possibility that when our youth is raised with such a strong preponderance of the idea of drugs for health that this can  re-enforce the curiosity of drugs for recreation and whatever the youthful mind deems interesting or appropriate.

The Optimal Natural Breathing System continuously reduces or eliminates the need for asthma medications.

BREATHING EXERCISES FOR ASTHMA REDUCTION It is a comfort to many to know that there is something besides drugs and steroids that will offset the asthmatic's breath constriction and panic within seconds of implementing a particular maneuver/exercise.  This will not eliminate asthma but It should give you an idea that something can be done about it other than puffing on an inhaler.  Daily for 5 minutes or when an asthma attack is occurring Try one or both of these two approaches.  1. Sit out near the edge of a fairly hard surfaced chair, stool or arm of a couch with feet flat on the floor, or stand. Both of these positions need an erect but not so stiff posture. Be "tallest" with your chin slightly above the horizon. If you stand, bend your knees slightly so as to unlock them. Place your thumbs over your kidneys (below your back ribs and above your pelvis). Wrap your fingers around your sides. Squeeze gently as you nose breathe long slow deep breaths into your squeezed fingers and thumbs. If you wish, match the breathing cycle of the animated logo at the top of this page for a timing reference. Let your tongue lightly touch the roof or your mouth and your jaw relax. Take 10 complete in and out breaths.  Did that feel good?  Try bringing your shoulders back about two to three inches as you breathe in.  Was it easier to breathe?  Do it THAT way then. Repeat 5 -10 10 second breathing cycles with a few seconds rest in between  or for as long as it feels good.  There are better exercises for increasing energy but you may get real energized from this one. Dizziness, spaceyness or otherwise confusion means you should stop and continue your day or stop and recommence in a minute or two after the energy has subsided or integrated within you.  Repeat it several times daily as well. or  2. Lie on your back, take a big belly breath by gently (as in the "belly chest" exercise   in the Secrets of Optimal Breathing manual). arching your back and breathing into your belly, then when your breath is at it's biggest part of the inhale quickly raise your leg and make a shhhhhh sound all the time as you slowly lower your leg to the surface you are lying on. Repeat 5-10 times with each leg until the attack subsides. Let me know how that works for you. If it DOES work well or even somewhat you should get my Breathing Exercise#2 and use it to guide and strengthen your experience.  It may help to do the Sit , Bend and Shhhhh exercise to offset the tendency of low back strain created by hyper-extending the belly so often.   You can use the blue box below to forward this information to those whose health and well being are important to you.   The Cost of Treatment and Hospitalization for Asthma in the United States 14 million people? It is estimated that asthma affects 14 million people in the United States and it is responsible for nearly 200,000 hospitalizations yearly. Moreover, the death rate from asthma is increasing from 13.4 deaths per million population in 1982 to 18.8 deaths per million in 1992. In addition to the human cost, the economic impact of asthma in the United States has been estimated to be approximately 5.8 billion dollars. The key to the treatment of asthma is prevention of an acute attack which may lead to an Emergency Department visit, or worse yet, to hospitalization. Have you ever wondered much it costs to treat an asthmatic attack? In the July 1999 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Richard Stanford and colleagues report the results of a study conducted between October 1, 1996 and September 30, 1997 in 27 hospitals across the United States. A total of 3,223 adult patients with asthma were identified, of which 1,074 required hospitalization (33%). For those successfully treated in the Emergency Department, the visit cost was $234. For hospitalized patients the average length of stay in the hospital was 3.8 days and the cost of treatment was $3,103. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 160:211-215, 1999

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CAUSES

 Tightness across the chest, shallow breathing, reverse breathing are but a few causes of asthma.

Signs of An Asthma Attack

Tight, Dry Cough 

Wheezing 

Shortness of Breath 

Fast Breathing 

Anxious, Scared Look 

Flaring Nostrils 

Read on for more subtle signals.

Triggers of Asthma Attacks

 

TRIGGERS: ALLERGIES	RECOMMENDATIONS
Dust mites	Encase bedding in airtight covers that are hypoallergenic. Wash bedding weekly in hot water. Do not sleep on upholstered furniture. Remove carpets from bedrooms. If this is not possible, do not sit on the carpet, but rather put a sheet or quilt over the carpet. Use a dehumidifier for humid places in the home and make sure the filter is clean. When traveling and staying in hotels, it may be advisable to bring your own linens, particularly your own pillow.
Molds (outdoors) Mildew (indoors)	Eliminate any water leaks in the home. Scrape moldy plaster from the walls and repaint mildewed areas. Use a dehumidifier. Make sure ventilation is adequate, especially in bathrooms and the laundry room. Be sure that the clothes dryer is vented properly. Make sure that all dehumidifiers, air conditioners, furnaces, freezers, refrigerators and ducts are clean.
Animals with fur/feathers Cats Dogs Mice Hamster Guinea pigs Birds	The animal's saliva and dander (flakes of dead skin) carry allergens and penetrate the environment. Remove the pet from the home if possible. If the pet cannot be removed, be sure to wash the pet once a week. Pets should never be allowed in the bedroom. Check with a physician about using a three percent solution of tannic acid to help neutralize the remaining allergens.
Cockroaches	Food should never be left unwrapped or unsealed. Use non-toxic, anti-roach devices such as roach hotels. Use a reputable exterminator and be sure to eliminate the patient's exposure to the insecticide. Seal up areas around pipes under the sink where roaches might enter.

TRIGGERS: IRRITANTS	RECOMMENDATIONS
Tobacco smoke	Toxic effects of cigarette smoke are devastating for asthmatics. Asthmatics must always avoid tobacco smoke. Inform friends and family that the home must be smoke free and that even the scent of smoke on clothing can trigger an attack in some sensitive individuals.
Weather conditions Extremes or sudden changes in temperature Barometric pressure or humidity	If symptoms are severe with weather changes, discuss adjustments in the treatment plan to avoid increased asthma symptoms. If possible, remain indoors or limit exposure. Avoid cold, dry air. Wear a mask and breathe through the nose rather than the mouth.
Pollution Fragrances Fumes       People	The smog/pollution index should be noted by asthmatics, particularly when patients are planning to exert themselves. Avoid exercise on busy streets with a lot of traffic. Car and truck exhaust should be avoided, particularly in enclosed areas like garages. Avoid heavy scents, such as perfumes, especially in enclosed areas (elevators, buses or offices). Anziety. Notice when your breath goes shallow or heads up into your chest in the presence of someone.

TRIGGERS: INFECTIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS

Respiratory Ear Throat

Treat colds and the flu rapidly to avoid potential complications (such as pneumonia) that can worsen asthma. Bacterial infections such as strep throat, sinus infections, pneumonia and bronchitis must be treated for the prescribed duration. Use good hand-washing techniques. Avoid crowded public places, particularly during flu season. Yearly flu immunization is recommended by some but warned against as being the cause of the flu in the first place for many.

 

TRIGGERS: EXERCISE INDUCED ASTHMA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Anxiety Fear Panic Depression Gasping from overexertion due to fast, intense, running  Breath heaving due to over-exertion Gasping and breath heaving lock up the rib muscles and inhibit easy chest expansion.

Asthma is not just a physical condition. Not being able to breathe elicits feelings of anxiety, fear and panic. Inability to alleviate these feelings leads to more severe asthma symptoms. Besides taking responsibility for the physical care necessary to manage asthma, the patient must seek psychosocial support through professional and community resources. The physician may recommend a stress reduction program or seek the assistance of a mental health provider. Careful attention to the patient's feelings will lead to better overall asthma care and avoidance of complications like depression.

The following medications have been linked to causing airway narrowing and should be used cautiously for patients with asthma.

TRIGGERS: MEDICATIONS	RECOMMENDATIONS
Anti-inflammatories: Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) Voltaren Ibuprofen/Advil Motrin/Nuprin/Aleve Ketoprofen / Orudis Indomethacin Indocin Keterolac/Toradal See also Prescription Drugs	Aspirin sensitivities can occur in one in five individuals. Patients with nasal polyps or chronic sinusitis are more likely to be sensitive to anti-inflammatory medications. If the physician orders medication for pain that is similar to arthritis or a headache, patients need to check if the product contains aspirin.
Beta-Blockers: Atenolol/Tenormin Betaxolol/Betopic Labetolol/Trandate Metoprolol Lopressor Tropol XL Nadolol/Corgard Proprandolo/Inderal Timolol/Blocadren	Patients with high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma or migraines should check with their primary care physician to determine if they are taking a Beta-blocker. These medications can actually create more asthma symptoms or potentially uncover asthma tendencies by causing an asthma reaction when they are introduced.


TESTIMONIAL.

ASTHMA 

Learning to breathe under the guidance of Mike White has not only saved my life but profoundly altered its quality.
I the first training session, Mike address my restricted breathing, which was steadily becoming worse, despite the inhalers I was using three and four times a day. he taught me the Leg Lift and shhhh breath, a deceptively simple and powerfully effective breath which stopped within days my chronic coughing, and began to clear and relieve lungs and bronchial tubes desperate for air. 
He also used carefully controlled hand pressure and other techniques to "wring out and soften hard and atrophies lung tissue.  This "re-birthing" of my lungs has affected my entire being. The relief from asthma turned out to be only an introduction into fuller and more vibrant participation in life.  In the process of learning to breathe more deeply  and easily, old fears and insecurities are beginning to dissolve.  I am discovering the joyful calm that supports life at its base.
Michael Grant White's work with the breath is a critically
important contribution to an area of scientific research still in its infancy.
M.D. California.


Greetings from London, England.

I thought some positive feedback might be of help.
 
I have been practicing TM since October of last year. I have also been practicing your Breathing Exercise #1 for the past few weeks since ordering the tape.
 
I enjoy TM but find it's effects variable and occasionally quite negative
(although this was pointed out as being natural by the excellent tutor).
Your tape on the other hand has been a total revelation from the word go.  I have been an asthmatic for 38 years and in just a few weeks of assiduously  practicing this one exercise I have received more benefit than in twenty years of practicing all manner of other breathing techniques. 
Now here's the really good bit. I decided I would try using the "Waking Breath, -Breathing Exercise #1-  whilst doing my TM even though in basic TM practice there is no  conscious breath control (the mantra itself is supposed to encourage shallow almost imperceptible breathing).
 
The result is a totally positive quality of experience both in the meditation session and afterwards. I can't speak for other TM practitioners but the moral seems to be that whatever practice you are engaged in get your
breathing right first and it will  help and support everything else. It really is the place to start.
 
I can't thank you enough. (And yes, I am now going through the Secrets of Optimal Breathing!)   A week later. 

It is early days for me in studying optimal breathing but here is a

significant fact. After practicing Breathing Exercise #1 aka Waking Breath I can hit 650 on my peak flow instrument every time (I've just tried it four times in a row without so much as a wheeze). Now that's what I call progress.

Recommended program   PAGE 2 ASTHMA   Includes  EXERCISE INDUCED ASTHMA

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