Many of us are out of touch with our internal sense of a peaceful self making fear or anger the emotions hardest to control. Anger usually stems from fear The Breathing Kit There are many strategies for addressing anger but I believe it is initially more serviceable to understand the underlying powers to the alteration of these emotions; the way we breathe and our attitude. The breath really is the “wind beneath the wings” of emotion. The attitude is the “joystick”.

"When you control your breathing you control your life” is an ancient yogic axiom. Dan Goleman’s epic book Emotional Intelligence (thanks John Bradshaw.) familiarizes one with the relationship of the reptilian brain and the neocortex. The reptilian brain is on automatic survival. The neocortex is the seat of “rational” thought. You can argue what is rational but the point is that many people’s irrational survival responses overrule what a majority might label appropriate. Most will opt for peace, love and joy, that is if they have any memory of what that feels like in the first place. Many remain afraid of angry.

     With anyone of my recorded guided breathing exercises Better Breathing Exercise #1, aka the Serenity Breathing Meditation, Better Breathing Exercise #2, aka The Tibetan Caffeine, The Watching Breath mind chatter and the survival mind lose it’s hold and we gravitate towards peacefully observing our thoughts without obsessing about them. That’s all the information or strategies we need. Just to lye there and breathe. The issue is how we breathe.

     The Fundamentals #176 video works well without the need for equipment. You need to try them all. One will work better then the others. Wholesome social skills and healthy innate preferences come more naturally when you are at peace inside yourself.

DAILY PRACTICE
     Research and observation lead me to believe that people practicing a daily breathing exercise will show significant reduction in anxiety, alcohol and drug cravings, psychological distress, abuse, insomnia, depression, severity of post traumatic stress disorder, level of biological aging, and an increase in self esteem and improved relationships. Successful people develop successful habits. Steven Covey’s books come to mind.

ACTION FOLLOWING THOUGHT (and the breath)
     To instill permanent inner peace and joy one needs to dissolve limiting attitudes and beliefs that become unconscious personal laws that rule our lives. Ones for example, that keep the survival brain in constant alert and sympathetic nervous system response working potentially death dealing overtime.

     A positive attitude can, with the help of the breath, detach from negative ideas and, even override a destructive toxic belief system. Paradigm shifts often come from conscious choice. You change your breathing pattern and consciously think constructive thoughts.  If you change your thoughts and don’t change your breathing pattern you may become split and feel like doing the opposite you are thinking.

     This breathing consciously and combining it with constructive ideas and strategies transforms a host of negative responses into nurturing choices of growth and health Recommended Program You become more able to view people from their perspective instead of yours. And through this you become more in touch with the higher good happening in your own life and your special purpose. You first must create (breathe) your energy, then you must direct it. You can always choose to feel joyful or at peace.

PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS ALERT
     A peaceful infant is a wondrous sight to behold and a model for deep state of tranquility. Babies need to cry sometimes.. Yes, it exercises the lungs but the new discipline of respiratory psychophysiology is learning that crying (and laughing, which by the way are both breathing) can have a cathartic, healing and calming effect on the infant. Once one has established the infant is not wet, sick or stuck with a diaper pin etc., to not allow the child to cry and breathe out the fear and disquiet will often result in its holding on to the negative emotional component of the incident for a lifetime. Psychotherapist Mark Alter suggests not accepting crying is resultant from a culture that is terrified of its feelings and has no idea of what to do with crying but to shut it up. “Hold him or her and be at peace”. Give the child an opportunity to breathe freely, express it rage or discontentment and resolve it through the breath.

     Mother’s milk is sweet. Giving the crying child the breast or the bottle when what it really needs is to be held and cry, is establishing an unconscious link between emotional appeasement and sugar. I believe this is much of the reason we are such a sugar crazed culture. Too many of us were given the bottle or the breast to “soothe” us or just plain shut us up.

OPTIONS AND CHOICES

     A large aspect of feeling joy, inner strength and management of stress is about options. You can choose deep peace within, even during the act of bodily death; and I’m not saying you should but at least you have the option. When the breath is inhibited or locked up our options become limited. We cannot access them if our breathing is “stuck”. Anyone stuck up in a tree or against a cliff during a climb will attest to this. I submit that the breath has been greatly overlooked in its power to increase life force and aliveness, foster a positive attitude (increased endorphin production), maintain emotional balance and minimize or eliminate stress. From the very outset of a stressful situation or when we run out of all other choices, the breath can often be consciously engaged; even if it becomes consciously engaged to disengage it.