When I am NOT talking, I feel fantastic! As soon as I start to talk, I become drained of energy and when I talk I have to PUSH every word out of my mouth. I literally could cry and have cried after hanging up the telephone because I am exhausted and it feels like my nerves are stretched to the hilt.

I can run on the treadmill and feel fine, but if I am walking and talking to someone, I become very short of breath and have to practically gasp for breath to talk.

When I talk in normal conversation, i.e., just sitting around, if I take in a lung full of air, I can talk okay in short spurts. BUT, once I use up my lung of air, I have to pause take another lung of air and continue to talk.

In my business I talk a lot! And it is affecting by business. I do not say everything I want to say to my client, because I don't have the energy to do so. And I definitely try to avoid being asked to do any type of public speaking, because I definitely would have to refuse to do any public speaking because there is no way I could speak continuously without becoming breathless.

My pulmonologist said he did not know what I meant when I said I could not walk and talk at the same time! So he has not helped me at all!!!

Can you help me?

From Mike:

The last person that could not walk and talk did so after 2 private sessions with me. Another with asthma used her inhaler 8 times the day of our first session and after that no times in the next three months.

Come to our office for an intensive. I guarantee major results or click here for one of our special self help programs.
Add www.breathing.com/oregano-oil.htm

mike

Dear Breathing.com:
I have heard that breathing exercises such as slowly in and out for 4 counts each way and holding in between for 10 counts will gradually increase ones chest size. I believe the term is a "barrel chest". I am just wondering about the mechanics of this. How effective is this and how exactly does it work and can be maximized? Would this be worthwhile for someone with a flat chest? Thank you for your time and expertise.

Dear Chris: Breath holding is not a good idea.  One can increase chest size but it must be done with care not to create a large stiff "barrel" chest lest the lungs be restricted in their contraction, the diaphragm in its excursion (rise)  and the heart and organs not massaged enough by the reduced rise and fall of the maximal excursion of the diaphragm thus developing another form of UDB. The chest must be certain shape that we teach in the school. More like a pear hanging downward with variations. The  Fundamentals DVD and diaphragm strengthener  will greatly add to chest size without breath holding.  Recommended Program

The prednisone was awful on her and an apparent allergic reaction to the dye for a test almost killed her.

In 1948, Mom was 17 and diagnosed with pneumonias. (I was born in 1951)and her father had arranged for her funeral and had even ordered the flowers! Some angel back then recognized the virus as being something she contracted from one of her friends who had been in the service in the Philippines. They sent to the Philippines for a vaccine which, seemingly miraculously, saved her life at the last moment. (Most pleasantly for me and my siblings!)

Now she is off the prednisome and and we need another angel!

Do you know what this vitus and/or vaccine could be? Some say the microchrondia would still be there. (I'm a layman, obviously!) is that possible? What treatments would you recommend? Would Microhydrin and MMX help her breathe? What about systemic enzyme therapy? Bromelain?

I'm going to use information from your siteto try to help. (Please help us any way yuo can! (Feel free to edit this letter for your site if needed)

Thank you! Charles & Mary H

From Mike:

It is interesting to see the progression from bronchitis to fibrosis. This is logical. Had the medical people used natural means initially she may well not have gotten worse and recovered.

You seem to be looking for a magic bullet (an alternative expression for some ONE thing that will make THE difference). I would not do that if I were you. I would address the problem on every level possible; holistically. Including coming to Waynesville if you are able otherwise  http://www.breathing.com/no-more-bronchitis.htm.  Good luck. She is lucky to have such caring children.

From Mike:
I worked on a woman today that had tremors much the same as I evidenced Katherine Hepburn doing during talk show interviews.

This woman's breathing was horribly uncoordinated. She met me with defeated posture and downward gaze. She had very little sense of what it should feel like and how it should function. 30 minutes later she left me feeling "very good". Color came back into her face. She seemed to shake a little less.

There are very specific, safe and painless techniques even a relative or close friend can be trained to do for a loved one. Recommended Program

One more question I didn't think to ask as am so used to living with it. One of my lungs doesn't seem to "work right". I think there are distortions to that side, to the muscles and the bones, possibly from the birth process but at least from infancy. That side can't expand as much, and I get 'asthma' on only that side. I've never gotten any doctor or chiropractor to figure it out, or actually even acknowledge it.

Any thoughts?

From Mike:

Asthma has a lot to do with physical breathing restrictions as well as autonomic nervous system energetic imbalance.

The diaphragm shrinks irregularly up and down like a one half football (curved portion upward) turning from a half of a plum to a wrinkled prune with shrink lines up and down from top to bottom like a pin striped suit. As it shrinks it is reduced in height, irregularly like from a football's oval to the skyline of several hills. The more it shrinks the more it puts stress on the entire nervous system.

I suspect that the shrink pattern has something to do with trauma to the excessively shrunken area. When the body gets traumatized it gets stiff. For example, being tackled with a helmet in the kidney area in football or falling out of a crib or down stairs creates stiffness in the muscles and connective tissues surrounding the immediate area of impact as well as perhaps hundreds of other muscles and tendons. Optimal breathing coordination is hindered. And if the stiffness is not softened by proper exercise or bodywork or whatever, then the body, in that area, will become more dense and less supple and tend to not expand or contract as well as it could. Children can even grow up with that bias and the traumatized area and imbalance gets larger and more significant as they grow older and larger.

This throws the entire breathing balance into a more or less erratic function and if the imbalance is chest dominant then asthma, which is primarily a high chest breathing dominant malady, may appear.

See if the below page gives you more insight on this.

http://www.breathing.com/articles/diaphragm-development.htm

I cover it more clearly in a new video-manual combo.

If you have the manual you will understand it even more.
Another option for you is to have a phone consultation with me.

Question regarding the http://www.breathing.com/tests.htm
In the medical field we see the rates of respiration as 16-20 in an adult as Normal and anything above or below this norm is when we look for other things that might possible be the causes,  athletics vs trauma of any type (from illness long or short term or immediate induction of stresses.)

T.S.

From Mike:
Good question. 

Essentially the traditional medical field focuses on illness. The alternative medical field on health.  
Pay very close attention to the clinical studies page relating to Cross Sectional Studies as opposed to longitudinal ones.  

If you want a powerful exercise then go to www.breathing.com/tips/energy.htm but understand that this is just one approach amongst several others.  You can scan the results page for more insight into the big picture. www.breathing.com/results.htm

Keep breathing,

mike

From Phillip;

In vipassna you just watch the breath and bodily sensation without trying to alter or judge looking at all with non attachment.

It is hard to really compare to your work.. although maybe to say that "when one is really able to watch the breath, one notices that the breath self regulates... when we let go into just what is, without attachment and surrender to that... then the truth is able to move through us without
inhibition, whether that means better breathing, better digestion to ultimately deep peace with all of life, we can see the beauty in everything."

Going to order new Better Breathing Exercise #2 from the website .. I gave mine away.

I have missed practicing and feel drawn to practice again.

Phil M.

From Mike:

Very nicely put. Sounds friendly and familiar.

Lately I've been using a combination of computer and digitally based breathing training devices as a sort of a carbon dioxide and oxygen measuring tool that also functions in a biofeedback way. I have seen that many do not breathe right even when they appear to the look, sound and feel, to do so.

I had long ago learned that many people can not just watch the breath independently of influencing it. There are distorted "physical", "mentally driven" and or "biochemically altered", breathing patterns that have been almost "set in cement" that alter the "natural eb and flow of optimal natural breathing" in all phases of mechanical breathing, gas exchange, and intercellular chemistry.

Some of this breathing pattern disorder relates directly to carbon dioxide and uptake/distribution of adequate oxygen.  It also influences intake of cosmic and chi forces and emotional experience(s).  This UDB or Unbalanced Deep Breathing breathing must be addressed to ensure the balance, ease and flow of ALL other mental and biochemical activities. Back to the autonomic nervous system again.

I have created several training methods that use these insights to help train the person into a more optimal breathing pattern. This is making a HUGE difference in the way they see, feel and react to their world. Problems with anger, fatigue, seizures, palpitations, somatics, mental clarity and focus and a host of others are reduced or eliminated. Very quickly, by comparison, to anything I have ever experienced, including Vipassna.

So I strongly suspect this new use of technology will be an aid to those having any difficulty with vipassna.