04/07/2020
This was posted by friend and colleague, Flanagan MacKenzie. Great information to help with lung flexibility and overall lung health.
In my practice I use breathing exercises to help people realize the true capacity of their lungs. I have found when people are anxious when they try to breathe deeply they tend to tighten their bronchi. So over the years I have come up with different ways to make people aware of their lungs and their lungs' true capacity, and to stop them from tightening up as they try to breathe. It seems like a timely exercise. I will not include yoga belly breathing. 1 many people know it 2 I have encountered many people who look like they are doing it, but they are not drawing air into their lungs while their belly expands. Back when I could touch people, I would hold different parts of their lungs so they could receive sensory feedback of these exercises. Breathe into the area where you place your hands, it helps.
The greatest capacity in our lungs is in the back, and then sides. There are all sorts of organs in the front of our body taking up room in the back there are kidneys. Take advantage of all that room. The experts are saying even if it hurts exercise your lungs.
1. Filling the pitcher: Imagine that your lungs are big pitchers and we are filling the lungs just as you would fill a pitcher with water. It fills the bottom first and then continues all the way to your collar bones. Hold 5-10 seconds. Exhale, without tension in your nose or mouth. Make sure you have completely emptied your lungs before the next breath.
2. Fly like an eagle: The diaphragm is designed to help pull your breath into your lungs. Put your hands on your diaphragm. The action of the diaphragm is aided by the false ribs. Those bottom ribs that do not go all the way around. They move lateral so the diaphragm becomes flatter and pulls the air into the lungs. Using your hands to help you. Imagine those false ribs acting like wings that as they stretch your diaphragm wide and flat the air is sucked in with little effort. Follow the exhale with your hands and let them help empty the bottom of your lungs.
3. Top of the lungs: Most of us don't realize the lungs go all the way up. The bag that holds the lungs is attached to your first rib.
Put your hands on your shoulders near your neck in the front. Breath into your palms to help focus your breath into this area of your lungs.
4. Bottom of the lungs: This one seems important at this time to continue to expand the lung capacity regardless of the virus. Thinking specifically about the bottom, sides and back of the bottom third of your lungs, with your hands in place breathe into your hands pulling the air down and into the bottom of your lungs. Hold your breath and let the air expand into your lower lungs. Squeeze every last bit of air out of your lungs. If you do this completely the air will enter your lungs completely.
The nurses who are working with Covid patients do breathing exercises with them and add a deep cough at the end of the exercises.
There are no negative side effects on record that shows any harm coming to people who breathe deeply. Experiment, use your imagination to expand your lungs to a new capacity.
