Spirit Matters: Intentional breathing a basic healing modality

With an overly sensitive nervous system, I have spent my life alternately suffering from high anxiety and seeking ways to consistently manage it.

It has not been easy.

Before I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder in 2004, my nerves were on alert – like butterflies in my stomach on steroids – pretty much all the time.

A quickened heartbeat, sweaty palms, headaches or dizziness and digestive issues are just a few of the other symptoms.

Those around me might not have noticed anything amiss, as my calm outward demeanor can be good at hiding the inner chaos.

If you don’t experience this condition as part of your physiology, it will be difficult to understand what those of us who do deal with it live with every day.

Anxiety affects every part of our lives: physical, emotional, spiritual, mental and social. In time, we can find ways to “hide” it.

Or at least we like to think so.

During times of extreme stress, unmanaged anxiety disorders can send one’s life in a downward spiral, forcing outside intervention.

Medications for anxiety can help in the short term, but they are highly addictive and, sadly, some people remain on them for years.

Benzodiazepines are difficult to get off, and it must be done under medical supervision. I know this from personal experience. The discomfort of weaning off of them was worth it to recover a sense of self once again.

Benzodiazepines may be necessary as emergency care, but if the patient doesn’t explore and manage situations that exacerbate their anxiety, they aren’t going to improve.

Since my journey to the underworld of mental illness, I have worked hard to stay on top of it through counseling and consistent compliance with doctor appointments.

My current practitioner and I enjoy a friendly yet professional relationship. I feel comfortable sharing with her what is going on in my life, and her empathy and compassion help me to feel seen and understood. She listens and, most importantly, gives me her focused time and attention. These qualities help me find the courage to continue seeking ways to improve my life while also accepting that life is imperfect, and that is OK.

Managing anxiety can be complicated depending on the situation, but I have found a simple, holistic approach works wonders.

Identifying those situations that trigger one’s anxiety and establishing boundaries around them is critical. Learning to say “no” is a game-changer.

Self-care is essential. This includes incorporating habits such as a healthy diet; movement; and intentional times of creativity, prayer and meditation.

A regular journaling practice is highly effective in working through a crowded mind and heavy emotions.

Nature is a natural healer, and spending time outdoors can make a huge difference.

Perhaps the most effective treatment for anxiety, however, is right under our noses.

Breathing practices regulate our nervous systems. Pranayama is an ancient breath technique that originates from yogic practices in India. It involves controlling your breath in different styles and lengths. One does not need to practice yoga to learn how to use breath to improve their health.

A few basic exercises can be the catalyst to go from being in a state of overwhelm to relaxation in a matter of only a few moments. And practicing them on a regular basis can help those states of overwhelm be fewer and far between.

Most of us breathe shallowly. When we breathe, if our chest moves up and down, we are not breathing deeply enough.

Diaphragmatic breathing can return us to a state of homeostasis – to our natural way of breathing, the way sleeping babies breathe.

It makes sense to me from a spiritual point of view that proper breathing is the key to managing anxiety. The breath of life has been given to us by a being far wiser and more intelligent than any of us can understand.

To stop what we are doing and breathe, noticing our breath as it goes deep into our body and out again, is to pray – to intimately encounter that mystery healing us, breathing us back to peace and the abundant life that goes with it.

SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.