MECHANICS-LEARNING:
play dynamics for awareness of breathing as
behavior
Breathing mechanics
are typically acrobatic during life’s daily challenges, which often include
continuous and unabated conversation, laced with emotion, thoughts, and
attitudes. While talking breathing may
be jerky or even, aborted or extended, fast or slow, oral or nasal…..utterly
dysrhythmic, but nevertheless, these mechanics must be subordinated to
brainstem reflex mechanisms, that coordinate rate and depth for healthy
chemoregulation.
Many of us have,
unfortunately, disconnected from the experience of our bodies. This disconnection often shows up in our
breathing, where “controlled breathing” serves to provide us with a false sense
of security, breathing that involves the unnecessary use of accessory muscles. The consequence is often the preempting of
brainstem respiratory reflexes, leading us away from confidence and trust in
our bodies, in our breathing physiology.
Mechanics play is about building trust and
confidence in breathing mechanics and allowing for the reinstatement of basic chemo-regulatory
reflexes.
Mechanics play
typically includes (a) diaphragmatic and chest breathing, (b) exhalation and
inhalation, and (c) breathing rate and depth.
Learning good breathing means awareness learning of both functional and dysfunctional
mechanics, good and bad breathing behavior.
It means utilizing the principle of negative
practice where one learns to intentionally engage dysfunctional breathing,
as well as functional breathing. Fear of
bad dysfunctional breathing and its symptoms must be overcome. If you can breathe either way by choice, and
are aware of their defining sensations and consequences, you are more likely to
regulate even in the most challenging of circumstances.
Mechanics play means learning to:
●
make diaphragmatic breathing
your dominate form of breathing
●
allow the exhale to occur on
its own accord, without assistance from other muscles
●
allow for transition time
between the exhale and the inhale
●
experience brainstem
respiratory reflexes during transition time
●
breathe quietly, making the
inhale as small as possible while still being comfortable
●
maintain the proper range of
PCO2 levels while doing so.
Key
to learning good mechanics is experiencing, identifying, and becoming
comfortable with the brainstem reflex for inhalation, which regulates breathing
based on PCO2, pH, and O2 in addition to a host of other
reflex factors.
Copyrighted by
Behavioral Physiology Institute,