Breathe Easy: The Free and Easy Way to Lower High Blood Pressure Using Slow Breathing With Music


by David O'Hara - Date: 2006-12-21 - Word Count: 1021 Share This!

Slow breathing is a genuine breakthrough in natural blood pressure treatment. Yet despite impressive clinical trials and glowing endorsements from leading medical institutions such as The Mayo Clinic and The American Heart Association, it still hasn't gained widespread use among the public. This is unfortunate because slow breathing holds enormous potential to improve the lives of countless millions suffering not only hypertension but also from many forms of stress and anxiety disorders.

Could the whopping $300 price tag on the market-leading slow breathing device be a reason for sitting on the fence? They say you can't put a price tag on your health (it's usually the ones selling the product or service doing the talking!) but high prices surely don't help to break down skepticism! Even though there's now an enjoyable and much more affordable alternative available, a rightly skeptical public still needs some convincing.

So what if I told you that slow breathing doesn't have to cost you a penny? Sure, any of the new products can and do make learning the method faster and easier. But you should ignore commercially motivated claims that it's too difficult to do on your own. The fact is, with very little effort, the benefits of slow breathing are freely available to all!

You can also forget about complicated or mysterious practices you may have heard about before. Most breathing instruction is way off the mark. Like most things in life that really work, slow breathing is actually very simple and practical and all it takes is 15 minutes a day. Here's exactly how you do it. I call it the Breatheasy system:

What you'll need:

A quiet and comfortable place (your favorite recliner?) and a time when you have at least 15 minutes free of noise and distraction.

If at all possible, a piece of music that is very gentle and slow tempo. Classical adagios or larghettos are often ideal (but watch out for those numbers that suddenly explode into the 1812 Overture - you're out to lower your blood pressure!).

Classical is my personal preference but other types of music that can work equally well are new age or ambient. You could even use chants or an ocean wave CD, anything relaxing with a slow and regular tempo.

It is possible to do it without music but the right music offers important advantages, as I will explain below.

If you have headphones I recommend using them. They focus the music and help insulate you from distracting noises. If you don't have them don't worry as you will still get good results.

A timer (optional) - only to signal the end of 15 minutes (not to count with).

Here's what you do:

1. Start the music and get as comfortable and relaxed as possible.

Slow breathing requires relaxation to be effective. The more relaxed you are, the greater the benefits.

2. Breathe slowly and deeply but keep to a comfortable rate. A short pause between phases is normal.

If you've practiced abdominal breathing and are comfortable with it that's fine. But slow breathing to lower blood pressure does not require any special form of breathing. Just breathe in the way that's most comfortable for you.

Don't confuse deep with strenuous. You don't have to fill your lungs. That will only lead to hyperventilation and will actually raise your blood pressure.

3. Gradually extend your exhale phase until it's approximately twice the length of your inhale. For example, breathe in for 2 seconds, pause, then exhale for 4 seconds. Take your time with it. Don't rush any of these steps.

DON'T COUNT your breathing or use any form of timekeeper. The example is strictly to illustrate the right pattern. This is where most forms of breathing instruction go wrong. You can't relax while counting or focusing on time. If you plant the inhale/exhale ratio of 1 to 2 firmly in your mind you will end up in the right ballpark.

4. Once you are used to this pattern, gradually slow your rate of breathing. Do not slow to a point of discomfort. If you feel any strain at all you need to back off. Remember you must stay relaxed in order to get the benefits.

Now is when using music pays off. The music itself will act as a regulator and your breathing will unconsciously adjust itself to the beat, helping to keep it smooth and regular.

5. Continue for 15 minutes. Repeat the session 4 or 5 times a week. That's all it takes.

TO REVIEW: Relax to the music, extend exhale to twice the length of inhale, slow your breathing as much as comfortable, relax and continue for 15 minutes.

It's bound to feel awkward at first but with a little practice it will soon become second nature. Better yet, many come to find it so enjoyable as to be almost addictive!

Your breathing will gradually become more regular and slower each time you do this. Although you should never count you may want to briefly check your rate at the end of a session now and then. The ideal rate to shoot for is 6 or 7 breaths per minute. But take your time - it usually takes several weeks to reach this rate comfortably.

But you don't even need to go that far to get the benefits: Clinical trials reveal that breathing slowly in the way described above at a rate of less than 10 breaths per minute leads to significant reductions in blood pressure. Even more amazingly, the results are cumulative and begin to last around the clock in 4 to 6 weeks: a real and lasting drop in blood pressure!

You may also find that it reduces general levels stress and anxiety and can even improve your sleep. It can be useful on a second level too: those who suffer from stress or anxiety attacks can apply slow breathing as a tool for fast, on-the-spot relief.

My personal experience confirms these findings. After trying nearly every natural remedy imaginable, none of which worked, I finally solved my high blood pressure problem with slow breathing - on my own, exactly as described - and I've since witnessed many others enjoy even more dramatic results.

So what's stopping you now? Give it a try. All it takes is 15 minutes a day.


Related Tags: hypertension, high blood pressure treatment, lower blood pressure, breathing to lower blood pressure

David O'Hara is a researcher and product developer in the field of natural health and blood pressure control. Click here for the full story on natural high blood pressure treatment using slow breathing with music as well as an interactive audio demo of the Breatheasy method.

Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

© The article above is copyrighted by it's author. You're allowed to distribute this work according to the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs license.
 

Recent articles in this category:



Most viewed articles in this category: