Help Yourself Heal: Breathwork
Do you notice if you're holding your breath? Do you notice if you're breathing slow or fast, shallow or deep? Do you notice if you're sighing a lot, because when you sigh it may mean you're trying to catch your breath.
When you hold your breath or when you breathe very fast your blood vessels constrict. You want them wide open because as your blood flows through the vessels it carries oxygen, nutrients from the food you've eaten, and maybe even medications you are taking. You want those very important elements to flow freely so they are more effective. Especially after surgery when you're getting your pain medication, it may very well work better and faster and help you relieve your pain and discomfort.
Also, when you're holding your breath, your muscles tighten up. When you are in pain especially after surgery you may think if you hold your breath your pain will be better. On the contrary, when you hold your breath your muscles tighten and your pain shoots up.
Breathwork technique
You can practice this technique, three full breaths, spaced out throughout the day. When you wake up in the morning even if you don't feel like you're stressed do take three or more full breaths – if you're stressed you recover. In the middle of the morning again take three or more full breaths as your stress is going up - taking the breaths you're managing, you're coping. As your stress level goes up in the middle of the day, take a pause, take another three or more full breaths, manage and recover. And in the late afternoon, early evening, and before you go to bed.
But you can start with this technique slowly. Maybe the first two days you will take two breaths twice a day, when you wake up in the morning and before you go to bed. Then over the next couple of days add a practice in the middle of the day, say at your lunchtime. Now it's three times a day. Then add one more, say before you go home. You're gradually putting this into your daily activity so it sticks more because you're not pressuring yourself. You're gradually easing it into your daily life.
So throughout the day, practice this without stressing yourself that you have to do this. Use whatever reminder will help you. I would suggest you partner with a co-worker, or you can program your computer every hour or two, or create a nature screen saver that reminds you to relax or just displays the word breathe. Try to be creative with what will work for you and how you will remember to practice.
Breathwork for movement
Breathwork for movement after surgery should be practiced before surgery so it is more familiar to you and is easier to do. After surgery as you become more conscious and awake, you will be strongly encouraged to start to move. As early as the following day and if your medical condition allows, you will be assisted to sit up in bed and even to get out of bed.
Since this movement will likely cause discomfort, you will be given pain medication but sometimes even this will not be enough. Along with the medication you can do specific breathing techniques that can help your medication work better and faster and reduce any discomfort you may feel.
When you're in pain, any movement will intensify the pain. People who are in pain feel that if they hold their breath during the movement they will feel less pain. On the contrary when you hold your breath during movement your muscles contract, you feel more tension, the blood vessel constrict and any pain medication may not work as well as it should.
The breathwork we will teach you now will reduce muscle tension and allow the blood vessels to open up which will improve the circulation of oxygen and medication. It will soften the rough edges of any pain you are feeling and may very well allow the medication to work better and faster. Remember to practice this technique before surgery so you are ready to use it after surgery.