June 17, 2009 - Breathing

Hello All,

I hope you had an enjoyable week! Thanks for all of the great messages I received regarding my last posting. I really enjoyed the encouragement and it reminded me that people DO read my blog!

Last week I had an appointment with Dr. Pita. I informed him that I was having a lot of trouble concentrating. My mind has been racing a bit too much lately.

Dr. Pita decided to teach me a new breathing technique that is supposed to help with maintaining focus. I started to get a little nervous when I realized it was demonstration time. I remembered how the last time I learned a breathing technique I learned I could not walk, breathe, and swing my arms all at the same time!

Well, this technique is breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 7, breathe out for 8. We tried it together. He was taking so long counting I was slightly concerned he forgot what number was after 3. We did this a couple times and Dr. Pita got a bit frustrated with me and said; "You are not breathing from your diaphragm." He then comes rolling over, NEVER a good sign.

(By the way, I LOVE those rolling stools. I zoom around the room when I am waiting for him.
Fortunately, I can hear him flip through my chart before he enters the room which gives me enough time to be respectfully sitting in the patient chair upon his arrival.)

He then said; "Here, put your hand on my chest to see what you are supposed to do." Okay, he took a breath and the following thought popped in my head; "Seriously, do you have ANY fat on your body, Mr. ICanWearTheSamePantsIWoreinHighSchool?" I then focused and understood how I was to do the breathing.

We did the exercise 4 times. My head hurt from the rush of oxygen that it apparently was lacking. Who knew!?!?

Dr. Pita wrote down on a paper towel (of course) a reminder of how often to perform the exercise (no more than twice a day) and told me I could download it from the Internet, too. So, I downloaded the instructions from here and the exercise from here.

Dr. Weil counts A LOT faster than Dr. Pita. It seems to work better for me at Dr. Weil's speed. Probably because I am not thinking; "Hey! If you kill me, you will lose a paying patient!" as I perform the exercise.

Til Next Week,

Kristi

Published to http://kristiasher.blogspot.com