The benefits of abdominal breathing.

[Dap1948]

Do you ever find yourself taking in a sudden deep breath? Do you suffer from anxiety or fatigue? Does your voice lack strength or variety in pitch? Abdominal breathing could help. While I was working with Dr Farias in Toronto, he noted that I didn't breathe! I suffered from all of the above! He told me to breathe in as if smelling a flower, filling the abdomen (shoulders and upper chest should not move) and breathe out for the same length of time feeling the diaphragm empty the lungs. He suggested I breathe like this for five minutes a day gradually building up to half an hour a day. The benefits -

* this puts you in parasympathetic mode as opposed to sympathetic (fight or flight) and you feel calmer. Feeling calmer can often mean less tremor.

* it gives you more energy

* it gives better support for the voice which becomes stronger and more interesting

* it can stimulate appetite.

For information about Dr Farias see fariastechnique,com

[parkie13]

Finally, smelling a flower, what could be easier. I always have such trouble doing abdominal breathing Mary

[gilesyassin]

I agree 100%. I noticed my PD had turned me into a mouth breather, especially when I'm having an "off' period. Fortunately we can take conscious control of the autonomous nervous system through breath control.

[ddmagee1]

Deep breathing exercises have helped me for many years.