| According to the American Heart Association, | | | | various life situations), she now has a much |
| stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term | | | | clearer, vibrant and practical understanding of how |
| disability in the U.S. | | | | it can help alleviate stress, anxiety and depression. |
| We learned firsthand. | | | | It's easy to slip into what-if mode after an event |
| My wife Lee had a stroke in early February 2007. | | | | like this. Breathing, she found, helps keep the |
| It began a dizzying, terrifying period of not only | | | | focus on the here-and-now, and away from what |
| coming to grips with the physical affects, but the | | | | happened yesterday or the what-ifs of tomorrow. |
| mental affects of confusion, making adjustments | | | | It's helping her eliminate the stress and anxiety of |
| to daily living, and often the arrival of depression | | | | what can be an enervating battle of medical |
| and anxiety as well. | | | | appointments and therapies, slow recovery, and a |
| The good news is, conscious breathing can help in | | | | lingering fear of what the future holds. It |
| many ways. | | | | rejuvenates the spirit and puts the situation in a |
| All of the above were true for Lee, a robust | | | | more helpful, optimistic light. |
| 53-year-old woman with no medical history that | | | | Lee is now not only practicing her vocalization |
| would indicate a stroke was in her future, nor a | | | | (which also relies heavily on conscious breathing), |
| lifestyle that would cause one. Her cholesterol was | | | | but is taking time to meditate throughout the day, |
| well below the accepted cutoff for concern, she | | | | as well as just being aware of her breath. |
| ate an aspirin a day to ward off just such an | | | | We can't say that it could or would supplant the |
| event, and lived a healthy life that included | | | | medications, but conscious breathing does provide |
| exercise and a reasonably sound diet. | | | | a tremendous mollifying effect on an otherwise |
| Physically, a stroke occurs when a blood vessel | | | | fearful situation. And this holds true for a variety |
| that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the brain | | | | of emotional stress - grief, depression and fear - |
| bursts or is clogged by a blood clot or some | | | | brought on my difficult situations or illness. |
| other particle. Because of this rupture or blockage, | | | | Unhealthy breathing habits are strongly associated |
| part of the brain doesn't get the blood and | | | | with depression. Shallow breathing and frequent |
| oxygen it needs. Deprived of oxygen, nerve cells | | | | pause-and-sigh patterns can result in higher blood |
| in the affected area of the brain die within | | | | pressure, anxiety, restlessness and fatigue. Using |
| minutes. | | | | deep, slow breathing to activate the |
| There are two main types of stroke. One is | | | | parasympathetic nervous system counteracts |
| caused by blood clots or other particles (ischemic), | | | | these symptoms and helps develop the |
| and the other by bleeding from a burst blood | | | | self-awareness that has been shown to be |
| vessel (hemorrhagic). Ischemic strokes are the | | | | effective in elevating the mood, self-esteem, and |
| most common. | | | | overall emotional health of persons with |
| Lee's stroke hit her while she slept. She woke up | | | | depression. The Indian Institute of Mental Health |
| to nightmarish disorientation, trouble focusing, | | | | and Neurosciences reports that deep breathing |
| difficulty speaking, and what she described as a | | | | techniques can sometimes be as effective as |
| "detached" right side of her body. Eight hours in an | | | | traditional drug treatments and counseling. |
| emergency room, myriad blood tests, EKGs, and | | | | Applying simple, yet incredibly powerful breath |
| an MRI later, it was determined that she had | | | | control can be a weapon against specific emotional |
| what's called a lacunar stroke, which occurs in an | | | | challenges. Remember that whatever combination |
| artery in the brain and is a subtype of ischemic | | | | of treatments are being employed to resolve |
| stroke). It hit a bull's eye on her pons, an area of | | | | counterproductive emotional patterns, conscious |
| the brain that connects the cerebrum with the | | | | breathing is something that you can do that will |
| cerebellum, before sending nerve signals out into | | | | immediately begin to counteract the negative |
| the spinal cord and beyond to the body. She lost | | | | effects on your immune system and your |
| no cognitive skills or memory, thankfully, but | | | | circulatory system, calm your nerves, and help |
| speech and coordination took a direct hit. | | | | keep you rooted firmly in the moment instead of |
| That diagnosis began a long series of visits with | | | | wrestling with the past or future. |
| neurologists, cardiologists, therapists (speech, | | | | Depression Release Breathing |
| physical and occupational) and pharmacists. After | | | | This exercise, from Michael Reed Gach ([ can help |
| weeks of religious visits and home therapy guided | | | | you let go of depression using acupressure and |
| by her army of providers, she's regained much of | | | | deep breathing. |
| her speech, though it's still "slow," as she puts it, | | | | - Lie down on your back or sit comfortably, with |
| and hard work to make her mouth form the | | | | your spine straight, and feet flat on the floor. |
| words her brain has no trouble recalling. | | | | - Reach up toward the sky with both hands; take |
| Her doctors have yet to find the cause, but | | | | a deep breath, and as you hold your breath, |
| predict something close to a full recovery. | | | | make tight fists and squeeze, tightening all the |
| Physically. But there are mental aspects that | | | | muscles in your arms. |
| neither of us imagined. Will it happen again? Will I | | | | - Slowly exhale, tensing your arms, bringing your |
| recover those lost abilities and be able to return | | | | fists down, to your chest |
| to work and a normal life? Will this kill me? | | | | - Repeat steps 2 and 3 several times. |
| Sobering questions, all. At her lowest moments, all | | | | - Now cross your arms in front of your chest, |
| hope appeared to be lost and she sank into a | | | | with your fingers touching the upper outside area |
| debilitating depression - as if her stroke wasn't | | | | of the chest, (in acupressure it's known a point Lu |
| enough to deal with. Thanks to the helpful | | | | 1, also Letting Go); your wrists cross at the |
| guidance of a Kaiser Permanente mental health | | | | center of your upper chest. |
| counselor and cooperative doctors, Lee has not | | | | - Lower your chin toward your chest. |
| only some low-dose medication to help quell those | | | | - Inhale four short breaths in a row (without |
| abject feelings of depression and anxiety | | | | exhaling) through your nose, filling your lungs |
| surrounding her condition, but has undergone | | | | completely on the fourth breath. Hold the breath |
| what's called "cognitive restructuring" to help more | | | | for a few seconds with the chest full and |
| organically battle what's happening in her mind. | | | | expanded. |
| Much to our delight, part of that mental-health | | | | - Exhale slowly through your mouth. |
| counseling involves conscious breathing. While Lee | | | | - Repeat this exercise for two or three minutes, |
| had an intellectual understanding of breathing's | | | | concentrating on the depth and rhythm of the |
| implications (and had watched me practice it in | | | | breath. |