Michael's Technique of Breath.... for Panic / Anxiety Calming
try this to calm and bring back down to earth someone with a highly stressed state of mind or mood.
1. Hold their hands in horizontal prayer position, so that you can gauge their tension and also avoid them from producing more tension through clenched fists,
2. then, explain what you are going to do for the person in panic.
3. Get them to roll their shoulders back if needed, example of need, if shoulders are hunched.
4. Ask them to close their eyes and focus only on your instructions and voice, all other sounds are just minor distractions to be ignored.
5. Then, guide them through an inhale breath of at least 6secs, (the average person can hold breath for about 10+secs when relaxed and non smoker,) but when in panic, short breath will do, and it's okay if they can not hold this breath since it's a work in progress.
6. Hold breath for 2 secs.
7. Then, request them to breathe out nice and slow for another 6secs.
8. Repeat steps 5 - 7 for a set of 2 or 3 times.
9. Guided Visualization (done while breathing at current rate of breath): Explain that although we seem separated, we actually are not. We actually share the same air or breath.
There is no dividing the air and claiming "my air" and "your air", it is one and the same.
There is a symbiotic relationship between us and the pants, where the plants breathe in what we exhale (carbon) and we take in what they exchange in return (oxygen).
Then explain that through this breath everyone that cares about you, the people, and the pets that you take care of, are actually in fact, always with you through breath, no matter where in the world they may be at the moment. Let them know that they are supported and cared for in the community.
Reinforce that there's nothing to be afraid of or to worry over since they are so cared for and that we all have each other's backs.
10. Repeat breathing exercise from 5 - 7 for another set of 3 or 4 times. This time extend the breath count to 8+secs in, 2 secs hold, and 8+ exhale. you will notice a difference in ability and relaxation, (posture too)
Reason / Explanation: ===== The heart can not be controlled directly, but by breath the heart can be slowed through control of breath, and this is the goal for this exercise, though this breath, the mind and mood clams down, relaxation follows.
Don't Believe me, Experiment: ===== Take you pulse, gain a sense of the rate or rhythm of your heart... then slowly try to do the deep breathing for yourself.... change you rate of breath and slow it down gradually, while paying attention to your own pulse rate. you will notice a difference in mood too.
This was never taught to me, but rather something that i learned or discovered through meditation, and it does work, i have helped people in hospital and charity with this technique and i've also taught this to other health care people back in toronto. it's my give away gift to the world. --Rhett Michael Pardinas.