Learn To Breathe In The Year of COVID-19
Anyone who understands the health risks of the coronavirus is likely to experience some level of apprehension, worry, fear, or anxiety. These are natural and appropriate reactions to a real and present danger.
Although we have some information and experience from previous pandemics, there are too many unknowns regarding COVID-19 to allow any sane person to feel confident about how to avoid catching it, how to protect friends and family, and how to deal with all the social, economic, and emotional consequences that might occur. We dare not trust our government to manage this public health crisis, and our medical care systems are not ready to test or care for all of those who are becoming ill.
So, how can we deal with our fears and the anxieties of everyone around us? What steps can we take to strengthen our immune defenses and our bodies to help fend off COVID-19 or, if we get sick, improve our chances for a good recovery?
The best way to avoid catching coronavirus is to avoid contact with other people or with things that others might have touched or breathed upon. For most of us, this is impossible. However, we can reduce our contacts to the bare necessities and particularly avoid being inside rooms with large numbers of people; for example, conferences, group meetings, social events, sporting events, and crowded stores or shopping centers.
On the other hand, if we pull back from the people and activities we normally enjoy, we may become lonely, frustrated, irritable, or depressed.
Fortunately, we can stay in touch with everyone through our cell phones and computers, allowing us to minimize physically being with friends and co-workers , while maintaining our contacts and relationships.
We can have virtual meetings at work and online gatherings with friends at agreed upon times.
Breathing Practices Are An Easy Way to Rapidly Reduce Stress, Anxiety, Fear, Depression, Problems Sleeping, Irritability, Frustration, and Anger.
Coherent Breathing a voluntarily regulated breathing practice (VRBP), is the foundation for self-healing. It is a form of gentle breathing, in and out through the nose, with eyes fully or partially closed, at a rate between 3.0 and 6.0 breaths per minute. Coherent Breathing induces a special state of calmness with alertness. This occurs through several mechanisms, the most basic being that it reduces excess sympathetic nervous system activity (fight or flight) and over reactivity in the emotion processing centers, while it increases activity in the soothing, healing, anti- inflammatory part of the nervous system (parasympathetic).
To learn Coherent Breathing, you can read The Healing Power of the Breath by Dr. Brown and Dr. Gerbarg Amazon.com. The audio tracks lead you through the practices discussed in the book. Also, when you explore the Breath-Body-Mind.com website, you will find numerous videos, interviews, and other resources to help you learn how to balance your stress response system through movement and breathing.
For the past 15 years we have taught Breath-Body-Mind workshops and trained BBM teachers. Because of the coronavirus epidemic, this year, for the first time, we will be offering online webinars to teach breathing practices to balance the stress response system, increase energy and mental clarity, and alleviate anxiety, depression, pain, and symptoms of trauma. Check our workshops page and sign up for our free newsletter (see the green ribbon at the top of our home page).
We recommend that to prevent or alleviate anxiety, depression, or anger do Coherent Breathing 20 minutes a day. This will also improve lung and immune function. If you become ill and you are coughing, you will not be able to do this. Resume Coherent Breathing when you are able to do so without irritating your cough. At first, you may need to start at 6 breaths per minute and work down to 5 breaths per minute. If you are over 6 feet in height, then gradually, over a period of weeks, continue to lower your respiratory rate to between 3 and 3.5 bpm. You will need to get a chime track, such as Two Bells by Stephen Elliot (Coherence.com) to pace your breathing. In addition, if you become anxious during the day or night, just stop and do Coherent Breathing until the anxious feeling subsides.
In addition, if you become anxious during the day or night, just stop and do Coherent Breathing until the anxious feeling subsides.
Additional Advice to Optimize Your Body’s Natural Defense Capacities
Get lots of rest. Go to bed earlier and readjust your activities as needed.
Healthy diet is important with fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Foods that particularly increase immune defenses against viruses are sauerkraut and kombucha.
Drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated.
Wash hands frequently. Use disinfectants to clean surfaces. Avoid touching your face because that is a common way the viruses are transferred from your fingers. Keep a small bottle of disinfectant with you to use after you have touched surfaces in public places that may have been contaminated.
If you choose to wear a mask, be sure it is rated as N95 anti-viral.
Avoid unnecessary social gatherings, especially in closed spaces. Do not share foods or platters. Minimize travel.
We cannot predict the course of the coronavirus, but we can take common sense precautions. Contact your doctor if you have any symptoms such as fever or coughing, or if you think you have been exposed.
We hope that you and your families stay healthy through this difficult time.
Dr. Richard Brown and Dr. Pat Gerbarg