Jessica Stover (00:07):
Hey, everyone. Welcome to Networks Looks At.

(00:10):
This recording is an offering of Networks for Training and Development's online university.

Tracy Lapreziosa (00:16):
Welcome to another episode in our Taste of Wellness collection. I'm Tracy Lapreziosa, an occupational therapist and a team lead for Adaptations for Living here at Networks. Um, and joining in today's conversation is Rosa McAllister, one of our co-founders, massage therapist, coach, and energy worker.

(00:34):
And our topic for today is Breathing. We all do it, and we do it without any conscious effort. But how are we doing it? There are multiple ways to breathe, but some are more efficient than others. And I can think of three off the top of my head, and I'm gonna take you through each one of them. And you can kind of decide which one you are, and then we'll talk about them.

(00:57):
The first one is Chest Breathing. And if you just sit and breathe in and out, and only have your chest move. So when you breathe in, only our chest moves. And then it... When you exhale, your chest goes down. Just very easy. In and out. And only your chest is moving.

(01:17):
I have found out that I was pretty much a chest breather, and no really getting enough air. 'Cause that's what's happening. If you're only moving your chest, you're not getting a lot of air down into your belly.

(01:29):
And another type of breathing is called Paradoxical Breathing, or reverse breathing. And this is the one... If you want to visualize the guy on the beach. And the pretty girl walks by, and he takes a big inhale. And his belly goes in, and his chest comes out. And then he exhales, and his chest goes in and his belly goes back out. Right? Inhale in, chest goes out. Tummy in. And exhale out. But you're not really getting enough air in there, because your belly's sucked in and kind of restricting some space.

(02:01):
So now, let's talk about Belly Breathing. I'm sure you've heard that term. And belly breathing, if you're not doing it, it's a little bit ha- tricky to get into the groove of how to do it. But when you take a, an inhale in, the air goes all- fills your lungs, and you feel your belly expand. Your belly actually comes out. And then when you exhale, your belly goes in and your diaphragm pushes up. It helps push the air out of your lungs for a more, uh, complete exhale, when you're doing belly breathing.

(02:32):
So, those are the three types of breathing. And I guess, you know, listening to the descriptions, you can kind of tell which one is the most effective for our health, which is belly breathing.

(02:45):
But there's a, a couple of other things about breathing that I think we need to mention besides just that - and that's how are we taking our air in? Are we taking our air in through our nose, or are we taking it in through our mouth? 'Cause there's a l- there's a lot of benefits to taking it through your nose. You may not really think about it, but your nose is full of all these little fine hairs, which kind of filter our bacteria, and dirt, and all those kinds of things. So it's... And it also humidifies the air as it goes in. So the air that's going into your lungs is a bit cleaner than if you're mouth breathing.

(03:19):
So I don't know, Rosa, do you have any comments on that?

Rosa McAllister (03:23):
Well... Hi. Thanks, Tracy. I think this is such important information, and we take breathing for granted. We, you know... As we were kind of joking before we got started, you know. I'm always 68 years old. I think I got this breathing thing down. Or I hope I do. And then I learned more about it, and I realized, "Um, maybe not so much. Maybe I need to focus more."

(03:46):
You know, um, I remember my mom when we were little kids, you know, if we'd get angry at one another or whatever, she'd say... You know, and I guess it was her version of a time out. She'd say, "Okay, sit down and take five breaths." You know? And when you're really angry y- and a little kid, it's kind of more like a "Ugh." Like a (laughs) snorting bull. And she would say, "Let's slow it down now, Rosa." You know? And I would try to do that. But there's real truth to that.

(04:14):
The whole idea of oxygenating our blood cells and our brain, and bathing ourselves, our insides, with good stuff. That really does help to chill us out and calm us down. You know, we all know that feeling, I bet, of the racing heart. And, um, you know, when we get excited about something, for good or for otherwise. And if we can slow down our breathing, and do it more consciously... Particularly in those times, it's amazing, the effect.

(04:42):
And I also then think, "Oh for heaven's sake, Rosa, what if you did this every day?" And so, that's what I'm still trying to learn and do.

Tracy Lapreziosa (04:52):
It's kind of hard to change old habits too. 'Cause when I realized how much I was mouth breathing, especially at night... To-

Rosa McAllister (04:58):
Mm-hmm.

Tracy Lapreziosa (04:58):
... try to go to bed at night and keep my mouth closed was an... You know, kind of a trick. And also trying to keep that awareness during the day if I found myself mouth breathing, to close my mouth and breathe through my nose. And at first it was kind of hard to do that, because I wasn't used to it. So,-

Rosa McAllister (05:15):
Mm-hmm.

Tracy Lapreziosa (05:16):
... You know, habits take a little bit of work to change. But when you-

Rosa McAllister (05:20):
I th-

Tracy Lapreziosa (05:20):
... realize that it's gonna benefit your health, it's more motivating.

Rosa McAllister (05:26):
And when we hear about the amount of benefit, it's extraordinary. The whole thing with mouth breathing. You know, and especially at night. It's estimated that probably 40% or more of us mouth breathe at least partly through the night. It disturbs our, our sleep. It leads to gum disease. It can lead to heart disease. It could do... Oh my gosh, all kinds of different things. Um, a- a- and, you know, people with sleep apnea. There's all kinds of different things that we realize that how important breath is.

(06:00):
You know, a friend of mine who's been on oxygen off and on for many years of her life, I remember her saying once, you know, "You're lucky. You can just breathe. I have to focus on it." Because of, you know, damage, and childhood stuff, and medications, and all kinds of other things that she's had throughout her life.

(06:20):
This breathing stuff, it's so natural and so easy, and yet we really do need to kind of focus on and work on it. Particularly, I think, if we are having sleep problems. Particularly, I think, if we are, um, feeling very stressed or going through a hard time in our lives. Particularly if we're having trouble, um, you know, coping and dealing with people and things. We're short-tempered. And everything else, this breathing stuff, there's some real important things that we can do to help change all of that.

Tracy Lapreziosa (06:55):
And I mean, I think people... You can experience fatigue, and exhaustion, numbness, dizziness, visual disturbances, if you're not breathing properly and not getting, you know, the right, um, oxygen levels in. And I know, um, like with some of the chest breathing, you kind of leads to hyperventilation. Which isn't good.

Rosa McAllister (07:12):
Absolutely.

Tracy Lapreziosa (07:13):
Which leads to some of these-

Rosa McAllister (07:14):
Absolutely.

Tracy Lapreziosa (07:14):
... other things. Um, but sometimes... I, I know you, you s- mentioned your friend who's on oxygen. But sometimes, we have some limitations in our body that kind of affects our ability to breathe.

Rosa McAllister (07:25):
Mm-hmm.

Tracy Lapreziosa (07:25):
So, we need to work on those too. Like, we might have some joint restrictions in our spine. We might be... You know, if your spine's kind of hunched over, it's gonna kind of make it harder to breathe and get in all of that air. Where if you're, you know, you're really tight in the ribs, um, that might be something that affects your breath as well. So you have to work on that stretching and mobility to, for your torso, to help you to breathe more effectively as well.

Rosa McAllister (07:49):
Absolutely. And as you and I both know, and are kind of yoga enthusiasts... Maybe not yogis, but yoga enthusiasts. That's one of the primary things about yoga. Most people think... When they hear yoga, they think contortionist positions. Asanas. You know, that people get into.

(08:06):
But really, a lot of it is about breath work. And it's about allowing yourself to get into a, a position and where you focus on different levels... Or different types of breath work while you're in the s- position, so that your ribcage opens a little bit more or your back extends a little bit more. Your shoulders are down. Your belly can- is more flexible and able to do that belly breathing, going out-

Tracy Lapreziosa (08:31):
Right.

Rosa McAllister (08:31):
... with the in breath and things like that. Um, I'm not gonna push and say everybody needs to do yoga. Although I do think possibly, people should. But it is part of th-, um, the yoga mantra, if you will, it's as much about the breath and it's as much about the consciousness of how we are moving and how we are breathing. How movement and breath goes together.

Tracy Lapreziosa (08:53):
It's so true. I mean,-

Rosa McAllister (08:57):
So-

Tracy Lapreziosa (08:57):
... that's one of the things that really brought me to really focusing on my breathing, was doing more yoga.

Rosa McAllister (09:02):
Yeah. Yeah.

Tracy Lapreziosa (09:03):
It just really brought it to awareness.

Rosa McAllister (09:06):
Yeah. So, there's a couple of, um... I know you've mentioned a couple different styles of breath. Uh, uh, when I talk about meditation, a lot of times I talk about breathing. And, um, there's a couple different styles of what we call alternative breathing. Um, it- which really, is not. It's just different styles of- different ways to focus your breathing, that if you want, we can kind of play with here a little bit.

Tracy Lapreziosa (09:31):
I think that would be great.

Rosa McAllister (09:32):
And those listening... Those listening in, feel free to try along with it. So I'll explain it, and demonstrate it, and then we can try it together. So I'll try maybe two or three different styles of breath work, if that's okay.

(09:47):
So, my absolute favorite is called the 5-7-9 breath. And Andrew Wheil, Dr. Andrew Weil, um, a very well known medical doctor who's known for his wellness practices, podcasts, workshops, books, all kinds of stuff... He called it the 5-7-9 breath. But it's actually been around for a very, very long time, and has gone by different names.

(10:13):
But I like the way he calls it that, because it's easy to remember. So the idea is, to the count of five, you breathe in through your nose. For the count of seven, you hold it. And for the count of nine, you let it out through your mouth. Not through your nose. You're expelling, um, the air through your mouth So again, it's 5-7-9. And if you can't do 5-7-9, do 2-4-6, or whatever. Or if 5-7-9 is too easy, do 9-13-17, or whatever.

(10:53):
The whole point of it is you breathe in through your nose slowly to a certain count, you then hold it for a little bit longer than that, and then you let it out very slowly through your mouth for a longer count yet.

(11:10):
And what I always suggest to people, is that when you are letting the air out of your mouth, do it with an audible sound. Like a "Ss," from a snake. Or something like that, some kind of a sound. Because us human, we need cues sometimes. So just the cue of a sound going along with our breath out, helps us to slow down.

(11:31):
So, let's give it a try. 5-7-9. 5, count to five with a breath in. Let's do it. Through the nose. For the count of seven, or whatever, hold it. And for the count of nine, let it out through your mouth maybe with a sound.

(12:03):
Let's try it again. I'm just gonna say it, and then you can do it on your time. For the count of five, breathe in through your nose. For the count of seven, hold it. And for the count of nine, let it come out of your mouth... Either through pursed lips or with a sound, or something, but very slowly. 5-7-9. Let's do it.

(12:44):
So, Andrew Weil says that if we do this 5-7-9 breath first thing in the morning and last thing at night... When you first wake up and just before you drop off to sleep, and you do it a few times, he says that we can add at least 10 good years to our life. 10 good years to our life, just by a simple breathing exercise.

(13:10):
So, a couple of fun facts I have to tell you. I've been doing this 5-7-9 breath for probably... Oh, gosh. 35 years or more, every blessed morning and every night. And if I wake up in the night and I'm having trouble falling back to sleep, I do a couple rounds of this and it usually helps me relax enough that I go back to sleep. I sometimes do this in the middle of the day if I can feel myself getting hyped up about something. Because it has this interesting effect of calming you at night, but in the morning and at other times, it sometimes also helps your brain get clarified or cleared. So it kind of does both, which is really interesting.

(13:59):
The other fun fact is... I've had many people do this, and I've tried this myself. The next time you're getting your blood pressure taken, try doing a 5-7-9 breath a couple of times. It immediately... Immediately drops your blood pressure. Immediately drops your blood pressure. I've told my doctor this. I've told nurses this, and other technicians. And they don't believe me. And then they try it, and then say, "Oh my gosh." So if I can have that immediate effect, just imagine what it can do to you overall if you put this into your repertoire and you do it regularly.

(14:40):
So as somebody who has been doing this 5-7-9 breath for many decades now, and as a former asthmatic person, I can now do it where I can do a breath in for probably about... Oh, I don't know. 15 or 20. I can hold it for about 30 or so, and I can let it out for up to 50 seconds. Almost a minute. My goal is to reach a minute.

(15:07):
And the trick is to really get the air out. Because us asthmatics, and chest breathers, and others, we focus on breath in. We don't focus on the breath out, and you gotta get that stuff out. Because when you get the breath out, you're purging your system... Your bloodstream, everything, with all kinds of toxins. All kinds of stuff. And that's why we want it go to out the mouth, slowly and carefully. Drain it. Pump your stomach. Pump your everything, so that you're getting every last little breath out. And that's why it lowers your blood pressure too, because you're getting all that stuck stuff out, and opening up your blood vessels and everything to work better.

(15:50):
So, 5-7-9 breath. Do it. I'm telling you. It's a miracle in and of itself.

Tracy Lapreziosa (15:58):
It's interesting you talked about being a former asthmatic. Because I would think a lot of people with asthma have more of that shallow chest breathing, and that this-

Rosa McAllister (16:06):
Yep.

Tracy Lapreziosa (16:07):
... would really change that.

Rosa McAllister (16:11):
Yep. Dr. Kennedy Sbat, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania... I'm not sure if he's still there. But he was my pulmonary specialist I went to for years. And at one point, I was completely maxed out on steroidal medicines, both oral and inhaled. I had, um, several different inhalers that I was using, and I was still having breakthrough asthma attacks.

(16:34):
Um, through working with, uh, a holistic doctor, and s- supplements, and focusing more on lifestyle, and doing the 5-7-9 breath, I am proud to say I am a former asthmatic. I can blow the tops off of, um, any pulmonary test. Anything like that. And it was Dr. Kennedy Sbat who many years ago said, "Rosa, I don't know what the heck you're doing, but whatever it is, I need to write it down and prescribe it for all my patients. Because you've done a, a complete 360 turn on your life." And I have. So, I really credit a lot of it just to this, focusing on this breath. Give it a try. Even if you're not an asthmatic, it's good for everybody.

(17:22):
The other one that I was gonna demonstrate and talk about a little bit, is a little funny. Some people think it's a little bizarre. But it's called alternate nose breathing. And we know that we have two hemispheres of our brain, right and left. And we know one does more of this, and one does more of that. One is more regimented and logic, and one is more artsy and creative, right?

(17:43):
Well alternate nostril breathing, it's believed, helps to work both sides of the brain by oxygenating them. And bringing in more oxygen. Bringing in more air. Bringing in more filtered air. So, it's been around for many, many, many, many centuries. Alternate nostril breathing is a yogic practice... Or a practice in yoga, many styles of yoga. But it's very, very interesting. And very good to awaken yourself, particularly if you're feeling a little sluggish. So instead of that jolt of coffee or a soda in the afternoon, try a couple rounds of alternate nostril breathing.

(18:26):
It helps to enliven and awaken ourselves. It helps dramatically with tingling in the, um, outer appendages, fingers and tee-... And, not teeth. Fingers (laughs) and toes. It helps us to, um, just awaken various parts of the body. It helps to push the blood through our systems a little bit better. So like the other, I'm gonna talk this through and then we'll give it a try.

(18:51):
So, I usually take from my dominant... I take my finger, my forefinger and my thumb, and I put it alongside of my nose, my nostrils. I don't touch anything, but I just put it alongside of my nose. The idea is that you close off one of your nostrils, and breathe in with just one nostril. Then open up that nostril that was closed, and breathe out through your nose what just came in through the other side.

(19:23):
So if I'm doing it, let's say I close off the left nostril with my finger, my forefinger. My thumb is ready, but my right nostril is open. So, I'm gonna breathe in through my right nostril. I'm gonna close off my right nostril with my thumb, and open the left nostril. And breathe out. I'm gonna close the left nostril. Open the right nostril. Breathe in. Close the right nostril with my thumb. Open the left nostril. And you just keep going. Back and forth. Close one nostril, breathe in. Open the other side, breathe out. Close one side, breathe in. And just find your rhythm. And close the other side, and breathe out.

(20:23):
So in this way, you're breathing, you're using both nostrils. But one is your breath in, your inhalation, and one is your breath out, your exhalation. So, I usually do... Oh, I don't know. Three, four, five rounds, with one side. Then I ca- take a couple good deep breaths, belly breaths... Through my nose, and out through my mouth. And then I do the other side. And then I breathe in through my left nostril. Close it off. Open up the right nostril. And breathe out. And do a couple rounds of that, three to five rounds of that.

(21:02):
And it's like this... For me, and for many people, it's not... It's a calming. But more than that, it's this kind of like, "Ooh, I'm awake. I'm alive. Things are focused. My vision's a little clearer. I'm a little calmer," yes. Because I've focused on this. But it's also a way to kind of clear the cobwebs in your brain, and waken things up.

(21:28):
Um, an artist friend of mine does a version of this while he's painting. He doesn't use his fingers. Because he's been doing it for so long, he can just kind of do it internally. Close... Uh, you know, open one-... Or breathe in through one nostril, and out the other. I- I- I'm a novice. I still have to close it off with my fingers.

Tracy Lapreziosa (21:45):
(laughs)

Rosa McAllister (21:46):
Um, but he can do that. And he said that it really adds to his creative process. He says he even gets high while he's doing it.

(21:54):
So, give it a try. Just a couple simple things. You don't need to buy a thing, it's just you and your nose. Do what you can do.

Tracy Lapreziosa (22:03):
Yeah. Breathing, we all do it, right?

Rosa McAllister (22:06):
Absolutely. Absolutely.

(22:09):
So there's lots of other styles of breathing, but I think this is probably enough for today. What do you think?

Tracy Lapreziosa (22:15):
I think so. That's a good start. It's good not to have too much to practice, right?

Rosa McAllister (22:20):
Right. But definitely... Uh, you know, I would also... If you have a partner, or someone that sleeps with you occasionally, ask them if you're a mouth breather. Ask them if you're one of the 40% or more that are mouth breathers. I bet you are. I bet a lot of us are. And there are... If you are, there's some simple things that you can do... Um, that's getting some good play in the press and stuff these days, about things that you can do to try to help yourself not be a mouth breather, especially at night.

Tracy Lapreziosa (22:48):
Thank you all for, uh, tuning in today to hear all about breathing. And be sure to give these breathing techniques a try. And good luck with your journey towards better health.

Rosa McAllister (23:00):
(laughs) Absolutely. Thanks, Tracy. Thanks, everybody.

Tracy Lapreziosa (23:04):
Thank you.

Rosa McAllister (23:06):
Bye.

Jessica Stover (23:07):
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