Yoga and your lungs

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the spelling correction Lori:

I was in the office - rushing around - and didn't have the time or patience

(or both) to look up words that my spell checker didn't even know. Great to

have a medical transcriptionist on board for moments like that!

Back on yoga as of yesterday.

Interestingly, at least for the severe asthmatics (like me) among us, I seem

to have a persistent displacement in the T3 - T5 region of my upper back.

Once I am stretched out and loose, I can traction it from my neck with a

resounding POP (and a rush of " relief " ) every time.

What makes this interesting - to me - is that, that is the region of your

spine where the nerves for your lung, shoulders and chest emerge.

Chiropractic literature suggests that if there were pressure there, cutting

off the energy flow to the nerves, that it would have an adverse effect on

lung function as well as chest and shoulder development.

Since I have begun my regular " self-adjustments " I have noticed not only

increased respiratory function, but significant development of my pectorals

and deltoids (which had always seemed a bit underdeveloped compared to the

rest of my body) - way out of proportion with the muscular improvements

throughout the rest of my body. I am talking an entire jacket size - 41-42

(an extra inch of girth as measured around my shoulders and chest) in two

months. I am 5'8 " 150 pounds with a 30 inch waist. This is a huge physical

change, particularly since yoga is my only exercise.

I believe that the internal effects - on my lungs - have contributed to my

much improved peak flows although much credit needs to go to the Zyflo /

Singuair regimen.

I know that I have suggested it before, but once again I would tell everyone

here to find a nice beginners yoga class and get moving. Once you have the

basic moves down - if the resources are available - try a couple of private

sessions to really nail down the basic positions and do some work on the

more complicated ones. Just learning how to breathe - correctly, down into

the abdomen, made a big difference with me. Before, I was always breathing

into my upper chest - promoting the whole barrel chest problem.

If you've never done a private (1 on 1) yoga session, you are not really

doing it as well as you could. My instructor supports my body while

twisting me into and holding me in positions that I could never hold on my

own and constantly reminds me to monitor my breathing. In a couple of

months (including the past two weeks that I had to take off for my shoulder

/ neck injury) I have seen another 50 tick increase in average peak flow

(consistently in the 400s now) in addition to the physical changes noted

above.

ie