Éiriú-Eolas - Breathing Program

[Nem]

I'd like to share with you an experience that freaked me out a bit today.

Namely, during the BE breathing I'm feeling a continuously increasing "pressure", a kind of tingling that is similar to the sensation when you don't have enough blood flow in your feet or hands. The longer the breathing the "vibration" is more intensive and it moves from my legs to my body and from my hands to my arms. However, the strongest sensations are during the fastest cycles of inhalation and exhalation. During one of those peaks my fingers started to bend so much that I couldn't move them or even unbend them a bit! The same began with my feet. I thought for a moment that my whole body is gonna explode! Control of my fingers and feet returned after the end of BE breathing.

It really freaked me out and I'd like to ask is there something going wrong with my physiology or I shouldn't worry and carry on? I do the breathing exercises when sitting on a nice, comfortable chair in an usual matter so I've thrown away the idea of not having enough blood flow in my limbs.

Anyway, the breathing/meditation exercises are just wonderful!

 

[aragorn]

I'd like to share with you an experience that freaked me out a bit today.

Namely, during the BE breathing I'm feeling a continuously increasing "pressure", a kind of tingling that is similar to the sensation when you don't have enough blood flow in your feet or hands. The longer the breathing the "vibration" is more intensive and it moves from my legs to my body and from my hands to my arms. However, the strongest sensations are during the fastest cycles of inhalation and exhalation. During one of those peaks my fingers started to bend so much that I couldn't move them or even unbend them a bit! The same began with my feet. I thought for a moment that my whole body is gonna explode! Control of my fingers and feet returned after the end of BE breathing.

It really freaked me out and I'd like to ask is there something going wrong with my physiology or I shouldn't worry and carry on? I do the breathing exercises when sitting on a nice, comfortable chair in an usual matter so I've thrown away the idea of not having enough blood flow in my limbs.

Anyway, the breathing/meditation exercises are just wonderful!

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

Don't worry - what you describe is completely normal! Several people have experienced exactly same effects, myself included. In the ca two years I've done bioenergetic breathing there have never been any damage from these symptoms you describe - quite the opposite; with these tremors/vibrations/heat feelings often comes some realization about something from the past and some sort of "release". There are posts about this e.g. in this thread. It might be helpful to read THIS, a previous answer of mine. I've also listed some other symptoms I've had HERE.

But please take my advice just as an opinion, not a fact, since I'm not a professional in this field.

 

[RedFox]

Hi gaman

Around 75 percent of the time I do any the slower controlled breathing exercises (meaning excluding warriors breath), I have the panic type feeling of not getting enough air. Mostly I've done the pipe breathing and the prayer meditation except for one full meditation session.

Would this type of panic feeling just be because I'm very overweight? Or is there something else to it? Maybe I'm not relaxed enough? I saw earlier in this thread that others had some type of panic reaction (not sure if it is the same nature) but that it seemed to go away after a few exercises.

fwiw I also get that, although probably not as strong as you.....the feeling of not enough air for me (osit) is related to how tense my chest is, in that if I haven't done enough stretching before hand, and am breathing too much with my shoulder/rib muscles instead of my diaphragm, then I experience the tightening of the chest and the 'panic' of not getting enough air.
As soon as I shift to focusing on/breathing properly with the diaphragm the feeling disappears.

Just wanted to add a few quick observations. Mondays session was completely different again....more zoning out, and a sort of 'flat' peaceful feeling. Last night due to timing etc I didn't manage to do the full session, but did follow the meditation/prayer of the soul section. I noticed I zoned out a few times again....this time was odd however.
I zoned out on the pause between breaths to snap back to the next phrase. Usually this happens and its at the end of or half way through the phrase (about a second or 2)....this time it felt like the same 'time' had passed, yet I snapped back and no 'time' had passed.....if that makes any sense?!
Has anyone else zoned out for what felt like a few seconds....only to find no time has passed?

Whats probably more important however is that I tried reciting the prayer of the soul by memory after Laura had finished and the music was still playing. I think I've just about got it :) what was really interesting though was that my breathing changed completely when I recited it (oddly I was reciting it in 'Laura's' voice...) My breathing became extremely deep and effortless. Like my lungs extended into my abdomen.

 

[manitoban]

Has anyone else zoned out for what felt like a few seconds....only to find no time has passed?

Yes! I zoned out for the first time last night. It was happening throughout the prayer and it felt like I completely lost track of time. I'd snap back awake to a phrase, then zone, next thing I'm hearing the end of the same phrase - I think :)

I found the whole thing a lot easier than in the past, the breathing was smooth, swallowing minimal, and it just seemed to flow with a lot less difficulty than before.

 

[Nem]

It might be helpful to read THIS, a previous answer of mine. I've also listed some other symptoms I've had HERE.

It clarifies a lot. Thanks once again!

 

[Mr. Premise]

Last night, after not having enough sleep for a week and having a really busy couple of weeks at the job, I zoned out for the entire meditation segment! Fell asleep is probably more accurate :P but it felt different than dozing off, so it's good to know the C's don't consider it a problem.

I do it at night after everyone else has gone to bed, and I listed to it on my MP3 player. So after the meditation I was woken abruptly by some song starting to play at really loud volume!

Has anyone else zoned out for what felt like a few seconds....only to find no time has passed?

Yes! I zoned out for the first time last night. It was happening throughout the prayer and it felt like I completely lost track of time. I'd snap back awake to a phrase, then zone, next thing I'm hearing the end of the same phrase - I think :)

I found the whole thing a lot easier than in the past, the breathing was smooth, swallowing minimal, and it just seemed to flow with a lot less difficulty than before.

 

[agni]

Howdy everyone !

I also would like to share experience doing the breathing. Doing it little bit over a week & amazed with the results.

OCD seemed to went in hiding. OCD thoughts would pop up (way less now), but would not cause much distress or anexiety.

In general I feel more in touch with my inner self. Feel self-reclaimed. Now I have more energy, more motivation, more vitality, more in balance, less reactionary & more observant. In one word - I haven't felt myself so "together" for a very long time :)

I did not have any emotional episodes in conscious state so far, but been having a few in my dreams. I clearly recalled crying strongly in one of the dreams, when it involved a deceased relative. Other dreams involve people & situations with unresolved conflicts/feelings. These dreams are very vivid, and sometimes involves people I did not know, but apparently knew quite well in dreams.

As far as sensations, when I first started the program, it felt as if my face was getting slowly dipped in liquid. The rest is pretty much what many reported already: tingling sensations in arms/legs & zoning out.

Thank you so much for everyone involved in presenting this programs to public ! That's what I call love !

 

[Turgon]

Whats probably more important however is that I tried reciting the prayer of the soul by memory after Laura had finished and the music was still playing. I think I've just about got it what was really interesting though was that my breathing changed completely when I recited it (oddly I was reciting it in 'Laura's' voice...) .

I had a similar situation last night, during the Beatha breathing exercises, instead of just breathing in and then saying the 'haaa' when I breathe out, I would follow the in-breath 'baaa' in my head and 'haaa' with my mouth, and when i did that, that part of the program just seemed to get "deeper".

One thing I find is the level of intensity during the program. 3-Stage and Warriors Breathe seems to be a preparation for Beatha breathing exercises, which seems to be intense, thats usually where the 'zoning out' starts to occur, or 'skipping' and when it goes to the prayer of the soul portion, thats where I start losing consciousness and/or going in and out, the "zoning" part. I still don't know if I fall asleep or not, but I cant seem to be fully awake or conscious during that portion. Because I can remember just about everything up until the Prayer of the Soul, which, when I try to remember what happened, just seems like the remnant of a dream.

EDIT - I completely forgot about this until just now. But when I started doing Pipe Breathe when I started the Prayer of the Soul Portion, my lungs felt very open, as first I thought I wasnt constricting my Pharyngial passage, but I was, but the lungs just seemed so open and clear as if a larger amount of air was entering and the air felt a bit cool.

My breathing became extremely deep and effortless. Like my lungs extended into my abdomen

I cant comment on whether it extended on my abdoment, and if it did I dont remmeember, but definitely deeper and more effortless

 

[Mrs.Tigersoap]

Hi everyone,

There is something I don't understand: are we supposed to zone out? I've been doing the whole program for almost three weeks almost every day now and I have zoned out maybe twice!
I've actually been busy fighting to remain concentrated on the prayer at all times (with success) because I figured zoning out was in fact dissociating! My husband zones out every time and from what I can hear, he basically snores!

From all the comments I've read so far, I see that people tend to zone out more when tired. Is it because one dissociates more when tired or is it because when one is tired, one lets their 'guard' down and is less controlling? I mean, am I not zoning out because I manage not to dissociate or because I'm too controlling and cannot let go?

Also, almost every time I do the bioenergetic breathing, along with the tingling feeling in the hands and feet, I see (with my eyes closed) a net or grid high in the 'air' over me. Has anyone else had the same experience?

Thank you!

 

[pete02]

Has anyone else zoned out for what felt like a few seconds....only to find no time has passed?

Actually yes.. But when it happened to me I was just sleeping. I had finished my nightly meditation session about an hour earlier but woke up out of a sound sleep. When I looked at the clock it was around 3:30am so I closed my eyes and went back to sleep but when I awoke again (which seemed like at least another hour of sleep) it was still 3:30!

I listed to it on my MP3 player. So after the meditation I was woken abruptly by some song starting to play at really loud volume!

That happened to me too :P I had to end up deleting everything else off my mp3 player to solve that one.

 

[mada85]

Whats probably more important however is that I tried reciting the prayer of the soul by memory [. . .] My breathing became extremely deep and effortless. Like my lungs extended into my abdomen.

I find the same thing. As soon as I recite in my mind, ‘O Divine Cosmic Mind’ my breathing becomes deep and slow and centred in my belly. I’ve never had this experience with any other meditation or mantra I’ve tried. It seems that the phrases of the prayer, when recited mentally, bring my breathing, and perhaps my body and mind, into resonance with the prayer.

I noticed last night that again my practice was deep and slow, similar to Monday’s practice. This has happened twice now on evenings when everyone else is doing their practice, and is noticeable different from my practice on others days.

One thing I find is the level of intensity during the program. 3-Stage and Warriors Breathe seems to be a preparation for Beatha breathing exercises, which seems to be intense, thats usually where the 'zoning out' starts to occur, or 'skipping' and when it goes to the prayer of the soul portion, thats where I start losing consciousness and/or going in and out, the "zoning" part. I still don't know if I fall asleep or not, but I cant seem to be fully awake or conscious during that portion.

My practice is similar. During the Prayer of the Soul, I zone out, but, like you DanielS, I don’t think I am falling asleep. What suggests this to me is that when Laura finishes reciting the prayer, I snap back in a way which is unlike how I normally wake from sleeping, even from a short nap.

I'm wondering if the positive energy generated (maybe even too much at one time) is being balanced by negative energy in my external environment and it's a little to much to integrate all at once. If this is so maybe I should slow down a bit??? Alternatively it could just be orchestrated to cause me to stop. Has anyone experienced anything similar? I would like some input from others on this to make sure this makes sense because I don't want to be derailed in any way.

Have you tried saying, ‘O Divine Cosmic Mind, live in me now,’ as suggested by Corto Maltese earlier in this thread? You might find that something interesting happens.

I listed to it on my MP3 player. So after the meditation I was woken abruptly by some song starting to play at really loud volume!

That happened to me too :P I had to end up deleting everything else off my mp3 player to solve that one.

And to me. I solved it by putting the Eiriu-Eolas in its own folder on my MP3 player. I have a Sony which only plays the contents of a folder in sequence. It may not work for other makes or models.

 

[Beau]

I do it at night after everyone else has gone to bed, and I listed to it on my MP3 player. So after the meditation I was woken abruptly by some song starting to play at really loud volume!

I had the same thing happen to me. Practically gave me a heart attack, I was zoned out pretty good at the time!

 

[D Rusak]

I haven't been doing the breathing program as regularly the last few weeks, as I've been in communal housing at a festival in the mountains. I've done it maybe 2-3 times a week at most. I just discovered a set of cliffs with a great view that is near my lodging, so I think I may try bringing the computer up there and trying it in that setting where no one will bother me/be bothered. I have had a great few weeks with unprecedented success and improvement in my work and social skills. Interestingly, what is probably my first romantic situation seems to be developing. I'm a little wary of it as there are many complications, and I don't want to get into a feeding situation (though I guess almost all relationships are). Luckily, because of distance, schedule, and other things, there has been much space, and has been a very good reminder about expectations leading to disappointment- try not to expect, and be open-minded! Accept others as they are! It certainly is an interesting and new feeling "allowing" myself to be cared for a bit- hugs, kisses, and sharing meals and a good cigar! ;) I guess time will tell if it's a distraction or aid to my progress- all there is is lessons, anyhow.

Also I have finally gotten to exercising more regularly, though with the beautiful scenery here, it's not been too hard. I have been trying out pipe breathing while hiking in addition to yoga class. When hiking I find that it is natural to coordinate breath count with steps, although I have not been able to manage 6/3/9/3. Usually it feels best with between 2-4 in, and the same out, depending on how steep the climb is and how tired I am. I try to think of baaa-haaa while doing this as well, for the heck of it.

 

[NSD]

Hello! I've practicing whole program last two night before sleep and i sleep much beater.
One thing what i notice in the middle of program that i sense someone else breathing, when i try
to focus on that breathing then disappears. After i lay down and listen in that state Laura voice
i get a smile on my face of joy and quickly after that i go in deep sleep but after wake up i don't know
if i dreamed something.
One more thing when i do warrior breath and when i pull down air i get tearing pain in arms i don't know why
i have strong arms.

 

[aragorn]

I just realized that I've sometimes had these same "zoning outs"(as in the Eiriu-Eolas program/BE breathing), when I'm lying in my FIR-sauna blanket!
Has anyone experienced the same? Wonder if there's some connection? That could be a question for the C's, maybe...

Another thing I've noticed, that the pipe breathing or Kriya(?) with the little hold between exhale/inhale is very useful in everyday "functioning", i.e. going places, talking with people and "doing stuff". I've always had a real strong tendency to get stiff in my upper back when getting stressed up by impulses in everyday situations. In recent times I've been experimenting doing the "Kriya"(sorry, maybe wrong terminology here) when "things heat up" or I get stressed. And yes, it really helps!

One good way of doing it is while walking: 6 steps - inhale, 3 steps - hold, 9 steps - release, 3 steps - hold, etc. So next time you guys are walking give it a try ;)