Éiriú-Eolas - Breathing Program

[SeekinTruth]

Yeah, as Learner said, the sensation of fogging up glasses by breathing on them is very close to what pipe breathing is supposed to be. The throat constriction and the sound produced by practicing that exhaling as if breathing on glasses to clean them a few times is about all it takes to get it down. Continued practice will just make it second nature.

 

[Dirgni]

I am trying to do EE regularly and I manage to do it only nearly daily now. There are two times in the day I found I can find time do EE - before going to sleep and before getting up in the morning.

Last year I was very often angry at work (interestingly not outside my work) and tended to communicate it. I was sorry about this but could not help it. I thought I was processing some emotions, which came up with my EE practicing. So I stopped doing the beatha part for a couple of months. Now I do not have issues with anger any more even if work situation did not not change much. Today I think this anger was not connected with EE. But I was "hangry" because I started reducing carbs and sweets and tried to raise fat consumption (I did and do not consider this as "proper keto diet so I did not make the connection then."). So I assume now, this anger was more connected with my diet and not with EE.

I am experiencing this difficulties with EE though. When doing the three stage breathing at the second hand position I am tending to breath into the rib cage instead of the belly. I do not have this problem with hand positions on the belly and shoulders. I thought the hand positions are just a help so I did this part with no hands or leaving hands on the belly. Lately I am trying to do it with the hands on the breast and concentrating to breathe into the belly. But it is less easy as the other hand positions.

 

[Cleo]

The mnemonic that had been mentioned in the early version of the program (maybe it still is in the introduction video by Laura, in the current version; but I am not sure as I haven't watched that video for a long time) was a sensation comparable to that one coming up while breathing on one's glasses - the kind of throat constriction which evolved by that. That has helped me a great deal to gain a better sense for the Pipe Breathing.
Parallel to throat constriction I also observed the inhalation of air into the belly instead of taking it in into the chest.

Yeah, as Learner said, the sensation of fogging up glasses by breathing on them is very close to what pipe breathing is supposed to be. The throat constriction and the sound produced by practicing that exhaling as if breathing on glasses to clean them a few times is about all it takes to get it down. Continued practice will just make it second nature.

Hi Learner and SeekinTruth-I've found the throat constriction exercise you mentioned really helpful as well in order to get a better sense for pipe breathing. I've since worked through part 2 of the DVD, now to keep at it. Glad to have networked about it here.

 

[nicklebleu]

I am experiencing this difficulties with EE though. When doing the three stage breathing at the second hand position I am tending to breath into the rib cage instead of the belly. I do not have this problem with hand positions on the belly and shoulders. I thought the hand positions are just a help so I did this part with no hands or leaving hands on the belly. Lately I am trying to do it with the hands on the breast and concentrating to breathe into the belly. But it is less easy as the other hand positions.

I think part of the problem is that it is not a very easy position to hold for the time it takes to make the 12 breaths. So we start to focus on the hands rather than on the belly breathing. But once you have done it for a while it will become easier.

Another thing I found that makes things easier is to put the thumbs into the axilla, which will help keep the arms in place without straining the muscles too much. And that in turn will let you focus on your breathing better without distraction. Also at the beginning it might be easier to let the arms fall a bit more to your side instead of having them horizontally at the shoulders.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Beau]

I am experiencing this difficulties with EE though. When doing the three stage breathing at the second hand position I am tending to breath into the rib cage instead of the belly. I do not have this problem with hand positions on the belly and shoulders. I thought the hand positions are just a help so I did this part with no hands or leaving hands on the belly. Lately I am trying to do it with the hands on the breast and concentrating to breathe into the belly. But it is less easy as the other hand positions.

I think part of the problem is that it is not a very easy position to hold for the time it takes to make the 12 breaths. So we start to focus on the hands rather than on the belly breathing. But once you have done it for a while it will become easier.

Another thing I found that makes things easier is to put the thumbs into the axilla, which will help keep the arms in place without straining the muscles too much. And that in turn will let you focus on your breathing better without distraction. Also at the beginning it might be easier to let the arms fall a bit more to your side instead of having them horizontally at the shoulders.

If it becomes too uncomfortable to hold the hands up in front of your chest, you can always lie down on your back which helps take the strain off the arms/shoulders when holding them in that position.

 

[herondancer]

If it becomes too uncomfortable to hold the hands up in front of your chest, you can always lie down on your back which helps take the strain off the arms/shoulders when holding them in that position.

It's also much easier to belly breathe on your back, because you don't need to engage any muscles to keep you upright. In the EE video you will see a demonstration of belly breathing using a book. While lying on your back, put a book (not too heavy) on the space above your belly button and below your rib cage. As you breathe in and out, see if you can make the book rise and fall. Be careful that it is your breath creating the movement and not just muscle work. When doing this exercise with little kids, some trainers tell them to imagine their belly is a balloon that gets bigger when they breathe in. It's a nice image to work with. As you get better at it, you can give your diaphragm a bit of a workout by gradually increasing the weight of the books.

Let us know how it goes. :)

 

[Nienna]

I've found that for people who have problems belly breathing, if they lie on their back and relax, think of a relaxing place they would like to be, like watching a sunset on the beach, or sitting in nature somewhere, they automatically start to belly breathe. For me, this means that the more tense we are, we sometimes start to breath the wrong way.

I think lying on your back and putting your hands on your chest (with you thumbs under your armpits) as stated by nicklebleu and Heimdallr, and, then, not thinking about your arm position at all would help. If you are still having a problem with the belly breathing, just practice lying on your back in said position and think of a relaxing, stress-free place that you would like to be for a few minutes and see if you start to belly breathe.

By the way, there are many people who do the whole EE program lying down. :)

 

[sToRmR1dR]

By the way, there are many people who do the whole EE program lying down. :)

Yup!Not always but from time to time. :)

 

[Dirgni]

Thank you very much for your advice and for caring, nicklebleu, Heimdallr, herondancer and Nienna. Very much appreciated.

By the way, there are many people who do the whole EE program lying down. :)

Yes, I am one of them. So strain in the arms is not my problem as I could just lay them down. And I normally do belly breathing - also in normal life (leftover of attending school choir for one year or so). Based on your answers I did some thinking about my issue. Maybe my problem is that I do not really know why the hands are put into the 3 positions. I assumed that they are some marker to where the air should go.
1. position - do belly breathing
2. position - do belly breathing and include above belly room
3. position - breath into the highest parts of your lungs.

When 3-stage breathing I am imagining that a balloon is in my belly and expands. Whith each position there is more air and it is reaching higher (at least theoretically - I am still working on this :) ). But with hands on the breast and trying to put the air "above the belly room" I have got the issue that I tend to start breathing into the chest first and belly later. Not good. Therefore I try to start filling my belly and let the volume of the "imagined balloon" moving higher.

Maybe I should stop thinking much and begin just doing. I don't know.

 

[miguel angel]

By the way, there are many people who do the whole EE program lying down. :)

Yes, I am one of them.

I am one of them too. Due to back ache. If I try to practice EE seated I start to feel pain on my back and I cannot focus on my breathing so I just lie down and relax.

 

[Xico]

By the way, there are many people who do the whole EE program lying down. :)

Yes, I am one of them.

I am one of them too. Due to back ache. If I try to practice EE seated I start to feel pain on my back and I cannot focus on my breathing so I just lie down and relax.

if I practice my EE program laying down I will fall a sleep intermediately , therefore I like to do it in a seated position.

 

[nicklebleu]

I don't tend to do EE lying down, because then I invariably fall asleep within minutes.
;)

 

[beetlemaniac]

I've noticed that when I feel the need to breathe deeply, I tend to try and do it while I am engaged in other tasks. This can create a lot of frustration and anxiety. Pipe breathing seems to only have beneficial effects when attention is solely concentrated on the act of breathing. I think there needs to be a pause in all other activity before I can reap any benefits from pipe breathing. From now on, in periods throughout the day, I will give myself complete pause from other activities and take 5 or more pipe breaths, and then see how I feel after that.

 

[Thebull]

I have found I have to focus solely on the act of breathing when practicing pipe breathing to be successful. I have only practiced pipe breathing on a morning and last thing before sleep. I've never really practiced through the day like yourself beetlemaniac when engaging in other activities. I also do the full program currently twice a week pipe breathing, the bio energetic breathing and then the meditation POS.
Recently I have had some self doubt that I am doing the inhalation correctly during pipe breathing. Whether I am inhaling and expanding my belly from the breath or using the abdomen. I am currently focusing on getting this right though any advice would be appreciated to get this right?
I've restarted ee Over the last month and there has been an effect. Dream activity increased, good levels of relaxation and emotional release which was unexpected as I had no focus consciously on these people.

 

[Ennio]

Recently I have had some self doubt that I am doing the inhalation correctly during pipe breathing. Whether I am inhaling and expanding my belly from the breath or using the abdomen. I am currently focusing on getting this right though any advice would be appreciated to get this right?

Separate from your practice of EE, or even the pipe breathing, you may want to focus on diaphragmatic breathing a few times a week since all else follows from it.
When you belly breathe and use your abdomen think of the inhalation as occurring simultaneously with the expansion of your diaphragm, as though the two are in sync and working together more or less; kind of like a pump where the inhalation through your nose and exhalation through your mouth is the action that allows for the movement of the belly. Do have another look at the EE video for a better idea of what this looks like, and try the exercise of just laying down with a book on your belly to see and feel the movement. If the book on your belly rises when you inhale, you are doing it correctly - and then just keep practicing it so that it becomes muscle/breath memory.You'll get it in no time.