More Stress Management for Diabetics: Yogic Breath

As previously discussed in my post "Diabetics Managing Stress" stress can have a big impact on your blood sugars.  For me it's a huge factor because at times I feel like I live in a stress box that I must open and escape.  Please tell me I'm not the only one to feel this way!

My efforts to escape are most often than not successful.  Even though I mostly succeed, this up and down can have a negative impact on my health in physical ways, not just emotional or psychological.  So, as I continue on a path toward a stress free life and a life lived in harmony with my diabetes, my research into new ways to help goes on.

Yogic Breath
I have been in love with Yoga for years, an old boyfriend got me into Kundalini back in Boston in the mid-1980's.  Then in the 1990's I turned to Hatha for a while when I was dancing semi-professionally and teaching.  While both of these Yoga practices are quite different, they have one important thing in common, breath.

Almost all styles of Yoga have some element involving breath.
An inner ear problem keeps me from practicing yoga now, but the breath can be done lying down, sitting, or even standing.  I've been practicing this now and I find it's very helpful.

Simple Yogic Breath
As always, I have some links for you to places that have more information from experts.  I found a simple version of Yogic Breath from Yogic Breathing for Dummies.  This article explains a simpler form of Yogic Breath that can be a great starting place.



Full Yogic Breath
MindBodyGreen.com has a very good article on Mastering the Full Yogic Breath.  Don't let the title intimidate you.  You don't need to practice yoga to practice and benefit from Full Yogic Breath.  This article gives a simple, clear, set-by-step explanation with a few helpful pictures.  This breath is a bit more involved than the basic Yogic Breath in the Dummies article.



Pranayama
Okay, I know that the word Pranayama is probaly not in your vocabulary and you're thinking to yourself, "How is this pronounced?"  Well it's prana + yama.  It looks harder than it is.

Your next thought is undoubtedly, "What the heck is that, anyway!" The answer is a bit more complicated and requires a bit more explanation of Yoga and it's origins.  The article in Yoga Journal Breath Easy: Relax With Pranayama gives a very clear explanation of what Pranayama is, it's origins, how to practice it, and it's many benefits.

Benfits I've Experienced
You don't have to have any experience with Yoga or Yogic Breath to get some great benefits from either or both.  You may already know that the mere fact that you are doing something that does not cause stress can help you rid of some unwanted tension and anxiety.

For me, Yoga was something I practiced for body tone and control in my dancing.  I developed body awareness and knowledge through my daily practice. Eventually, I realized that it helped me to focus my mind and center my thoughts on what my body was doing. This focus gave me the confidence to push myself a bit further with each practice.

What I failed to realize for years was that my Yoga practice, which took my full focus to my body and breath, was the perfect stress relief management tool for me.  Now that I can no longer practice Yoga, the breathing techniques have become essential to my current stress management plan.

While Yoga and Yogic Breath isn't for everyone, it's worth a try.  Breathing is a natrual part of our everyday existence.  There's nothing more natural than practicing techniques with breath that can help you relax and take your mind off your troubles for a few minutes here and there.  Maybe you should give it a try!

If you decide to take a jump on the Yoga or Yogic Breathing bandwagon with me, drop me a note to let me know how it works for you.  I'd love to hear from you.  Happy Breathing! :)