Meridian Approach for Asthma
By Barbara Afield
Meridian approach for Asthma (BOLSTER/STRAP/NOODLE/BLOCK/BLANKET)
Music: Touch of the Deer
Relate personal story and why I chose this condition. Relate how yoga has
helped. Relate one of my asthma attacks.
What Is Asthma?
Asthma comes from the Greek word’AZO’ for "panting or breathing hard". A chronic
lung disease characterized by coughing, wheezing and inflamed airways. Airway
narrowing causes symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath (difficulty in
breathing), chest tightness, and coughing, strain in exhaling the air. The asthmatic has
to try hard for just getting a breath. Though asthmatics always have some degree of
inflammation, an asthma attack or "flare" occurs when some trigger provokes increased
swelling, mucus, coughing, and a tightening of the smooth muscle around the airways.
As airways close, breathing becomes shallow, fast, and difficult. Symptoms can be mild,
severe, or even fatal.
Triggers? Attacks involve physical and psychological factors. emotions, environmental
extremities (cold air, exercise or exertion, allergen) and viral infections. Pollution is
often cited as a cause.
Although most asthmatics are unaware of it, we tend to chronically breathe at a rate
two to three times higher than normal which disrupts the vital balance of respiration.
instead of providing more oxygen, over breathing actually robs our cells of this
essential fuel. We do take in more oxygen when we over breathe; but, more
importantly, we also breathe out too much CO2. when we breathe we expel carbon
dioxide as a waste gas but how much we expel is very important . If the CO2 level get
too low, the hemoglobin that carries oxygen through the blood becomes too "sticky"
and doesn't release sufficient oxygen to the cells. Eventually, starved for oxygen, the
body's natural defenses kick to try and halt the dangerous depletion of CO2. These
measures produce the classic symptoms of an asthma attack: smooth muscles tighten
around the airways, and the body produces excess mucus and histamine (which
causes swelling) to constrict them even further. We also tend to be mouth breathers.
Meridian Approach:
The bladder meridian is used to treat all organs, and specifically to treat those that are
in the area it traverses via the back points, there are several bladder points on the
upper back (13 15 17) that are used for treating asthma. These bladder points turn
out to be amongst the most important for treating asthma, perhaps because it is a
blockage in flow of qi in the back that most strongly influences the severity of
asthmatic breathing. We will focus on the bladder meridian which is the longest of
all the meridians. It starts at the inner corner of the eye, runs over the head, down the
neck, down the back twice along each side of the spinal column and down the back of
the legs. These areas are associated with protecting the body. We will also use the
lung and large intestine meridians – the lung meridian points for coughing, run from
the inside of shoulder along the top of outside of arm to thumb. The large intestine
runs from the outside bottom of nostrils to the jaw, neck and along the outer edge of
arm to index finger.
Theme Class – WIDE EXPANSE
Centering:
ASTHMA MUDRA – INCREASES BREATH CAPACITY – PRAYER POSITION –
FOLD MIDDLE FINGERS TOWARD PALMS; PRESS FINGERNAILS OF MIDDLE
FINGERS INTO EACH OTHER WITH OTHER FINGERS EXTENDED.
READING - VISUALIZE PICTURES OF A WIDE EXPANSE – THE OCEAN, THE
SKY WITH WHITE PUFFY CLOUDS, AND MOUNTAINS WITH YOU STANDING ON
THE PEAK. TAKE THIS EXPANSIVENESS INTO YOUR LUNG AREA. WHILE
EXHALING, LET THE DISTANCES BECOME GREATER, WHILE INHALING, LET
THEM BECOME SMALLER.
REPEAT THIS AFFIRMATION TO YOURSELF IF IT REASONATES WITH YOU – I
detach myself from everything that constricts me and fully enjoy my new freedom. I
feel safe and secure in the divine light, which gives me support.
Release mudra/Open eyes
DEEP RELAXATION ~ 5- 10 minutes
LAY ON BACK OVER BOLSTER – STIMULATING BLADDER MERIDIAN POINTS
on BACK by brining your attention to those points and continuing to visualize a wide
expanse.
EXTEND/FOLD ARMS OVER HEAD - PRESS THUMBS INTO ELBOWS LUNG 5
Observe breath, create space in lungs
Roll to side
DFD/Standing
SHOULDER OPENER SERIES
SHOULDER CIRCUMDUCTION
LUNG MERIDIAN STRETCH
Belly
PECTORAL STRETCH TWIST Lung meridian points along inside arm
ANTERIOR SHOULDER STRETCH
ROLL PECTORALS using noodle- visualizing wide expanse
REST Modified CROCODILE – THUMBS EXTENDED PRESSING INTO (LI 20 for
nasal congestion) BELOW OUTSIDE OF NOSTRILS
TABLE
DFD (Bladder meridian – stretching back of legs)
Uttanasana to Standing
PARTNER – STANDING A/B
Forearm press/Shoulder squeeze/inhale/exhale/Massage neck/back/hands down
arms to balance chi/shake hands out. 5X each action
MASSAGE (BLADDER MERIDIAN AND LUNG MERIDIAN AND TRIPLE WARMER)
PARTNER – FLOOR; ASSISTED LUNG MERIDIAN STRETCH W/ BACK MASSAGE
(LUng and BLADDER); SIT IN THUNDERBOLT
PARTNER – V legs; clasp hands (Lung and LI meridian points and bladder)
STANDING Mountain
PRAYER TWIST (TW AND LU)/ROTATED LATERAL ANGLE –extend leg back YTT
20 (switch sides)
Floor
Back
Prone EAGLE ARMS (LI/LU/TW)
Breathing Exercises:
SOFTENTING THE INHALATION– try to soften the effort you use to inhale, and
decrease the length on your inhalation until it is shorter than the exhalation by as
much as half. This may be counterintuitive to you but remember that over breathing
is a habit that perpetuates the asthma. Begin to count the length of your exhalation,
the pause afterward, and the following inhalation. After several minutes, start to
modify your breath rhythm to emphasize the exhalation. Don’t struggle to lengthen
your exhalation; instead, shorten your inhalation. With practice, this becomes easier.
COMPLETE DIAPHRAGMATIC EXHALATIONS
Roll on your back, knees bent, with feet flat on the floor
An inability to exhale fully is a defining symptom of asthma. do this exercise to help
slow breathing down and restore the diaphragmatic movement that allows a good
exhalation, which in turn sets up a smooth inhalation. practice this exercise frequently
whenever you feel short of breath. It is also a good exercise to do when you need to
calm down in general.
Lie on your back with your eyes closed and arms relaxed out to the sides. Beginning
with an exhalation, purse your lips and blow the breath out in a steady stream. You will
feel a strong action in the belly as the abdominal muscles assist the exhalation. Your
exhalation should be longer than usual, but it is important not to push this too far. If you
do, it will be very difficult to pause after exhaling and your subsequent inhalation will be
strained.
Pause for a few seconds after your exhalation, relaxing the abdomen. Then, keeping
your throat open, allow the inhalation to flow in through the nose. Because of the
stronger exhalation, you should be able to feel the inhalation being drawn effortlessly
into the lower chest.
Count the length of the exhalation, the pause, and the inhalation. At first, try to make the
exhalation at least as long as the inhalation; do this by shortening your inhalation as in
the previous exercise. Unlike the previous exercise, where breathing is at a resting rate,
the overall rate of breathing here will be stronger and longer. Eventually, aim to make
your exhalation more than twice as long as the inhalation and to make the pause after
the exhalation comfortable rather than hurried. (It may take you a while to accomplish
these goals.)
Since asthmatics find exhalation difficult, it may help to imagine and eventually feel the
sensation of the exhalation "flowing" upward, like a breeze, inside the ribs as it leaves
the body.
Repeat 5 to 10 cycles of this exercise. As with all the exercises, I recommend you take
several normal breaths between cycles. When finished, hug your knees toward your
chest
As with all these exercises, patience yields better results than force. Repeat the
exercises 5 to 10 times, and feel free to take normal breaths between cycles.
SAVASANA ~15 min ~ Walk around and adjust shoulders