Visualisation Technique?

[twister]

maybe they should pack us off for some psychoanalysis

Emily

[Lottie32]

Twister / Sadie - I find that I create "scary" images too! I'm sure Meg will say it's because we are in an anxious state and haven't learnt to slow our minds down, but then we are in a chicken and egg situation! Let me know if you crack it.

Nicola - no its Relaxation Made Easy (I posted the details to Diana sometime last week) it's quite old and published by Divinity Publishing

Meg - it wasn't a negative comment - I took it as constructive critisism. Please send me any tapes you want!!!! I'm sure that they won't have the same explosive effects as the nuts! (Although that was my fault for eating them TOO FAST - doing everything at 90 mph is one of my main traits). I'm ok now I've rationed myself (and they work too - but you knew that anyway)

Just please don't ask me to do any more blo**y Yoga. I did three years of it and it really bored the pants off me, and I can honestly say I didn't feel any benefit at all. What is more relaxing to me is doing something physical (swimming, running) so I'm knack**ed, then I find it much easier to "chill"!

Glad I'm not the only one who has issues with this. Is it because I worry too much I wonder? I'm good at planning events, because I can always see 300 things that might happen, and can then take action to stop it!

Charlie

[Meg]

I'm not sure that it's because of the anxious state , maybe because of the constant habit of looking at all the scary possibilities first which contributes to the anxiety before looking at the delight and beauty of something.

I remember being in Cornwall - having tea and cake in an ideallic bay in front of a private protected cove.

Everyone was completely enthralled with it and ready to sell up and buy one of the 4 cottages there .

All I could think of was what a horror place it would be during an earthquake or tidal wave with all the cottages being washed away and how the road there was just too narrow to make a quick get away ......

Months later we had a similar scene presented at a meditation. I was immediately back there and the tidal wave was in full flow although she actually said 'little ripples at your feet.. !!

I too get intensely bored at yoga and don't do it properly and am being forever told off but I know it has done me much good especially when I was really shaky.

This relaxation is not Yoga - as in no postures but will involve breathing !!


Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[Lottie32]

Breathing is excellent.

I am very aware that I can't breathe properly at all. (Obviously I breathe reasonably well enough or I wouldn't be writing this now).

I've booked an assessment at the Gym on Friday afternoon - and am busy psyching myself up to actually GET THERE AND DO IT.

I'm hoping improving my general level of fitness will improve my breathing.

Every time I concentrate on my breathing I realising I'm not doing it properly - but is that because I'm thinking about it? Or because I really do breathe like this all the time? Ha Ha Ha.

Trying hard not to think too much about breathing, cos I'm sure it only makes it worse. I'm very good at breathing in, but don't seem to be able to breathe out properly if you know what I mean.

Do you still have my address, or should I e-mail it again?

Can't wait to try it - really feel like this forum is going to be the start of me cracking this once and for all.

I've got so used to feeling like this (about half of my life) that I've come to accept it as normal (although that doesn't mean that I don't want to change!!!)

Many thanks

Charlie

[twister]

I too breathe so badly you wouldn't believe - help me with this MeG!!

Emily

[Lottie32]

Emily

Do you do it all the time?

I am quite good at getting it right when I'm having a turn, cos I know it helps, but as I'm sitting writing this, I've suddenly become aware that my breathing is not correct!

Charlie

[Meg]

As you're both still here and have been for a while, you both must be breathing absolutely fine - for the primary function of oxygenating the body.

When we get nervous the breath automatically increases to fully oxygenate the body for fight and fight etc if we then don't use it and still overbreathe (hyperventilate), the balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide changes.

As we inhale we take in oxygen but are not getting rid of enough carbon dioxide in our short outbreaths.

Overoxygenation leads to tingling, pins and needles, numbness, feeling of restlessness.

So...... to rectify this we try to do longer out breaths than in or if you find that too hard in times of anxiety - as I did, learn to hold your breath a touch longer- (allowing gaseous exchange) after an inbreath and after breathing out. - same effect .


Now to the different styles of breathing. Most of us every day only breathe in our top 2/3rd of lung and only in a sigh or cough get the stale bottom air changed.

Abdominal breathing is simply using all your lung capacity. As you breathe in your tummy (Aka- bottom part of your lungs) should rise. If you put your hands on your abdomen with fingers just touching they should move apart as you breathe. As it is using your full lung capacity you don't need to breathe as much and thus can slow down -thus not having restless feelings and breathe out more CO2....

To energize - you need to breathe moving the ribs outwards to the sides more and not so concerned with the bottom bits - a traditional deep breath , as taught by physios.

There is a huge fuss made about breathing especially with any mention of anxiety but as long as you're not blue and not panting you're doing it just fine.

Lots of people who sit all day sedentary just breathe with the top bit - especially if the lungs are squashed by excess tummy.

Agorophobics restricted at home really are at risk of this in a big way unless they have lots of housework or stairs or kids.

This is not recommended thus another reason for up every 30 mins or so. Walk, stretch , deep breaths.

The fitter you are the more efficient each cell is at using its oxygen so you don't need as much so end up breathing slower at rest - ditto your heart rate.

Has that helped at all ?

I won't even mention smoking.






Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[Lottie32]

Meg

Thanks. I put my relaxation tape on last night to try and help get me sorted, and I couldn't breathe out properly last night either.

I can breathe in forever, but seem to find it physically difficult to breathe out properly. I think it's because I have got some background anxiety going on most of the time, and my body is not relaxed, so I can't use my abdomen properly.

I do try and make sure I'm abdominally breathing all the time.

Thanks for explaining the whole CO2 thing. Thats how I've been feeling for most of the week, and I've been aware my breathing has been "bad". At least now I know, I can rationalise it, and not keep thinking I'm about to have an anxiety attack.

I can rationalise my low blood sugar/panic attack thing now thanks to your blood sugar explanation of the other week, and used the information to my advantage on Saturday!

At least I've got something right!

Enrolling at the gym on Friday, and really hoping that it will help too. This isn't an excuse, but I am going to really try and give up smoking in the new year, I've just got too much going on at the minute to set my mind on it! I'm on 10 or less a day now though, and only had 6 yesterday, so I'm getting there.

Thanks Meg x

Charlie

[Laurie28]

Hiya Charlie,

I cant visualize at all!!

I was scared of visualising at one point would you believe

i can't even count sheep to go to sleep (i tried it years ago and just got loads of black blobs moving really quickly and kept myself awake trying to count them!!

Love
lucky

[Lottie32]

Lucky

I couldn't picture a sheep in my head if my life depended on it!!

I put my relaxation tape on last night to wind down as I was going to bed, and tried very hard to walk down the steps in time with his counting.

But I got halfway down, and he was still on five, then I became convinced that somebody was going to come down the stairs after me.

I carried on walking down the steps in his time - but looking over my shoulder all the time as I did it, in case the person who was going to get me came!!!!!

How totally mad is that!!!!

Just wish my mind had an on off switch!

Charlie