Panic attacks are a very delicate and difficult subject to discuss. It would be easy to limit ourselves to listing the symptoms and possible treatments, but information like these the web is saturated and also our site already provides many useful news about it.
Going into the depths of this type of disorder, trying to tell the feelings that emerge, probing the inner territory on which the uneasiness is unleashed is very important but in this article, in the name of the respect we nurture towards those who struggle daily against this powerful demon, we want to give you an extra weapon to win your battle .
From yoga, a simple but effective technique that can come to your aid whenever necessary.
Yogic breathing and emotional state
Very often when we talk about yoga we only consider the asanas, but they represent only one of the branches of this wonderful discipline. Another extremely important path is the one concerning breathing exercises, technically called "pranayama" (breath control).
A thread binds the breath to our inner world, as Roberto Sanlorenzo, molecular biologist of the Department of Neuroscience of the Fatebenefratelli of Milan explains clearly: “ Breath is the only voluntary and involuntary vital function . On the one hand it is the mirror of the emotional state: not by chance every single emotion determines a precise way of breathing . The same nerve pathways that underlie this mechanism can be used in the opposite way. That is: if I learn to control my breathing, in terms of rhythm, intensity, depth, sending signals to the involuntary nervous system that is the basis of my emotions. The use of breath can transform both the emotional state and the unpleasant physical situation , thus becoming a real instrument. Which makes it easier to recover balance. It's more difficult to lose it . "
Given this enormous potential, why not use it to help us if we suffer from panic attacks?
Panic attacks: what are they?
A simple breathing exercise to calm the mind and prevent panic attacks
In the perspective described in the previous paragraph, we illustrate a very simple and pleasant breathing exercise called nadhi shodana pranayama, or alternate nostril breathing.
The technique:
- Take a comfortable sitting position and perform some complete abdominal or yogic breathing cycles.
- Bring the right hand to the face and bend the index and middle fingers or inside the hand in contact with the palm or lean against the center of the forehead (these are two equally valid methods). The thumb and index finger are used to close and open the nostrils.
- Close the right nostril and inspire solely with the left in a totally natural and unforced way. At this point close the left nostril and exhale to the right. Always on the right, the inspiration starts again at the end of which the nostril will close to exhale only on the left.
And so on: various respiratory cycles can be performed as desired . In essence, inhalation and exhalation always involve only one nostril alternately.
This technique is really very effective for calming mental storms and you can come back when you feel the tide of panic starts to mount inside you . A small (big) first aid aid which, we hope, can help you during those difficult moments of panic.
