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Breath is essential for life. It is regulated by the autonomic nervous system and also by thought. Breathing so that the shoulders rise always contributes to anxiety because the nerves in the brain, traveling through the neck, as well as in the body, are being activated during this tense activity. Shallow and rapid breathing, due to internal and external stress, contributes to numerous symptoms such as anxiety, tachycardia (fast heart rate), insomnia, body tension, poor memory, nausea, fatigue and more. Over time, these responses can lead to chronic physical conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, chronic fatigue, increased pain, changes in hormones, and increased inflammation markers, as well as memory and emotional concerns. Simple and slow repetition of purposeful breathing by expanding the diaphragm has been well studied, with significant improvement in many health outcomes including blood pressure, heart rate, immune system, emotional calm, sleep, memory, well being.
During this virtual workshop, you will learn how to tap into intentional and calming breath techniques. It is led by Dr. Kathleen Rickard. She is a nationally certified Family Nurse Practitioner working in private practice since 1997 and specializes in energy medicine. Her 12 years of emergency nursing experience grounds her present work. She maintains a strong practice integrating numerous holistic modalities including energetic healing, reiki, functional nutritional medicine, yoga, visceral manipulation, neuro-muscular manipulation, and life coaching. Dr. Kathleen has been invited to speak across the country on numerous holistic health topics.
A variety of breathing techniques can be easily taught and repeated over time to help the body, mind and emotions for better health. A very effective yet simple method is to learn diaphragmatic breathing techniques. When we can pause long enough to be aware and control our breath, then we can have much better control of our health and life. To read Dr. Kathleen’s published paper on this topic click on the links: https://sigma.nursingrepository.org/handle/10755/558648
