On Breathing and Ice Cream

September 2004
by Linda McGrath

Yesterday, I threw away a pint of unfinished Ben and Jerrys. I had gotten too old. For those of you who can't quite grasp the scale of this event, here's a bit of a background. A few years ago, there was no such thing in my world as having ice cream. In the freezer that is. Ice cream was bought and ice cream was eaten, usually, standing in the kitchen before the rest of the groceries were even unpacked. The more I felt bad about it, the faster I ate, brain freeze ignored. If by some terrible turn of circumstance, ice cream found its way into the freezer, it never lasted through the night. I have been known to brush my teeth, and after tossing and turning still leap out of bed and go back down to finish the job.

We, ok, I (shouldn't drag you into this) live in a culture where there is little distinction between what we want and what we need. We need food; we want ice cream, yet somehow it feels more like: “I need food… and I've had to deal all day with my boss/client/children, the internet/printer was down and I couldn't get anything done, there was a crash on 280/85/17 and I got to yoga too late to sneak in without getting the dirty look, so I don't care if carbs are the enemy: I NEED ice cream!” Or a beer, or new shoes.

Although I don't think there is a problem with some moderate indulgence or retail therapy, there is a problem when you make decisions automatically, without much questioning and in denial of the circumstances. Those decisions always end up getting us in trouble. And we all know that, but how do we make the shift for the part of the brain that knows that to stay “on” in the next moment of weakness? How do we cultivate the clairvoyance to resist those instant gratifications that come back to bite us?

You've probably guessed by now I was going to get to yoga at some stage. Well, I'm not sure that yoga will help cure cancer or bring world peace, but I can tell you it's definitely helped me become more aware in every aspect of life. More specifically here, one aspect of yoga that has really helped is the control of the breath.

Most people who haven't done yoga don't think much of their breath. It is the most immediate of our basic needs but it easily accessible, so we tend to take it for granted. Until you get in Triangle. Then, your heart rate goes up and your muscles start screaming for more oxygen. Our automatic reaction is to take a big fast gulp of air. Without awareness, your body will go for what is easy but most times the easy way is not the best way. You know how I say in class that when in doubt, do whatever is harder. The same applies to the breath. The shorter breaths you take, the less oxygen you get in your system. Granted you're breathing faster so you're supplying a greater number of short breaths, but with the lapses within each cycle, the times when you are switching from inhaling to exhaling and vice versa, you're missing on oxygen, so when you breathe fast, you end up breathing against yourself. Instead, try to keep your breath as long and smooth as you can. As you actively try to spread out your inhale, you will notice that your body relaxes. “Relaxation is believed to cause the hypothalamus to respond, which results in a decrease in sympathetic nervous system arousal. When the sympathetic nervous system response (which prepares the body for emergencies) is decreased and the parasympathetic response (which slows the body down) is activated, it results in decreased muscle tension, blood pressure, and respiration." (Gudmestad, Julie. “Breathing Room.” Yoga Journal March/April 02) In other words, the slower and deeper you breathe, the more you slow down you heart rate and the more efficient your practice. It's definitely a progression. For a beginning student, it's making it through the entire class by solely breathing through the nose. Maybe that's not true; for a beginning student, it's making it through the class period. But it's a good goal to work towards. Shifting to breathing through the nose automatically slows you down. Pick a day and make this your entire focus; don't worry about how deep you go into the poses or how long you hold them but think that as soon as you open your mouth, it's game over. Before you know it, you'll be able to keep a beautiful, smooth, 5 to 6 count breath even when coming out of double legged locust.

Aside from making your practice much more efficient, this ability to discipline yourself, to deny yourself something that is so easily within reach is such a great exercise. All of sudden you create this mindfulness, this lapse between the moment your body signals “oxygen, fast” and your actual response. You take in the demand without emotion and you just observe and go “that's interesting, you want oxygen fast, but I know better that you do so I'm still gonna breathe slowly and see what happens.” One you've done it once, you set a precedent that you can go back to the next time. You now know from experience that you won't die if you breathe slowly, so you're much more likely to stick to it. And the experience will start to filter through your life. You're able to discipline yourself when it comes to such a strong, basic need as the breath, of course you can resist indulgences. Not immediately, but slowly, you get there. And one day, you'll look at that pint of Mint Chocolate Chip and you'll go:”You know, if I don't finish this, I'll be OK.” And be Ok.