The Meditational Practice of Deep Breathing - Literature review Example

The Meditational Practice of Deep Breathing Because of its association with yoga and other Eastern philosophic belief systems and, later, with the New Age movements of alternative religious practices, meditation has often been dismissed in the West as something less than real. “Until recently the very word meditation tended to evoke raised eyebrows and thoughts about mysticism and hocus-pocus in many people. In part, that was because people did not understand that meditation is really about paying attention” (Kabat-Zin, 1990: 21). In particular, it is about paying attention to the moment as it is passing. This moves beyond the concept of living in the moment to being intimately aware of the moment even as it passes and becomes nothing more than memory. This transcendental explanation is easier defined than accomplished. The tendency of the mind is to take the opportunity of the ‘autopilot’ initiative to reflect upon the past or to make plans for the future. For those caught in desperate situations, this can lead to a destructive cycle of thinking that leaves little room for improvement while allowing them to miss out on the joys or triumphs of the present. One way in which people can help themselves break this cycle is through the process of meditation, which, it turns out, brings about some significant benefits including the benefit of clearer thinking, more enjoyed moments and an inner peace. Not only does meditation help the social worker gain insight and greater ability to help others, but it can help those others to help themselves as well (Birnbaum, 2005). Meditation can also have some unexpected physical benefits as the result of the deep breathing exercises that are a fundamental part of meditation. A basic understanding of meditation is necessary to understand the vital importance of deep breathing in order to reap the greatest benefits. Meditation is a process of calming the mind and the body enough to focus on one particular concept. While the intentions of meditation can vary, the one most often utilized within social work focuses on being settled, grounded and achieving clarity. A representative quote from one practitioner cited in Canda and Furman (1999) illustrates this desired outcome: “As my meditation practice deepened, I found a quality of peace and clarity that soothed my grief’s and pains and gave me the capacity to respond to life’s challenges with greater energy and compassion. I realized that my own struggles are mirrored in the struggles of all people and all living beings” (7-8). Through meditation, the social worker is able to find a sense of inner connection and balance that extends out into his/her practice. By practicing achieving clarity of mind and an ability to stay in the moment, the social worker becomes more able to keep in tune with clients and helping them to achieve similar clarity. One of the primary characteristics of a meditative state is allowing the mind to follow its own pathways rather than imposing specific agendas upon the action, such as finding a solution to a particular problem. Siff (2005) defines six different processes that can occur during meditation regardless of the individual’s intentions. These include a conflicted state, a connected state, a generative/experimental state, a receptive/open state, an explorative state and a non-taking up state. In each state, such as the conflicted state, it is important to recognize that it is part of the process. “Knowing that the conflicted process will be a significant part of one’s meditation practice, learning to be with it in an accepting and gentle manner will do a great deal to make it more tolerable and turn it into an arena of interest and exploration as opposed to it becoming something to be avoided or eliminated” (Siff, 2005). The generative/experimental state can generate new states of mind to replace other states of mind or to conduct a mental inquiry while a receptive/open state allows the mind to be “passive and receptive in regard to one’s experiences or becoming open to all that arises” (Siff, 2005). Explorative meditation allows the mind to analyze experiences and the non-taking up state involves experiencing the moment without allowing it to impress upon the mind. As has been mentioned previously, however, the concern with meditation in social work is typically focused upon a connected state, in which the individual has a focused experience of being connected not only to themselves, but also to the world around them. To encourage this state, it was discovered that “an awareness of breathing leads to absorption (a connected process). He [Buddha] saw how connection occurs through awareness of breathing and then was able to teach a ‘meditation practice’ based on it” (Siff, 2005). The process of breathing is integral to the meditation process regardless of which individual practice is being followed, what the purpose of the meditation is to be or who is doing the instruction. In learning about meditation, it may seem ridiculous that one might be instructed to breathe. After all, we all know we must breathe in order to survive and it is such an integral part of our being that we usually just take it for granted that we are capable of doing it. However, the process of breathing plays a tremendous role in our physical health as well as our mental states (Ragnar, 2007). This can occur to such an extent that breathing alone can affect our mental conditions and help bring about the type of meditational practice we most need in order to bring ourselves back into a balanced, healthy state that is more capable of handling further life events. Regardless of whether we consider it or not, the fact is that we must have a regular supply of oxygen in order to survive. Without it, we die in only a few minutes. Perhaps unknowingly, when we become mentally stressed or physically tense, our breathing becomes shallower, supplying our bodies with less and less of that most essential nutrient, oxygen (“Breathing Techniques”, 2007). According to Ragnar (2007), researchers have even made some connections between mental disease and shallow breathing. Whether this is the case or not, it is true that when we become oxygen-deprived, we feel very tired, nervous and become irritable. This reduces our productivity and further adds to our troubles, reducing our ability to gain a decent night’s sleep and further complicating the issue. Finally, science has recently determined that oxygen is the critical component for the body’s production of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), which is the body’s main energy supply and the regulator of the aging process. Not enough oxygen in the body leads to decreased energy levels and premature aging. On the other hand, deep breathing on its own can bring forward a variety of benefits, both physical and mental, in addition to facilitating the meditation practice. The physical benefits of deep breathing begin with a sense of relaxation as it triggers a reflex in the parasympathetic nervous system. It also helps to improve the quality of the blood supply and aids in the elimination of toxins from the body’s circulatory system while it increases the body’s abilities to digest and assimilate food (“Breathing Techniques”, 2007). In turn, the central nervous system, glands and skin all benefit from the increased oxygen supply, quickly rejuvenating the body and slowing or even reversing some effects of the aging process. The natural movement of deep breathing also serves as a massage unit to the abdominal organs and the heart, working to stimulate better blood circulation in these areas and reducing the amount of work required of the heart, which further reduces blood pressure and decreases heart disease. By burning up excess fat more efficiently when you are overweight or feeding starving tissues and glands when you are underweight, deep breathing acts as an internal weight regulator. Conscious practice of deep breathing during meditation can also increase the volume and elasticity of the lungs, which helps increase the supply of oxygen to the body the entire day, even when the individual is not focused on deep breathing exercises and allowing these physical benefits to take place throughout the day. Deep breathing involves pulling the breath deep into the chest, involving the upper through the lower lungs. To begin deep breathing exercises, most people will lie down on their backs on a soft but firm surface with legs outwards, feet comfortably apart and relaxed and arms relaxed to the sides. The lungs are fully engaged when breathing causes the chest and abdomen to rise at the same time, making it seem as if the stomach were filling with air and then releasing (“Breathing Techniques”, 2007). Some meditation practices will encourage individuals to count the number of breaths taken or work on inhaling for a prescribed number of heart beats and exhaling for that same number of heart beats while others have a more relaxed approach, encouraging individuals to simply enjoy the feeling of the air coming in and going out, the smooth expansion and contraction of the muscles involved and the sense of clean that creates. An example of a meditation process involving a focus on the breath is presented by Kabat-Zin (1999): “Close your eyes, sit so that your back is straight but not stiff, and become aware of your breathing. Don’t try to control your breathing. Just let it happen and be aware of it, feeling how it feels, witnessing it as it flows in and out. Try being with your breath in this way for three minutes” (22). Throughout the deep breathing process, breathing through the nose, especially on the inhale, is recommended because of that organ’s natural filtering effect. A relaxed meditation state is brought on when an individual is naturally able to keep this deep breathing slow and steady, rhythmic and comfortable during their meditation period. According to Ragnar (2007), part of the reason for this is due to a natural physical process because it is through the nose that we are able to stimulate our thought processes: “We can activate our latent abilities by auto-electrification of the tiny hair-like cilia in the nasal turbinates of the nose. The electrical tension then stimulates the roof of the brain at the top of the nose. Just like that deep breath taken at the beginning of our discussion that brought back lucid memories, purposeful deep breathing will activate clear perceptions and impressions.” This natural stimulation is part of the reason why so many individuals find it difficult to ‘clear your mind’ when attempting meditation and end up quitting because they feel it is not gaining them benefit. “Try observing how easily your own awareness is carried away from the present moment by your thoughts, no matter where you find yourself, no matter what the circumstances. Notice how much of the time during the day you find yourself thinking about the past or about the future. You may be shocked at the result” (Kabat-Zin, 1999: 22). However, as has been mentioned, this, too is part of the process. This seemingly chaotic state in which random thoughts and concerns insist on intruding upon our awareness is what Jason Siff (2005) termed the conflicted state. “A ‘conflicted process’ by its very nature will be judged as not meditating. … one may be in conflict as to what one should be doing. One will most likely doubt that this is meditation and be confused as to what meditation really is, and attempt to resolve this conflict” (Siff, 2005). While Siff emphasizes the importance of accepting this state as merely part of the process, Ragnar goes on to explain his theory as to why this state is necessary, especially for the beginning practitioner. As the physical portions of the brain are stimulated by the breath, emotional traumas and other repressed images are released. “Think of your breath as a gentle but powerful breeze, moving little puffy white thought clouds across an azure sky of pure consciousness. Soon your mental horizon is clear, calm and peaceful. The whole world magically changes” (Ragnar, 2007). When this begins to happen, it is an indication that the individual is ‘doing it right’ but is often interpreted to be an indication that they are not capable of ‘learning the trick.’ While focusing on the breath can help to keep the person focused on the moment, it can also have a tendency to detract from the experience if carried too far. According to Siff (2005), when an individual with many conflicting thoughts attempts to participate in a focused breathing meditative session, they can do more harm than good by attempting to fight the thoughts. “What tends to happen within a conflicted process when an attempt is made to do a particular meditation practice is that an additional layer of conflict is created within the meditation setting” (Siff, 2005). Rather than providing the sense of peace and balance that has been promised as a result, the individual feels more conflicted, more uncomfortable and less likely to try the practice again. “The effort to become connected with the breath turns into an effort to stop one’s mind from wandering away from the breath, which creates internal struggle and additional inner conflict. When one stops trying to impose a ‘connected’ practice on a conflicted process, a noticeable decrease in tension and conflict can be perceived” (Siff, 2005). Thus, while breath is important, too much of a focus on it can negate the process with detrimental long term effects. Through this study, it has been demonstrated that meditation is an effective way of handling stress, maintaining inner balance, clarity and peacefulness. This is in large portion due to the practice of deep breathing as an integral aspect of meditation. Deep breathing differs significantly from regular breathing because of its focus on involving the entire lungs as well as its rhythmic pattern that reinforces a sense of connectedness with the self and the world. Through its physical motion as well as the increase in oxygen supply given to the body through the practice, deep breathing is suggested to have numerous physical benefits that promote better overall body function on muscular, glandular and circulatory levels as well as increasing energy flow and physical brain processes. These physical benefits are accompanied by positive mental benefits such as reducing stress and encouraging an overall sense of well-being. While meditation can benefit social workers and clients in a variety of ways, it becomes clear that deep breathing is largely to account for this transformation. However, an overemphasis on the focus on breathing can lead to negative results and a decreased inclination to continue meditation as both the process and the experience produce greater stress and inner conflict. Deep breathing practiced physically and allowed to continue intuitively during the meditation process allows room for conflicted processes to occur, clearing them out of the way for the more focused, balanced processes likely to follow in subsequent sessions while still providing the many different benefits outlined here. References Birnbaum, Liora. (2005). “Connecting to Inner Guidance: Mindfulness Meditation and Transformation of Professional Self-Concept in Social Work Students.” Critical Social Work. Vol. 6, N. 2. “Breathing Techniques.” (2007). The Counseling Center. Sam Houston State University. Available May 2, 2007 from Canda, Edward & Furman, Leola. (1999). Spiritual Diversity in Social Work Practice: The Heart of Helping. New York: The Free Press. Kabat-Zin, Jon. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. New York: Dell Publishing. Ragnar, Peter. (January-March 2007). “It’s What Connects the Mind with the Body.” Enlightenment Magazine. Vol. 35. Siff, Jason. (2005). “An Essay on What is Meditation?” Meditation Project. Available May 2, 2007 from < http://www.meditationproject.org/What-is-Meditation.html> Read More