When athletes are in pain and freaking out during a game I don’t necessarily worry about the injured body part first. I worry about their breathing. If they aren’t breathing and are carrying-on in such a way I can’t understand what they are saying I’m no good to them.
I am terrible at veterinary medicine! I need words!
To get them to calm down I say in a slow low voice “breathe IN through your nose and OUT through your mouth.” More often than not it works…
I’ve been known to actually close lips before to get them to understand. That makes them laugh, which makes them calm down, which makes them breathe…
In breathing the air is important, but the act of breathing is essential. It is not only about gas exchange.
In my graduate Stress Management course Dr. M constantly talked about using breathing techniques to reduce stressors. Visualization depended on breathing to slow the body into a rhythm so the brain could be clear.
Breathing alone does NOT take away the stressor. However, it does give oxygen to the brain and time for the oxygen to take effect. One deep breath allows approximately a pint of air to fill the lungs and up to the brain. The oxygen feeds the brain cells to allow for clearer thinking, and one deep breath allows at least a second before a rash decision is made.
The slogan for the 2011-2012 Lobo Men’s Soccer team is “Breathe”. They are a young team and sometimes forget to just calm down, take in their surroundings, and trust their bodies. Breathing gives a moment of clarity, which may be important in certain game situations.
Personally, I have a fiery personality. I always wanted to be Irish and can fall into the Irish temper very easily. I get excited and angry over tiny things and let it affect my mood.
Character flaw, but recognizable…and fixable
Sweetness constantly reminds me to breathe when I get into these situations. Yes, it’s been a short time of us talking and he’s already figured me out. He’s really NOT a dumb man, and it’s one reason I call him Sweetness.
I digress, today he sent me to a website that made my day!!!
It’s a blog post, a blurb really, about the benefits of a simple breath.
I encourage you to visit the site and read. It is very short, but valuable.
As with most of my posts there is not one thing I have written that you don’t already know. Sometimes, it just takes a person to bring it to your attention.
Inspiration…Breathe by Leo Babauta
http://zenhabits.net/breathe **read the Tip at the bottom of the page!!!
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