Tingling Legs

An intermediate (on the physical level) student told me that diaphragmatic breathing is painful for her for most of an hour long class. Her stomach gurgles (as if she's hungry, and it's LOUD) and she had me put my hand on her belly as she expanded her belly with her breath and, as she described it "you can feel it moving and churning, like a baby kicking in there".

She says by the end of the class it frees up and feels good, but until then she has pain shooting up her chest (like heartburn). She thinks it might be from sucking her belly in all the time, until she's asked to relax and expand it in yoga. We talked about that, and about what seemed to be her fairly high stress level. I didn't tell her to see a doctor, though I wondered if I should. I also told her that if the belly breathing seemed to be doing good things for her eventually, to practice it more often, but very gently.

What do y'all think?

Lisa Macy

ANSWERS:

From Lauri Willard:

It may be that due to her high stress level and chronically engaged abs, the student is not digesting efficiently. When she comes to yoga, the gurgling she experiences is the stimulation of peristalsis in her intestines. The pain may be the stretching and opening up of those held abs, or it may be that yoga allows her to relax and actually feel what's happening in her body.

Most people in the United States do two things chronically that impede digestion. One, they hold their abs in all day long, creating and atmosphere of tension. Two, they breathe predominantly into the upper chest.

The lower lobes of the lungs have receptors for the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is the system responsible for digestion and production of energy from slow fat burning. When we breathe diaphragmatically, we stimulate the ANS. This tells the body that everything is under control and fine, and peristalsis and fat burning can begin. The upper lobes of the lungs have receptors for the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which is responsible for emergencies - the fight or flight response. It triggers the body to get quick energy from blood glucose. When we breathe into the chest, or upper lungs, we stimulate the SNS. This tells the body to take energy away from the digestive organs and put it into the limbs, which may need it to fight or flee.

Stress also triggers the SNS, and relaxation triggers the ANS. If the student is in fight or flight response all day long, then she is not digesting efficiently. Deep, long diaphragmatic breaths in this case would be VERY good for her, and will also stretch and relax her abs. Hopefully she'll be able to incorporate it into her daily life as well. Breathing is the only method we know of to control and stimulate the ANS.

For more information, see John Douillard's books The 3-Season Diet and Body, Mind and Sport.

Joy! Lauri Willard

From Jo Marenberg, Urbana, OH AYTT Spring, 2002

Hi Lisa,

Have you asked your student whether she eats before coming to class? She may have GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), which involves acid backing up from the stomach and irritating the esophagus. Heartburn is one of the symptoms that can result when a person exerts herself, especially within an hour or two of eating. Wearing tight clothing or holding in the abdomen can also aggravate the condition, as can eating spicy and fatty food, alcohol, coffee, and citrus fruits and juices. Lying down after eating is also not a good idea, so if she is doing diaphragmatic breathing in a supine position, that could cause symptoms. I'd suggest that she see her doctor who could order tests, such as an upper GI, to see if she has GERD or some other digestive disorder.

She might also consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner. Following a pitta-pacifying diet might alleviate the symptoms and make it unnecessary to take antacids or prescription medication.

Good luck, Jo

From Savitri:

It sounds to me like it is possible that this student may think (or maybe she has been instructed to do this) that she needs to practice full/deep diaphragmatic breathing throughout the whole hour of yoga class. I ran across this idea years ago with someone who thought (and had been teaching her students) that if you were not consciously doing full/deep diaphragmatic breathing the whole time you were practicing yoga, then you were doing it incorrectly. Well, I can see where this idea might come from, but to focus on that much deep breathing throughout a session would seem to me to be extreme. I think doing something like that might make my stomach gurgle painfully too. I'd guess that she's doing it too deeply or dramatically or constantly. Too much huffing and puffing, with the philosophy of "if a little is good, a whole lot more is better.

From Jacqui Farless

Dear Lisa:

It sounds as if your student may have a hiatal hernia or hiatal hernia syndrome. Apparently as many as 25% of us have the syndrome from time to time, whether from allergies or tension. Gentle belly breathing is good for it. It can also help to sit in a comfortable seated pose with the fingers placed just under the bottom of the rib cage in front. Inhale as you extend the spine and exhale bending forward while the fingers press under the ribs with a downward motion. This helps the stomach to "unstick" itself from the diaphragm. If this doesn't help, I would suggest first a chiropractor or massage therapist as many are able to pull the stomach down; if there is still pain, I would tell her to see a doctor.

Namaste,

Jacqui

From: Dr. Josette AYTT Nov 03,

Is it possible to ask your client, what she is "holding in" when she "holds her belly in all day"? It sounds as if when she does give into relaxation and breathing into her belly, her belly is talking back to her. Expressing, the "pain/upset" it feels by being held in. Where else in her life does she "hold back", "hold in" or "hold onto"? The answers may surprise her. For women in particular society has created this over emphasis on having a flat or tight belly, by breathing into your belly using the diaphragm we sometimes have to overcome that mental block of holding our stomachs in. If we are to let them out, why then we'd look FAT, right? I think you did the right thing by encouraging your client to continue using the breath gently, to help ease into it. Your client may also benefit from NET, a chiropractic technique that can access stored/blocked emotional, chemical, and structural distortion that create the symptoms experienced. check out <www.netmindbody.com> <http://www.netmindbody.com> or for NSA <www.innateintelligence.com> <http://www.innateintelligence.com> Best wishes. ~~~Peace, Dr. J

From Velma Rogers, Olympia, Washington AYTT Spring 2002

Dear Lisa,

This gurgling and heartburn might be a sign of GURD or esophageal spasms. I would suggest she see a doctor and have an upper endoscopy done to check out her stomach and esophagus.

Also, it could be food allergies, such as wheat or some other food(s). I would also suggest she have food allergy tests done.

There is an elimination diet she could do and discover some of the potential food allergens herself. However, I feel an Ayurvedic or Naturopathic doctor would be of great help to her.

Blessings, Velma

From Mary Jo Cleaveland:

Dear Lisa,

I think that it would be helpful for her to share these "symptoms" with her physician. Does she have these at other times? They may be signs of a hiatal hernia but one can not make that "diagnosis". Meanwhile forward postures might trigger her symptoms and should be avoided. Also backward bends should be done very gently! Hope this is helpful! Mary Jo Cleaveland, AYTT Summer 1997