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Majid Ali, M.D. |
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WBAI-FM
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Dr. Ali's
Science, Health and
Healing
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Editor,
The Journal of Integrative Medicine
Formerly, Associate Professor of Pathology (adj.), College
of Physicians
and Surgeons of Columbia University, NY
Formerly, President of Staff and Chief Pathologist,
Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck, NJ
Fellow, Royal
College of Surgeons of England -
Diplomate,
American Board of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology
Diplomate, American Boards of Environmental Medicine
Past President Capital University of Integrative
Medicine |
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FEWER BREATHS, MORE ENERGY:
Limbic Breathing for Better Health
Through Improved Mitochondrial (Mito) Function
In 1988, I introduced the term Limbic Breathing for slow
breathing with gentle, prolonged expiration (breathe-out) as
an essential component for a program of healing. Later in
this essay, I describe the simple steps of Limbic Breathing.
In The Cortical Monkey and Healing (1990), I described the
results of experiments I performed to objectify and quantify
blood gas, biochemical, and energetic changes produced by
Limbic Breathing. Two major benefits of such breathing are
improved energy and mood stabilization.
Slow breathing for better energy? The title of this essay is
likely to raise many eyebrows. It will be counter-intuitive
for some and trite for others. I suggest that such readers
carefully consider the information I present to support my
view.
As a species, we humans now overbreathe to
breathlessnessand sicken ourselves in a thousand ways.
Rapid and shallow breathing is the mark of our time. It
slowly and steadily disrupts the finely orchestrated balance
between oxygen, carbon dioxide (CO2), acidity, and free
radical activity in the lungs, circulating blood, and
mitochondria (the cellular structures that generate energy
with oxygen-driven energetics).
If my statements about slow Limbic Breathing were to be
accepted, it would follow that we should be able to deal
with a thousand disorders by simply breathing less, at
slower rates. That would be a tantalizing possibility if it
were true. Is it?
In chronic illness, the most effective and cost-free
approach to improving energy levels through increased mito
efficiency is slow Limbic Breathing. This is also true of
healthy people interested in benefits of meditation and
prayer. (My 4-hour teaching seminar on the practice of
Limbic Breathing is available on a 2-DVD set 2-DVD entitled
"Healing: Energetic and Spiritual". Call 973-586-4111 to
obtain the set). Below is a list of mechanisms by Limbic
Breathing improves health and energy by restoring optimal
mito function:
I. Increased delivery of oxygen to cells and mitochondria
for enhanced cellular energetics;
II. Reduction of total body overload of acids;
III. Normalization of free radical activity;
IV. Restoration of viscosity (degree of fluidity) of blood,
lymph, and other body fluids
V. Improved blood flow
VI. Prevention of unnecessary and involuntary muscle
contraction
I. Increased Oxygen Delivery to Cells and Mitochondria
How does slow Limbic Breathing increase oxygen delivery to
cells and improve mitochondrial function? The answer: rapid,
shallow breathing causes excess loss of CO2 from the lungs
and blood. It is noteworthy in this context that CO2 passes
through the lung membranes twenty times faster than oxygen
does. That is one of the explanations of the fact that
rapid, shallow breathing prevents efficient diffusion
(absorption) of oxygen in the lung without slowing the
escape of CO2. Lower than normal (physiological) blood
levels of CO2 interfere with optimal delivery of oxygen to
cells by several mechanisms.
First, less carbon dioxide in the circulating blood directly
tightens arteries vasospasm is the medical term for it-and
markedly decreases blood flow in these vessels. Less blood
circulation means less oxygen delivery.
Second, less carbon dioxide in the circulating blood
directly reduces delivery of oxygen by hemoglobin (Hb, the
protein that carries most of the oxygen in the blood).
Higher blood levels of carbon dioxide facilitate oxygen
dumping by the protein while lower levels of carbon dioxide
(caused by overbreathing) block oxygen dumping. This is due
to a shift in the oxygen dissociation characteristics of
hemoglobin. The less the release of oxygen by Hb protein
into the blood, the less the available oxygen for transport
across cell membranes and into mitochondria (cellular power
generators) to drive cellular energetics.
Third, lower concentrations of CO2 disrupt the acid-alkali
balance in the body. Dysregulation of this balance increases
free radical activity and thickens blood, changes that
further decrease tissue oxygenation.
II. Reduction of Acidity
In The Cortical Monkey and Healing (1990), I addressed the
matter of reduction of body acidity with Limbic Breathing.
To objectify and quantify energetic (biochemical,
electrophysiological, and metabolic) changes produced with
Limbic Breathing, I decided to be the subject of an
experiment. My collaborator was Madhava Subbarao, M.D.,
chief of anesthesiology at our hospital. He inserted an
arterial catheter into my radial (wrist) artery. Blood
samples were drawn several times over a period of one and a
half hours. The results showed a near 75 % drop in the blood
level of lactic acid and a near four-fold increase in the
blood level of pyruvic acid. These changes were followed by
a sustained drop in the partial pressure of oxygen over a
two hour period. Lactic acid is produced by cells starved
for oxygen. It is an excellent barometer for the tissues
under duress.
An Olympic athlete knows he must stop after his peak
performance. He knows his tissues will no longer support the
demands of his head. At a biochemical level, his tissues
accumulate lactic acid (and related end-products of
metabolism) and demand a time-out. Clinically, this is
referred to as oxygen debt. With rest, oxygen replenishes
the depleted tissues and the oxygen debt is re-paid. The
tissues thus recover their ability to respond to calls for
repeat performance.
In 1967, The New England Journal of Medicine (277:1329)
reported the results of research linking lactic acid to
anxiety attacks and neurosis. The authors administered a
lactic acid and salt solution intravenously both to a group
of patients with anxiety neurosis and a control group.
Lactic acid induced an anxiety attack in about half the
patients with neurosis, and interestingly in 20% of the
control subjects. They interrogated these normal control
subjects and discovered that many had histories of previous
problems. Salt solution used as a control did not cause
significant anxiety in either group.
The core message: We can learn to reduce our blood lactic
acid with Limbic Breathing. This is, in my judgement, the
most precious first-aid kit that everyone can carry around
at all times. One cannot misplace it. It is always there
when you need it.
III. Normalized Free Radical Activity
Oxygen deficit directly increases free radical activity.
Every element that causes excess acidity in body tissues
increases free radical activity. Every element that
increases the fluidity (viscosity) of blood, lymph, and
other fluids of the body also increases free radical
activity. For professional readers, I present detailed
scientific explanations of these relationships in Darwin and
Dysox Trilogy, the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth volumes of
The Principles and Practice of Integrative Medicine.
IV. Restoration of Viscosity of Blood, Lymph, and Other
Body Fluids
Lack of oxygen in blood causes congealing of plasma and
sludging of blood cells. Marked and persistent oxygen
deficit leads to the development of microclot and
microplaque formation in the circulating blood. All of these
changes thicken the blood and impede the flow of blood in
arteries and veins. Less blood means less oxygen. For an
in-depth discussion of this crucial subject, I refer
professional readers to my article entitled "AA Oxidopathy"
published in 1997 in the Journal of Integrative Medicine
(available at www.jintmed.com).
V. Reduction of Activity of the Sympathetic System
Emotional and lifestyle stressors disrupt the balance
between the two arms of a major part of the nervous system
called the autonomic nervous system: the sympathetic and
parasympathetic systems. Reduction of stress by various
self-regulatory methods autoregulation, in my terminology
normalizes the functions of both arms of the autonomic
nervous system. Furthermore, such changes can be expected to
be more pronounced in subjects who suffer from a derangement
of the autonomic system called dysautonomia. Any or all
autonomic parameters including supine and upright heart
rates, blood pressure values, and ratios between
high-frequency and low-frequency signals may be affected.
In one instance, I conducted a power spectral analysis of
heart rate variability of a 42-year-old man who suffered
from severe depression and
fibromyalgia. He missed his exit
from a highway, developed a reaction to automobile exhaust,
and then became very annoyed at the barking of his dog. His
supine heart rate was 117 beats per minute and jumped to 135
beats per minute as he stood up for the orthostatic
challenge. He was advised to practice autoregulation with
Limbic Breathing for fifteen minutes after which the power
spectral analysis was repeated. There was a marked reduction
in the sympathetic nervous system and improvement in other
autonomic features. I refer the reader to my book
Integrative Cardiology, the sixth volume of The Principles
and Practice of Integrative Medicine Volume (2005) for full
description of this and many other case studies of
individuals with problems of the autonomic nervous system,
such as sympathetic or parasympathetic dominance. In this
volume, I offer a detailed description of the clinical value
of power spectral analysis of heart rate variability.
VI. Prevention of Involuntary Muscle Tightness
Tightened muscles impede blood flow through them by
mechanical compression. Abdominal cramps triggered by viral
infections and adverse food reactions are caused by spasm of
muscles in the stomach and bowel. These are commonly known
examples of what undue muscle tightness can do. What is not
often recognized that anxiety, anger, hostility, and
depression also cause generalized muscle tightness that
diminishes blood flow throughout the body. In my experience,
no other measure can more effectively prevent unnecessary
and involuntary muscle contractionwasted energy in
musclesthan slow Limbic Breathing.
Three Essentials of Limbic Breathing
There are three essential components of Limbic Breathing,
two mechanical and one energetic: (1) diaphragmatic
ventilation; (2) prolongation of expiration after a
momentary pause following inspirations; and (3) a component
that "breathes energy" into specific parts of the body.
begins with simple autogenic suggestions of energetic tissue
expansion and ends with heightened awareness of tissue
energy and profound physiological benefits. As for the first
element, diaphragmatic breathing, simply stated, is a
natural mode of breathing controlled by the movement of
diaphragm, the muscular sheet that separates the chest
cavity from the abdominal cavity. The diaphragm muscle
contracts to push down the abdominal viscera and expand the
chest cavity, with a resultant rush of air into the lungs to
fill the expanded space in that cavity. The mechanical
aspects of the second element of prolonged breathing are
illustrated in my 2-DVD video entitled "Healing: Energetic
and Spiritual". The third energetic component is an
experiential element with clearly demonstrable
electrophysiologic effects.
The Palm Method for Initial Training in Limbic Breathing
Most adults "chest-breathe"opposite of the natural
abdominal bleedingas a matter of poor habit. When I teach
limbic breathing, my patients have no difficulty in
understanding the basic mechanics of limbic diaphragmatic
breathing. Then I demonstrate to them the simple steps of
limbic breathing by focusing on the forward motion of my
abdominal wall when I breathe in and the slow and sustained
roll back of my abdomen with expiration. My shoulders and
chest wall do not move during either the breathe-in or the
breathe-out phase of my ventilation. They observe me
closely. Then I ask them to simply copy the movements of my
abdominal wall without moving their chest muscles and
shoulders. More often than not, they do exactly the opposite
of what I demonstrate to them. They immediately take a deep
and forceful breath, lifting their chest wall and shoulders,
and pulling in their abdominal wall. I point out the mistake
in that and demonstrate the correct method again. They try
again and repeat their earlier mistake. Again, I describe in
simple words the right method and give them another
demonstration of the limbic breath-in process. They try
again, repeat and recognize the mistake and look puzzled. I
repeat my demonstration. They try again, repeat the mistake,
and become frustrated. Such is the habit of their chest
muscles! It amuses me to see that confusion and frustration
on their faces month after month (with different
individuals) as they recognize their mistakes but cannot
seem to make the necessary correction on their own. Such is
the hold of cortical breathing on them!
To help my patients overcome the initial confusion and
frustration with limbic breathing, during the early years of
my teaching autoregulation, I developed a simple method
which I designated as the "Palm Method" (Palm-On-the-Abdomen
Method) for initial training. The Palm Method has the
following four steps:
„ First, I instruct my patient to sit on the edge of the
chair, rest the left hand on the left knee and to gently
place the right palm over the lower abdomen. Left-handed
individuals can reverse that order if desired.
„ Second, I ask my patients to push the palm resting on the
lower abdomen as far out as the can, unmindful of any
movement of the shoulders, rib cage, or abdomen.
„ Third, when the palm over the abdomen is pushed out as far
as possible, I ask the patient to hold the breath for a
second or two.
„ Fourth, I ask the patient to slowly, and in a step wise
fashion, allow the palm on the lower abdomen to move back in
(illustrated in Figure 9).
Pause Between Inhalation and Exhalation
During the development of the method of limbic breathing, I
recognized that for most of my patients a momentary pause
between inspiration and expiration was useful in learning
the basic steps. So, I incorporated a momentary pause (one
or two seconds) between the two phases of respiration. Some
years later, when I studied ancient as well as some modern
texts on therapeutic breathing, I found clear differences
between various methods. For example, the traditional Indian
pranayama emphasizes a pause between inhalation and
exhalation. In the Rebirthing method, by contrast, there is
considerable emphasis on connecting breathe-in and
breathe-out phases of breathing. Intrigued by those belief
systems, I tested the two methods. I was not able to
validate any clinical benefits of one method over the other.
So, I stayed with the method using a momentary pause, which
seemed to facilitate initial training.
Clinical Benefits of Limbic Breathing
Limbic Breathing is valuable in the management of all acute,
subacute, and chronic health disorders. Below, is a partial
list of disorders in which I have documented dramatic
benefits of Limbic Breathing:
►
Anxiety, stress states, mood disorders, and depression,
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Anger and hostility states
►
Headache, including the so-called migraine disorder,
►
Leg cramps and the so-called restless leg syndrome,
►
Sleep apnea and hyperventilation syndrome,
►
Heart palpitations, skipped heart beats, and atrial
fibrillation,
►
Irritable bowel syndrome,
►
Crohn's colitis, ulcerative colitis, and colonic
diverticulosis,
►
Asthma and emphysema,
►
Endometriosis, PMS, and menopausal syndrome,
►
Interstitial cystitis,
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Chronic prostatitis,
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Chronic neck and back pain, and
►
Miscellaneous pain syndromes.
In Healing Miracles and the Bite of the Gray Dog (1997) and
What Do Lions Know About Stress (1996) I furnish a large
number of illustrative case studies documenting patterns of
healing with Limbic Breathing in all of the above
conditions, as well as in many others.
In closing, cellular energy production essentially occurs in
mitochondria. Excess acidity, incremental free radical
activity, and thickening of the body fluidsacting singly or
in concertimpair mitochondrial function. Limbic Breathing
addresses all three threats to the mitochondrial function
and so improves cellular energy generation.
To paraphrase a biblical advice (James 1:19), everyone
should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to
breathe become angryand breathe slowly.
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