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Summary of Question:	Asthma
Category:	Other
Date Posted:	Sunday, 7/16/2000 6:26 PM MDT

wahegurujekakhalsa

wahegurujekefateh

i have asthma

in yogic terms why is it caused?

and how can it be treated

?

thanks
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reply
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Asthma is a condition of fear. You are reacting to not having enough breath in your life....as though you were being smothered. It can come from some part of the psyche from birth or even before birth. We really do not know exactly. It does not matter now. What matters is helping you getting your breath back full and deep. You want to cut through this and build up your lung capacity.

We have in Yoga what we call "stage therapy"
It is a series of breath meditations that you do, one after the other. It will take you 6 months to a year to go through this process. But, it works.

Since, we have not met, and I do not know your situation, I will give you some very general intructions that should work for anyone. If you want to consult a doctor before proceeding, go ahead. If you start the process and have questions some days or months down the line, you can contact: healthnow@grdcenter.org

1. Segmented Breath-11 minutes a day-for 90 days

*find a comfortable quiet place to sit* make this a daily habit*same time*same place etc.
-inhale-through the nose in 4 parts (like 4 sniffs)
-exhale-through the nose in 1 part

you can mentally say Sa-ta-na-ma or Wa-he-gu-ru
be sure your shoulders are relaxed
breathe with a relaxed belly
When you finish this 90 days you can move on to #2.

2. Long Deep breathing-40 to 90 days
start at 11 minutes and build up to 31 minutes at a time
-inhale through the nose-hold for a split second
-exhale through the nose-hold for a split second
When you finish this segment of 40 to 90 days you can move on to #3.

3. One minute breath 40 -90 days
start at 11 minutes and build up to 31 minutes a day
-inhale slowly through the nose for 20 seconds
-hold the breath for 20 seconds
-exhale slowly through the nose for 20 seconds
and repeat.....it is nice to use a mantra like Sa-ta-na-ma, keeping count on your fingers....like you are keeping rythym with a taal in Gurbani kirtan.
When you finish this 40 -90 days, you can continue for the reat of your life and enjoy the benefits that it brings to you.

Each time you do one of these meditations be sure to lie down on your back and relax afterwards. Deeply relax every fiber of your being. Play soft kirtan or music to help relax. Keep a journal and write down your experiences.

God bless you....sorry it took so long to respond to your question.