You’re happily going along, simply minding your own business, when all of a sudden you feel your chest begin to tighten. You’re struggling to breathe, gasping for air, wheezing away - but it’s is futile. The harder you try the less you feel able to. You’re desperate and the more you panic the worse it gets. Finally, you collapse in utter exhaustion, by which time the nightmare subsides and you are able to breathe normally again.

An asthma attack may last for only a few minutes or for hours or days. During an attack, the air passages on the way to the lungs tighten and become inflamed and the smooth muscle of the bronchioles contract, reducing the diameter of the airways. Air moving in and out of the lungs becomes constricted, making it difficult to breathe. Not only do the body cells not get enough oxygen, but excess carbon dioxide remains in the body. As there is no supporting cartilage, the muscle spasms can potentially close off the airways, inducing a life-threatening situation.

How many of us are affected? Affecting between 100 and 150 million people worldwide, asthma is found amongst people of all age groups, but mostly in young children, with the majority of absentee slips in schools relating to asthma.

The Symptoms: persistent cough, recurrent episodes of dyspnoea, wheezing, tightness of the chest, a shortness of breath and a loss of energy due to excessive exertion on inhalation.

The Cause According to Western medicine, any of the following, either combined or on their own, can result in inflamed respiratory airways and cause or trigger asthma:

•Genetic factors

•Exposure to allergens (e.g. house dust mite, animal dander, moulds, pollen, flowers, grass, cockroaches, latex, food additives, soap powders, tobacco smoke and medications)

•Weather conditions (eg. cold air in winter and rainy seasons)

•Environmental irritants such as air-conditioning

•Exercise

•Psychological: Asthma often develops after an experience of loss, rejection or major threat to ones personal security. Eg. loss of a loved-one.

•Constipation: often asthmatics suffer from constipation, which either leads to or exacerbates their condition.

In Chinese medicine, asthmas is seen to be the result of phlegm (a by-product of a weak lung, spleen or kidneys). Similarly, in Ayurveda, asthma is considered to be mainly a kapha (the mucous element) syndrome.

How do I know if I have Asthma?

Pulmonary function tests and allergy testing can be conducted by doctors to determine whether you suffer from asthma or another respiratory illness.

What can I do?

Feeling desperate and helpless, asthmatics frequently come to rely heavily on medication. So far, Australia’s most common approach to asthma has been the use of orthodox medications. Treating symptoms this way is a temporary solution and medications often have negative side-effects. Eg. Inhaling steroids can cause yeast infections in the mouth, cataracts in the eyes and brittleness of the bones.

How can I empower myself rather than form a dependence on medication and drugs?

The Breath

As mental tension and asthma are interlinked, an asthmatic who learns to keep his mind relaxed can reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. This is why breathing techniques are so beneficial.

Rhythmic Diaphragmatic Breathing

With the shallow pattern of breathing many of us have acquired, we hardly utilize the diaphragm when we breathe. Deep diaphragmatic breathing is simple and effective and can be practiced when an asthma attack is imminent.

Lie comfortably on your back with your head supported on a folded towel or small cushion. With closed eyes, place your hands on your abdomen, palms of the hands facing downwards. Begin by taking a few normal breaths in and out through the nostrils, simply becoming aware of the breath. Gradually increase the length of the in and exhalation. Now take your awareness into the belly and as you inhale, focus on expanding the belly. With each inhalation the belly expands like a balloon; with each exhalation it relaxes. Complete ten breaths and then allow your breath to return to normal and rest with eyes closed.

Sudarshan Kriya Yoga According to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, we utilize about 30% of our lung capacity and yet 90% of the toxins in the body are released through the breath. The breath is the link between the body and the mind. With each emotion there is a corresponding pattern of the breath. Eg. when you are feeling anxious your breathing pattern changes, becoming shorter and harder. Similarly, when the mind is calm the breath is automatically slow, deep and easy. By changing the pattern of our breath, we can change our emotional and mental state of being, increase our energy and our overall wellbeing.

During an asthma attack the breath becomes short and hard. The shorter it breath becomes the person panics and the more they panic the shorter their breath becomes. Gaining a few breathing skills helps asthmatic to help themselves. Asthmatics around the world have benefited hugely from the practice of the Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) breathing technique, taught in Sri Sri’s Art of Living courses.