The Daniel Adler Clinic Newsletter: Issue 2, Breathe

In this issue:

As September brings the transition into the new season and the changing of our routines, it is important to remember to breathe.

Take a moment to consider your breathing right now.

Focus on your breath as it enters your nose and mouth. Inhale and exhale.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Do it again. And again. Don’t change your breath. Don’t judge it. Just take this moment to be aware of your breath.

Now think about how your breath feels. How it not only gives you life but helps you to feel alive. It’s pretty darn amazing.

Learning to come back to your breathing during a time of change is an important skill to practice. It will help you regulate stress, stay in the moment, and appreciate who you are.

When you are trying to get your kids back into a routine, or accepting that the summer sun is going to transition to chilly fall days, breathing will keep you focused and calm as change moves around you.

Learning how to breathe fully and powerfully can also be an essential step to rehabilitate your body and restore your vitality.

It’s not easy though!

I have a lot of breathing practice under my belt, but I can still find myself “losing it” when engaging with a challenging situation. (Ever been already 15 minutes late for work and your child insists that their socks “feel wrong”? If you know, you know.)

That said, if I did not practice my breathing, the navigation of daily work would be a whole lot more intense.

So, on that note:

Breathe in. Breathe out.

One of my main “goals” when I treat you is to create an encompassing space for you to be in. A place where you can literally relax and breathe.

Deep breath work is one of the key practices for this.

I was taught very early on to work with deep abdominal breathing:

• Shifting the focus of the breath away from my chest and heart areas and into my abdomen.

• Activating the lower abdomen and diaphragm in a deliberate and controlled manner.

• Developing the physical aspect of breathing deeply to optimize the energetic aspect of using the lung’s full capacity.

• Engaging the larger system of my body to let tension slowly release by using deep, long, smooth and regulated breathing.

Over time this has allowed me to be a generally calmer and more centred. In fact, my wife often laughs when wondering how I would be if i didn’t do breathing practice!.

This deep abdominal breathing in turn enters into the treatment sphere when I work with you:

Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Centre myself in my abdomen.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.

The more I am with my breath, the “stiller” I become.

That stillness (read “less agitation”) moves through my hands to your body. I wait gently and patiently for your breathing to soften a little.

This makes the connection between us.

This is the signal that I may start to work.

As your breath deepens, it tells me that your nervous system has softened a little, allowing your mind and spirit to settle.

All of this hinges on my breathing gently and deeply.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.

It’s a constant practice that has taken time to develop. Having done it for some time there is a “cumulative effect” that has had an overall change. So while I am working with you I am constantly coming back to my own breath in order to hold that larger, expansive space for you.

Often, at the end of a treatment, I am told that you feel “so tired”. This is a very positive sign: It indicates that your conventional, active mind which drives your body has been dis-engaged.

It also tells me that you have let go of a lot of your latent nervous stress and tension, and have settled your spirit more deeply into your body. This is a state that allows for a much deeper healing.

As your breathing becomes less tense and strained, the overall nervous tension and holding within your body-mind softens. This allows for a larger circulation of your energy and blood, which in turn leads to a stronger therapeutic effect for whatever your main concern may be.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.

PS – If you would like to schedule some time together, please click the button below.

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Yes! Various Kampo formulas are designed to support respiratory health and address conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and allergies. Some can even address bad breath!

2000 years ago, when Traditional East Asian Medicine was frontline medicine, the doctors of the day had to develop many formulas to work with the effects of afflictions like flu, the common cold, asthma, bronchitis, and whooping cough.

(They did not refer to these diseases of the respiratory system by these modern names but they were very observant of the effects, symptoms and stages of development of these diseases.)

Then they systematically applied their knowledge of the effects of herbs and their properties plus combinations of herbs into formulas to help with the managing of these diseases.

We are now able to combine the appropriate use of modern pharmaceuticals with traditional herbal formulas. Together we can assist in alleviating the symptoms and possibly rectifying the causes of some respiratory issues.

A formula such as Qing Fei Tang (literally “Clear the Lungs Decoction”) can be used in the acute stages of colds or flus. Bu Fei Tang (“Tonify the Lung Decoction”) can help with some chronic lung issues.

There are formulas for dealing with copious discharge from your nose or copious phlegm or phlegm that is difficult to hack up. Ding Chuan Tang (“Arrest Wheezing Decoction”) is often used to help Asthma (with the appropriate presentation).

Please remember that while these formulas listed above are effective, they are only effective when matched to your specific condition. Do not rush out to buy them without checking with a professional first!

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Many great Masters have said profound things about the importance of our breath. There is a Daoist proverb that states:

“To circulate the breath is to cultivate life.”

The great Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh, said:

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.”

But I like my mother’s quote best:

(I always wonder, what happened to the people who took the placebo to ensure proper outcomes for this trial?)

Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.

You may be interested in these breath-related classes. Please note that I have not met either of these instructors. But having done some research I feel comfortable referring you to them.

Soul Dimension Breathing Class

Every Wednesday at 1:00pm EDT (Participate Online)
LEARN MORE

Connect with your body, mind, heart and soul with your breath. Experience a technique that combines modern therapeutic breathwork practices with the ancient knowledge of yoga pranayama, chakras, energy balancing, sound healing, and guided meditation. Free!

Deepening the Journey: Breathwork Experience

Dates & Locations Vary
LEARN MORE

Individual or group breathwork sessions, either in-person in the Toronto area or virtually worldwide. Discover the transformative power of breathwork, that promotes physical and emotional healing through conscious breathing.

Thank you for taking some of your precious time to read this newsletter.

I hope you have found something in it to be of benefit!

Breathing is a reminder of our connection to life. In a world that often rushes us, how can you create moments in your day to pause and breathe deeply?

Consider what you might discover in that stillness.

– Daniel (T’agyol) Adler