- Have the elder lie on their back on a firm bed, or the floor if possible. Bend the knees, placing feet flat, at a comfortable distance from buttocks. Rest their hands on their stomach, just below the ribs.
- Coach them to breathe in slowly through their nose, filling the lungs. The lower part of their stomach should rise first. If the chest rises first, they are not breathing correctly and are not using their diaphragm. This is shallow, ineffective breathing.
- Have them exhale slowly through their mouth, emptying their lungs - notice the abdomen flattening. Encourage breathing out for a longer count than they breathed in, completely emptying the lungs.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Breathing Exercises
Is your Elder breathing correctly? Here is a three-step process which will relax, alkalize, and help them maximize their oxygen levels.
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At 51, I still stop to admire the uniqueness of every sunset; and those bright, talismanic October moons that adorn the sky after midnight. Most people I know look at them as the end of something. To me, they're beautiful beginnings that remind me nothing in Creation really ends.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look at the elderly around my neighborhood, I feel respect instead of compassion. There's a lot to be learned from them, like how to take an honest look beyond the mirror. As I peer into my future I notice they're already there; because the elderly are me. Who I was, who I am, who I'm going to be in the not-so-distant future.