Conscious control of the breathing process making it slow, deep, diaphragmatic, abdominal and rhythmic is a potent technique of stress management for physical, mental and spiritual health.
Activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is said to control the rate of breathing. Stress disturbs the balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the ANS stimulating the former and slowing the latter. This results in shallow and fast breathing.
Spiritual practices long understood that conscious, slow, deep, diaphragmatic breathing reduces stress. Taking conscious control of the breathing process, we learn to establish a balance between the activities of the two divisions of the ANS. Recent studies establish that this type of deep breathing is beneficial in the non-pharmaceutical management and prevention of hypertension, and of other physical and mental health determinants normally under the control of the ANS.
Noting that a large number of adults in North America suffer from hypertension and other ANS related physical and mental health irregularities, SHEN felt it incumbent to use these studies for common good through public education.
SHEN proposes to health professionals in stress management through physiology based deep diaphragmatic breathing. Trained students will then be expected to reach out to the community by offering similar training to community groups at physical and mental health centers, addiction management and rehab centers, churches, health clubs, workplaces, recreation centers, senior residences, training and educational organizations, etc.
We have devised a training program for for health professionals consisting of eight two hour sessions, normally one per week over eight (or fewer) weeks with each session comprising of the following components:
Additionally, the students will:
The goal of the program is to experientially and cognitively gain enough conviction in the process to comfortably and effectively offer eight two hour workshops to community groups. The students will be instructed to insist that no one stops or changes the dosage of any medication without consulting one’s physician.
Interested students will benefit in various ways through their personal learning and through reaching out to benefit the community groups. They must be able to travel locally to receive and deliver the necessary training and for making the arrangements related to this program.
Cognitive Learning
Experiential Learning