The Dog Cancer Survival Guide by Susan Ettinger Demian Dressler
Authors: Susan Ettinger Demian Dressler
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THREE DEEP BREATHS
Duration : 2 minutes
Indication : any negative emotion
Studies have shown that breathing exercises like this one make you more focused, calmer and better able to handle new situations. Errors in thinking drop off, learning is enhanced and attention bandwidth is expanded to deal with critical information.
To illustrate just how quickly attention to the breath can make a difference, let’s take two minutes right now.
Check a clock and notice what time it is.
Turn your attention to your body and see where you find discomfort. Maybe you have an ache in your heel, a slight headache or your wrist hurts. It doesn’t matter how uncomfortable it is, or where it is. Don’t try to do anything to solve the discomfort – just notice it. It may be easier to close your eyes, so that you can focus on the physical sensations.
Rate the discomfort on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being slight discomfort and 10 being extreme discomfort. Remember this number (write it down if you need to).
Now, turn your attention to the sensation of your breath’s movement as you breathe in and out. You might feel it in your nose, mouth, throat, chest or belly. Close your eyes to help you focus there while you take three slow, deep, deliberate breaths. Let your lungs fill completely and then, breathe out completely. As you do this, pay attention to the physical sensations which the breath creates in your body.
Now, turn your attention back to the body part you noticed earlier. What do you sense there? Rate your discomfort on the same 1 to 10 scale. How does it compare to your first number?
Look back at the clock and notice how much time has passed.
The vast majority of guardians experience a decrease in their discomfort as a result of directing their attention to their breathing. For some, the discomfort disappears altogether.
In addition to relieving physical discomfort, this simple, two-minute exercise lowers stress levels, oxygenates your blood (and your brain), calms and relaxes you. By focusing on physical sensations, rather than emotional content or thinking, you are creating some distance between your emotions and your thoughts.
You are also cultivating your observational skills. Checking the clock before and after the exercise can affirm for you just how powerful your own breath is – and how quickly it can help you.
This exercise has a lot of impact. And if you do it again (feel free to repeat it right now), the effects add up. When you need quick relief, this is a good exercise to use. You can do it just before you go into the vet’s office, at night before you go to sleep, or in the shower. Use it as often as needed.
The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated.”
–Plato
It’s been over two thousand years since Plato wrote those words, and they’re still true today. Matters of the soul are not generally addressed in conventional medicine ... and we’re slowly learning that we need to go beyond the “nuts and bolts” of anatomy. The body-mind connection is a focus of study in many different areas of medicine.
Paying attention to your dog’s body, while ignoring his emotions, is like putting gas in your car, but never changing the oil: eventually, the engine will seize up and stop running. You can also consider the exercises in this chapter part of Step Five of Full Spectrum cancer care (see Chapter 15 ).
FIRE BELLOWS BREATHING
Duration : 15 seconds to one minute
Indication : for clearing the mind
This exercise is adapted from a breathing technique used by yoga practitioners. While slightly noisy, it can make you feel more alive and alert. It’s also been shown to enhance thinking: in one study involving medical doctors, this exercise reduced errors in their daily work.
If you’re feeling agitated, angry, restless, confused, or if you need a “pick me
THREE DEEP BREATHS
Duration : 2 minutes
Indication : any negative emotion
Studies have shown that breathing exercises like this one make you more focused, calmer and better able to handle new situations. Errors in thinking drop off, learning is enhanced and attention bandwidth is expanded to deal with critical information.
To illustrate just how quickly attention to the breath can make a difference, let’s take two minutes right now.
Check a clock and notice what time it is.
Turn your attention to your body and see where you find discomfort. Maybe you have an ache in your heel, a slight headache or your wrist hurts. It doesn’t matter how uncomfortable it is, or where it is. Don’t try to do anything to solve the discomfort – just notice it. It may be easier to close your eyes, so that you can focus on the physical sensations.
Rate the discomfort on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being slight discomfort and 10 being extreme discomfort. Remember this number (write it down if you need to).
Now, turn your attention to the sensation of your breath’s movement as you breathe in and out. You might feel it in your nose, mouth, throat, chest or belly. Close your eyes to help you focus there while you take three slow, deep, deliberate breaths. Let your lungs fill completely and then, breathe out completely. As you do this, pay attention to the physical sensations which the breath creates in your body.
Now, turn your attention back to the body part you noticed earlier. What do you sense there? Rate your discomfort on the same 1 to 10 scale. How does it compare to your first number?
Look back at the clock and notice how much time has passed.
The vast majority of guardians experience a decrease in their discomfort as a result of directing their attention to their breathing. For some, the discomfort disappears altogether.
In addition to relieving physical discomfort, this simple, two-minute exercise lowers stress levels, oxygenates your blood (and your brain), calms and relaxes you. By focusing on physical sensations, rather than emotional content or thinking, you are creating some distance between your emotions and your thoughts.
You are also cultivating your observational skills. Checking the clock before and after the exercise can affirm for you just how powerful your own breath is – and how quickly it can help you.
This exercise has a lot of impact. And if you do it again (feel free to repeat it right now), the effects add up. When you need quick relief, this is a good exercise to use. You can do it just before you go into the vet’s office, at night before you go to sleep, or in the shower. Use it as often as needed.
The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated.”
–Plato
It’s been over two thousand years since Plato wrote those words, and they’re still true today. Matters of the soul are not generally addressed in conventional medicine ... and we’re slowly learning that we need to go beyond the “nuts and bolts” of anatomy. The body-mind connection is a focus of study in many different areas of medicine.
Paying attention to your dog’s body, while ignoring his emotions, is like putting gas in your car, but never changing the oil: eventually, the engine will seize up and stop running. You can also consider the exercises in this chapter part of Step Five of Full Spectrum cancer care (see Chapter 15 ).
FIRE BELLOWS BREATHING
Duration : 15 seconds to one minute
Indication : for clearing the mind
This exercise is adapted from a breathing technique used by yoga practitioners. While slightly noisy, it can make you feel more alive and alert. It’s also been shown to enhance thinking: in one study involving medical doctors, this exercise reduced errors in their daily work.
If you’re feeling agitated, angry, restless, confused, or if you need a “pick me
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