Mindful PAP Therapy - How to Use Yoga, Meditation, and Other Relaxation Techniques to Improve Your CPAP Experience

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Mindful PAP Therapy - How to Use Yoga, Meditation, and Other Relaxation Techniques to Improve Your CPAP Experience

By Admin

Is CPAP the new yoga? Maybe not, but for those prescribed CPAP therapy, the routine can be a relaxing precursor to high quality sleep. Perfecting this may take time and practice, but the benefits will eventually outweigh any costs to comfort or convenience. In fact, yoga and other relaxation techniques like deep breathing and tai chi can actually boost the beneficial effects of CPAP therapy, giving you a much healthier mind and body for new days ahead. All you have to do is start small and learn the techniques, one breath at a time. Just like PAP therapy, there can be difficulties along the way, but each moment of daily practice brings you closer to the goal of improved health and sleep. While some may feel that this is a lot to ask of patients already struggling to adapt to a therapy lifestyle, others have learned that deep breathing and meditation make the learning process much easier and far more rewarding. Whether you are a new patient or a seasoned PAP therapy devotee, incorporating ancient mind and body practices have the potential to improve health and wellbeing on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

CPAP and Traditional Breathing Exercises

Pranayama is related to Ujjayi breathing, which is a breath control practice used in many Taoist and Yogic traditions. By controlling breaths and synchronizing them with healthy postures, stretches, and movements (known as asanas), the practice helps to exercise and naturalize the body. What is fascinating is that yogic breathing and other similar practices, if performed prior to therapy or during therapy, can actually enhance the experience and improve results. Just like PAP therapy, yogic breathing improves metabolism and reduces cardiovascular morbidity. In addition, practicing breath control as part of a CPAP routine can greatly increase lung capacity and strengthen the respiratory muscles, resulting in deeper breaths and higher blood oxygen levels. There are a number of breathing exercises in yoga, but most begin with slower or deeper breathing, followed by retention between inhalation (Pūraka) and exhalation (Recaka). More precisely, the internal retention of breath is referred to as Antah kumbhaka, and the external retention of breathing is called Bahih or Bahya kumbhaka. These exercises consist mainly of deep breaths with delays between moments of inhaling and exhaling. In relation to yoga, Ujjayi breathing is sometimes called "the ocean breath” or “So Hum” breathing due to the sounds it can make when taking deep breaths with the "S" sound on inhalation and the "H" sound on exhalation. This is done by passing breaths along the glottis, which also strengthens the airway.

Similar to Pranayama or Ujjayi breathing, diaphragmatic breathing (deep breathing) is considered the natural state of breathing in infants and animals. In diaphragmatic breathing, the chest does not rise, but the belly expands upon inhalation. Some call this “belly breathing,” but this term is actually just a way to describe the practice of breathing low and deep into the lungs. An effective way to begin your breath control, deep or diaphragmatic breathing can have almost immediate positive effects. Performing several deep, slow breaths in a row can reduce the built-up stress and anxiety that often keeps us tensed and awake, and at the same time strengthen and tone the upper airway muscles. Over time, this type of breathing alters body and brain chemistry through a process called neuroplasticity, which creates a calming effect that can carry on through sleep. We have written about breathing exercises before, but it is a subject of great importance that many people would like to include in their therapy, yet often forget or discontinue the practice.

In order to benefit from these exercises, you have to discipline yourself and keep a steady routine. For best results, it is recommended that you seek guidance and training from a professional instructor, but you can always begin on your own. Only through regular practice will you be able to retrain your breathing to become a more natural and relaxed breather by habit. Breathing control is the key ingredient to any relaxation technique, and it is especially important for a restful therapy and a complete night of sleep. Breathing exercises such as pranayama, like other breathing exercises, is a stepping stone to a healthier lifestyle.

Meditation

As you practice breath control methods, some beginning meditation techniques can be incorporated into therapy without much effort. Simply attend to passing thoughts as they come, concentrating on each breath as needed. Each time that a stressful thought arises, refocus upon breathing until you gain better control. Either an upright or reclining posture can be adopted, but your position should be balanced. When practiced before bed, meditation can facilitate the shift from the beta state, our conscious state of awakeness, to the alpha and theta states of sleep onset, thereby reducing stress and calming the mind. The long-term effects of regular meditation can impact everything from daily mood to appetite, quality of sleep, quality of life, and even mental acuity. There are many forms of meditation that can be included in a therapy or pre-therapy routine, but breath control is often the starting point. Breathing slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth can begin the process of gaining control over the body and mind. In fact, one form of meditation called Trataka, or “yogic gazing,” begins with staring toward a single point such as a small object, light, or candle flame. The staring helps to focus the mind and senses as you breathe. Along with a healthful and comfortable posture, this method of concentration can help to clear the mind of negative thoughts and relax the body for sleep onset. (And no, a television does likely count as a clarifying point of focus, but good try).

Yoga Postures and Movements

Obviously you won’t be doing a lot of twisting and turning with a CPAP hose attached to you, but the practice of yoga begins with rather simple yet highly effective postures. Even the simplest postures and stretches can have great effects, leading to higher oxygen intake, lower blood pressure, and lower blood cholesterol and blood glucose levels. When performed along with breath control techniques or meditation, these simple techniques can contribute to great reductions in stress and anxiety that can potentially counteract depression and other mood disorders. Some basic yogic positions to start with include the “Seated Forward Bend,” and the “Seated Twist.” Now, you may not want to bend or twist too much with CPAP in place, but the techniques are not meant to be strenuous.

The Seated Forward Bend consists of an upright posture followed by a reach for the toes ahead of you. You should inhale as you raise your arms upward, and exhale as you bend forward and reach. Like other moves in yoga, this position should be held and repeated several times.

The Seated Twist begins in an upright position as well, but with legs crossed. When exhaling, you should place your right hand on your left knee, then twist toward the left very gently, then repeat to the opposite side. Each twist should be held for several seconds. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even try the “Cat-Cow,” which consists of a hands and knees position in which deep breaths are allowed to drop toward the abdomen. By hanging the head and arching the spine during inhalation, the body is allowed to drop during exhalation. The point is to have the abdomen hang with each breath, helping to lower the focus of your breathing while loosening up the neck and spine at the same time. Like the breathing exercises, yoga postures should begin with fairly simple stretches and comfortable positions. Over time, the techniques can become more challenging, but the more difficult forms should only be attempted under the direction of a professional trainer. For the purposes of an improved CPAP therapy routine, only the simplest movements are needed to enhance benefits and improve the overall experience.

Mindfulness and Well-being

In addition to the physical and mental improvements that these ancient practices produce, they also help to clear your thinking and calm your nerves. By increasing your sense of awareness, such practices can potentially lead to benefits beyond the physical manifestations of the training. In other words, you can gain insights into life and self that may not have occurred to you otherwise. This may sound like a profound statement, and it is meant to be. Ancient practices have survived through centuries of human history for a reason. They are not only healthy forms of exercise, but also help to direct your thoughts toward a clear sense of focus, giving you a more balanced perspective and a life less hindered by stress and worry.