Frequently Asked Questions (Mental / Emotional Issues)

HEART TROUBLES & ANXIETY

Dear Mike,

I am writing to request your kind assistance relating to a problem with my health which is caused by anxiety (as surgeons Have told me). The problem is that I have difficulty in breathing. Whenever I am in stress, or worry about something I cannot catch my breath. In these situations I need to take a deep breath in order to relax. If I cannot catch the deep breath, I do not feel good and my head spins slightly. Doctors have told me that this problem is related to anxiety and have given me medication (Insight on). x-rays of my lungs have shown no problems.

I would like to ask whether this breathing problem is directly related to anxiety or whether it can be due to problems with other organs such as my heart or lungs. I look forward to your response and how I can solve this problem.

From Mike:
I read your test scores. From my experience, breathing problems most often cause heart problems. Not the reverse. Anxiety is most often caused by some form of compromised or poor breathing. Dr. Sheldon Hendler, MD Ph.D states that "breathing is the FIRST place, not the LAST place, one should investigate when ANY evidence of disordered energy presents itself."

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Blessings,

Mike

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

From Marie: I have a feeling many are misdiagnosed, I see a lot of talk about pill's of one type or another, meds being the only thing that works for AADD/ADD, and say Baloney! I take all kinds of meds and don't see them do much of anything. My boss is a rad/onc and I see daily the effects of people who do not want to change their life style to accommodate (prevent) their illness.

Some actually believe that what they eat has no bearing on their mental as well as their physical health. We are an over fed under nourished country.

I only made it 3 days with no refined carbs-by Tuesday night I was climbing the wall and snapping at everyone. I relapsed with ice cream. During the 3 days I ate nothing white-my sleep improved-I made it to REM and had some vivid dreams. That is a BIG change-I usually sleep no longer than 2 hours at a stretch, wake up for 1/2 hr-back to sleep. It's very hard to make this kind of change, but I so want to feel better.

From Mike:
Dear Marie:

I feel for you in the job you have to do. I care not for most oncologists as I believe they are working with an inadequate paradigm taught in a dysfunctional educational system that too often kills people. Not that they are bad people they just do not help the person live, if that is what the person would like to do. And who wouldn't want to live if they were healthy and happy. Oncologists do not have the tools they should have for the responsibilities and powers they get paid big bucks for. They too often wear people down with chemo and surgery to where death is actually welcome.

Please try to wake up the email list group ADD moderators and get them open to the idea that holism is a lot more then taking meds and paying excessive and too often stupid-doctor-bills. To put one's trust and even life in the hands of an oncologist is in my opinion sometimes but rarely appropriate and most often damn poor odds for regaining optimum health or even surviving.

Frankly I would do a two week to one month intensive with strict internal cleansing, fasting, hatha yoga or stretching, breathing redevelopment and vegan foods to see what happens with the ADD symptoms. I'll bet they reduce a little, a lot, or all together. Individual responsibility and holistic treatment are dearly needed here. Integrate all this with Recommended Product.

Click on http://www.livingnutrition.com

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or try http://www.living-foods.com. It is another web site that has a HUGE chat line with a lot of good, even brilliant people, and of course, with a group that large, a few jerks and zealots.

Also http://www.rawfood.com. They have a good retreat center.

I just do not have the time to address this now. It is not my specialty. Breathing is, and EVERYTHING gets impacted by how we breathe. EVERYTHING. Some things more than others. Breathing just HAS to be a significant component to ADD.

Good luck. You have your work cut out for you. But I believe you can beat it because you have a great attitude and see the mistakes and inconsistencies of the Western Medical Doctor and are not fooled by their purposeful miss-information, outright BS and well intended but nevertheless all too often deadly advice. There are a lot a good and capable MDs and health professionals in the world. Some of them are to be found in the urls above.

Blessings,

Mike

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RITALIN ARTICLE

Dear Sir:

Actually your Edison article's negative attitude toward interventions with Ritalin is more closely associated with those who believe ADD is a myth and Ritalin as an evil drug than those in the ADD world who in fact have to use the medication. In fact Edison is cited by many Adders who try to inspire those with the affliction that they are in good company. Not to mention if Edison wasn't beaten up so much in school he could have gone much farther!

From Mike:
Maybe maybe not. How do YOU know? Often adversity breeds inner strength.

We don't relegate kids to "just do the best you can...so sorry for you" If fact we expect excellence....excellence....excellence!!!!

Expectations are often a form of abuse.

Could you imagine how far Edison could have gone if he had the resources that we have today? He actually had hundreds of inventions that he never finished because of his organizational and attention deficits (too bad for us).

"Many inventors, writers and creative people have several unfinished symphonies" That does not mean they are ADDers. Looks like you may be suffering from the hammer and nail syndrome. If you are a hammer everything looks like a nail. Also some of the "patents" he is credited for we now know he stole...remember Tesla?

You are REALLY getting off the subject. Is this ADD?

That was so unnecessary! He didn't have to steal because he really had abilities but he could not discover what his true limitations were! The small percentage of Robin Williams, Thomas Edisons and Einstein's who make it are not enough just to say just "get tough with these kids and just kick em in the butts." There is too high a prison population of ADDers already who will fall by the wayside unless we help! This negative rhetoric isn't helping. Sure, Ritalin is used too often like aspirin often is but "just keep breathing" is not the answer for those individuals who really need the treatment.

How do you know? the issue is HOW they are breathing as that is the PRIMARY driver of their nervous system. it is not even THOUGHT about let alone looked into. I never even THOUGHT of kicking them in the butts. That is YOUR idea. Projection perhaps? Abuse history perhaps? Nutrition and breathing, family environments, and gentle ways of encouraging AS WELL AS SMALLER CLASSES is my humble suggestion.

Not an easy subject BUT I BELIEVE Ritalin IS over-used TO THE MAX. Back off and before usage or during TRAIN them in breathing fundamentals as you get their diets back to sanity. Read "Calming Classroom Chaos."

DEPRESSION

Dear Sir: I am a therapist practicing Yoga & few procedures of Alt. Med. I am interested to know your novel ways of treating depression through controlled breath. Dr. A.P.

From Mike:
Dear Dr A.P:

Think of depression as depressed mid chest breathing. The heart chakras shuts down. Get them to breathe into the chest or whenever the breath isn't, let them cry, and if it is not too invasive, do bodywork that releases the chest and opens it up for easier breathing. Breathing will alter the emotion. Breathing, nutrition, attitudinal healing, and supportive environment will sustain it. Recommended product

Mike

DEPRESSION

Depression, for the most part, does not cause bad breathing. Bad breathing causes depression. Depression is to me a depressed breath. There has never been a depression that I have not been able to lift with lots of extra breathing. But it is best as well to address the diet and whatever in your environment that is causing you concern.

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STRESS -- DEPRESSION

Been suffering from Stress/mild depression for several months and this has caused my breathing to become bad -- feeling as though out of breath a lot, not taking a full breath. Tight abdomen, chest. Just bought Conscious Breathing by Gay Hendricks and although some of the exercises are good does not seem to be helping a great deal. What would you suggest?

Go to Recommended Program

FEELINGS & EMOTIONS

Mike,

I've had a look at your emotions and breathing page. I was wondering how you differentiate between "feelings" and "emotions".

Could you elaborate a bit more? Thanks

From Mike:
Feelings and emotions are often used interchanging one for the other.

Emotion: energy + motion = emotions. To me feelings are energy but more about body sensations. They are precursors to emotions. Emotions involve action or increased intensity of feeling and ideas about those feelings that allow us to place relative importance on those feelings. You experience a feeling such as a hunch and it may not yet be an emotion. Because emotions are so interdependent upon breathing, shortness of breath can distort or hinder access to all our sensing, intensity, experiences and abilities.

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INCEST SURVIVORS

Question: As an adult I have received a lot of mental health therapy treating me for the trauma of an incestuous childhood. One of the characteristics of incest survivors is a tendency to hold our breath. I believe this is a way to deny having a body. In other words, on some level I believed my female body was my enemy and not breathing was a way to avoid being in my body. Have you had any experience with incest survivors benefiting from your program?

From Mike:
Absolutely. Read Trauflexive.

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LOVE AND BREATHING

I noticed a couple of years back how my breathing has changed. When I was unhappily married and unhappy with who I was, I was a shallow breather. It was as if I didn't love myself enough to breathe deeply of this basic necessity. As I began merging with my true self and loving myself, I noticed a shift in my breathing. It is always a subtle sign to myself if I catch myself breathing shallowly. I take that as an opportunity to breathe deeply and shine some love all over the situation, including me. When I am around others who are breathing shallowly, I focus on breathing deeply and evenly. I send thoughts of unconditional love and thoughts of ease to them. It may not be a quick fix for them, but I know every thought of love I offer them is there ALWAYS and can be redeemed in this moment or years in our future. The great thing about love is it never expires.

From Mike:
Well said. There is great value to this. And one must remember to free up the breath so that it EASILY operates spontaneously this way just in the process of day to day living. You also learned that conscious focus on the breath can make it larger and along with that the heart center can open and we can feel loving more deeply. That is if that is what we intended. Energy often follows thought.

MEMORY

Question: Over the past two months, I've experienced a rapid decline in my ability to process information (written, spoken, and thoughts) and to recall things (short-term memory). It's made me miserable! Could the way I breathe be a factor?

From Mike:
Absolutely but it is impossible to even begin to assess the situation without the Breathing tests Get some #599 E3Live™ and take the tests.

MENTAL FUNCTION

In searching for info that aired last week on studies about mental testing and developing mental practice sessions to enhance, increase and hopefully slow down sluggish or loss of memory as one ages, the article on breathing came up. It was the first article I'd seen about breathing and its affect on memory. I forwarded it to a friend who had asked if I knew of ways to improve memory, including research sources. Also, I believe that many people whose bodies are disproportionately shaped breathe incorrectly which increases the degree of lopsiddedness or excessive bellies and eventually hunched backs produced from those imbalances. If we breathe correctly as we do all physical things in our day to day lives, as well as when we exercise extra, we will stand straighter, taller and slimmer and hopefully learn to proliferate those efforts and outcomes regularly.

From Mike:
See #130 Better Breathing Exercise #2 AND #599 E3Live™

MIGRAINES, CHEST PAINS, VITALITY AND EMOTIONS

Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your newsletter. My sister...was fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet with you in early June. She mentioned what a kind person you are. She lives in Hawaii, I in Nevada, but we talk with each other several times a week and she has continued working with her breathing. On her way back from North Carolina, she stopped in Nevada to join us in celebrating my daughter's high school graduation, and shared with us what she has learned. I have had terrible migraines for several years now and just this week, I tried breathing (properly!) and lo and behold, they first subsided and then eventually disappeared. How wonderful it was to rid myself of this. I will continue this practice whenever I feel the need. In closing, please keep me informed if you plan on visiting Las Vegas. My father who also lives in Las Vegas, uses your tapes, etc. as faithfully as my sister and I know he would love to join me in going to any seminars/classes that you may present. He was experiencing chest pains (angina?) periodically and since he started his breathing exercises, he has not touched his nitroglycerine. It is amazing given his history of hear disease. He also feels more vital. The greatest reward is that even emotionally, he has opened himself up to us all. I thank you, Mike, as there are many more things that have happened to our family since meeting you.

Sincerely, D. M.

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PANIC ATTACKS

I am interested in the connection, if any, between anxiety (panic) attacks and proper breathing. I have the book by Gay Hendricks. It seems very good. But I have no baseline. I have done many of the exercises, but do not see any improvement. Therefore, I do not know if there is a connection.

From Mike:
There is a DEFINITE connection. Recommended Program

PANIC ATTACKS AND POOR LUNG FUNCTION TEST

Hello,
I am really hoping you can help me with this question. I have had panic attacks since 1999 and have been able to get them under control without medication. The problem is I believe I have developed a pattern of shallow breathing from anxiety. It feels like it is a habit now even though I do not have the anxiety any longer. I do feel short of breath if I go up a flight or stairs or if I go out when it is very hot and humid so I went to the DR just to get checked out. He did a pulmonary function test..which I did not do well on at all. He said someone my age-31 weight 138 never smoked should be at a lung function of 100% and I am at 68%. Based on this he said I have asthma and wants me to take Singulair and an inhaler in emergencies.

I am not convinced that I have asthma--I don't wheeze or gasp for air I am just short of breath at times for the last 3 years. My question to you is can having anxiety since 1999 until 2002 play a role in me doing so bad on this lung function test?

From Mike:
YES

The Dr said that even if I was anxious I would have done good on the test if my lungs were working properly

From Mike:
I DISAGREE

so it has to be asthma. Can you please tell me what you think about this or if you think there could be another cause other than asthma. I hate medication and do not want to take it if it's not necessary. Thank you so much I look forward to your response.

Jean :)

From Mike:
It sounds like a breathing pattern disorder but may have nutritional, toxicity aspects as well. You would be well advised to try our introductory program and/or choose from the first to the last product as much as you can afford and/or intend to integrate. I guarantee it to help.

mgw

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PANIC AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Dear Mike: What i will call my poor if not indeed bad breathing. Sometimes (say a few times a week) notice that I am unwittingly holding my breath. Of course I then feel breathless and start to panic. I then get palpitations and hold my breath all the more. I am around 25 lbs overweight and have hypertension. This is controlled but only with the help of a cocktail of medications. I look forward to your reply.

Tom B

From Mike:
Dear Tom, The panic quite possibly comes from the breath issue. Often when the breath issue leaves so does the panic. The cocktail needs to taken seriously. Hypertension is again often or most often controllable without it.

YOU need to take charge of your energy. As long as you leave it to someone else you are subject to their agenda. Regardless of what you do about the cocktail I would start with #120 Better Breathing Exercise #1 to see if it will calm you down. I bet it will. #130 Better Breathing Exercise #2 to see if you can handle extra energy without regressing into the anxious state. The manual will help support your understanding the entire process. Backing off of the meds may be an addiction issue that your MD needs to supervise. That is if the person is open to getting you off the stuff in the first place which a lot of them are not because that is all they understand. It is possible we could work together over the phone once you have the 4 tape and manual Special Recommended Program

Mike