Have you ever had a watch that shakes you like a rag doll? Well, I do! I set my Apple watch to remind me to breathe every few hours, and let me tell you, it’s like having a tiny drill sergeant on my wrist.
I mean, at first I thought it was just some fancy feature that Apple added to make their watches seem more useful. But then I learned that breathing is actually important for our health and well-being. Who knew? And now, thanks to my trusty watch, I can breathe like a pro and avoid turning into a stressed-out mess.
breathing is not just something you do to stay alive and prevent turning blue, it’s actually a big deal! In fact, it’s such a big deal that I’m dedicating this article to it. So buckle up and get ready to have your mind blown by the wonders of proper breathing. Who knows, you might even become a breathing enthusiast by the end of it!

Unearthing the Passionate Past

When it comes to the topic of the mind, there’s a little nugget of knowledge that I want to share with everyone. It makes me think that the human brain is really amazing, especially that little guy named amygdala that’s in the limbic system of the brain. It’s an important part that controls our emotions and highest level of memory, whether we’re extremely sad or happy. And even though the amygdala isn’t the long-term memory storage area of the brain, it’s connected to the long-term memory storage area, or the cortex. That means that events that strongly affect our emotions in the amygdala area will make us never forget them.
Anyway, that’s just a little tidbit that I wanted to share for fun. Don’t let me ramble on about how it works because I’m not an expert on brain functions. I just happened to come across it and thought it was pretty interesting. If you’re curious, you can go explore it yourself for fun. It’s a blast, but I’ll stop here because I don’t want to bore you with details that you might not be interested in.
Ok!, folks. We need to talk about a matter that is near and dear to my heart. A matter that has shaped my entire being and turned me into the fearless breath master (Hahaha, maybe) that I am today. And that matter, my friends, is the brutal and unrelenting world of child meditation.

Image from : https://www.facebook.com/Suanlamai
Picture this: I was a mere 5 or 6 years old, just a wee lad, when my parents dragged me off to a remote temple in the mountains of Thailand. Now, I may not have been ordained as a monk at that young age, but with my parents living the monk life, I had no choice but to tag along for the ride. And boy, was it a ride.
Every day at 8pm sharp, I was forced to join a group of old ladies in the temple hall for what seemed like an eternity of meditation. And by meditation, I mean sitting still in complete darkness until my legs felt like they were about to fall off. But that’s not even the worst part. This was a forest temple, folks, which meant no air conditioning, no electricity, and a whole lot of creepy crawlies.
The vibe was intense, to say the least. The old ladies were chanting like they were possessed by demons, the candles were flickering ominously, and the mosquitoes were having a field day with my arms and legs. And let’s not forget the absolute terror of sitting in the pitch-black darkness, not knowing if a giant spider or a hungry tiger was lurking just inches away.
I swear, that is the reason I never got around to meditating even though I’m a Buddhist is because my childhood trauma of getting stuck in the lotus position scarred me for life! I mean, have you ever tried getting out of that pose after your leg falls asleep? It’s like a battle between your mind and your body, and your body always wins!
Points of change that make meditation and breathing exercises interesting
Well, well, well, March 2015 was the time when the universe decided to play a game of “Let’s turn this person’s life upside down” and sent me off to Australia. I thought to myself, “why not give it a shot?” and started imagining a life down under with all the perfect things – good life, society, education, and money. I was practically building castles in the air, not sure if they were even possible. But hey, who cares! Life in Australia seemed too good to be true, so I believed that everything was within my grasp. And for a while, it was!

Fast forward six years later, and I am a university graduate, with a stable job, and stable income. But when was the plot twist? Unexpected things started happening that I didn’t even notice.
Oh boy, oh boy, where do I even begin with 2019? That year was like a box of chocolates, you never knew what you were going to get! And as it turns out, we got COVID-19, the gift that keeps on giving. I happened to be living in Melbourne, the city that holds the record for having one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world. Yep, that’s right, I hit the jackpot!
At the beginning of the lockdown, the Australian government didn’t seem to have a policy to help foreign workers like myself. And to add insult to injury, work was reduced by almost half, causing my income to take a hit. But hey, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? Or so they say…
Fast forward two years, and things with COVID-19 are starting to look up. The stress and anxiety levels have reduced, and I’m feeling hopeful. I mean, this has to be the biggest crisis in the world, right? Surely, things can only get better from here. So, I decided to save some cash and head back to my homeland, Thailand, for a much-needed vacation. Little did I know that this would be the real turning point, the one that messed with my mental state. Oopsie!
So, picture this: I’m super excited to go back to Thailand for a month-long vacay at the end of 2022. I’ve got my itinerary all planned out, and I’m ready for some serious fun in the sun. But as soon as I step foot on Thai soil, something strange happens. It’s like my brain goes into reverse, and I start feeling all sorts of emotions.
At first, I didn’t know what was going on. I thought maybe I was just hangry or jet-lagged. But no, this was much worse. I was experiencing reverse culture shock! And let me tell you, it’s not a fun ride. I cried almost every day and called my friends in Australia to complain about how much I didn’t want to be there anymore.
It got so bad that when I returned to Australia, I was afraid of making any mistakes, in case I got sent back to Thailand. I mean, can you imagine? I’d have to relive that reverse culture shock all over again. No thank you! I even started having nightmares about being stuck in Thailand forever. I’d wake up in a cold sweat, with stiff muscles and trembling limbs. It was a whole ordeal.
I thought maybe I was just being dramatic, but when the symptoms didn’t go away, I went to see a doctor. And guess what? I had panic disorder! Who knew that reverse culture shock could lead to something like that? I certainly didn’t.
Looking back, I realized that the root cause was returning to old places and old points that were so different from my new life in Australia. It was like I was a fish out of water, and that made me scared that I might have to go back to those old places again. Lesson learned: never underestimate the power of reverse culture shock.
Let be clear here, I don’t hate Thailand or anything, but I gotta admit, it’s just not my cup of tea anymore. The cultural norms and values there clash too much with my own, and it just doesn’t feel like my place anymore. Plus, I’ve been living in Australia for like a decade now, so going back to Thailand for a month was a total shocker. Everything from the environment to the way of life and cultural aspects had changed, and I just wasn’t prepared for it.
On top of that, I had some major dating and relationship issues, which put me in a situationship while I was back to Australia, which led me to start questioning if I was the problem. And let me tell you, that was not a fun ride. I started experiencing symptoms of panic attacks that just got worse whenever I made a small mistake or forgot something. Like, one time I was trying to make a sunny-side-up egg, and I ended up breaking the yolk. And just like that, my brain was all like “Wow, you can’t even cook a damn egg. You’re a failure and nobody wants you.” Yeah, it got pretty dark.
But, thankfully, I was able to remind myself that those thoughts were just thoughts and not real, and that I shouldn’t take them seriously. I did my best to stay calm and control my breathing, and eventually, the panic attacks would subside.
One thing I’ve noticed is that my panic attacks usually start with shallow breathing, and then I start experiencing all these other symptoms like trembling muscles and weird thoughts about myself. So, now I know to be careful and train myself to take deep breaths whenever I start feeling those warning signs. It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely helped me regain my composure.
The Science of Breathing – How Respiration Impacts Your Body and Mind
Breathing is an essential process that is often taken for granted. Many of us don’t realize how important it is until we experience difficulty breathing. Breathing plays a crucial role in regulating our body’s functions and maintaining our overall health.

Dr. Andrew Huberman, an American neuroscientist and tenured associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, emphasizes the importance of breathing in his work. According to Dr. Huberman, breathing is one of the few things that we can control in our body that has a direct impact on our nervous system.
Breathing techniques can help to calm the nervous system, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve overall well-being. One of the most popular breathing techniques is the 4-7-8 technique. This technique involves inhaling for a count of 4, holding the breath for a count of 7, and exhaling for a count of 8. This technique can be practiced for a few minutes every day to help reduce stress and promote relaxation.
Another technique that Dr. Huberman recommends is called “box breathing.” This technique involves inhaling for a count of 4, holding the breath for a count of 4, exhaling for a count of 4, and holding the breath for a count of 4. This technique can be practiced for several minutes each day and can help to regulate the nervous system and promote relaxation.
But why is breathing so important, you ask? Well, as Dr. Huberman explains, when we take a deep breath, we suck in life-giving oxygen that fuels our body’s energy production. And when we exhale, we release pesky carbon dioxide that needs to be kicked out of our system. Plus, taking deep breaths can also help reduce stress and improve relaxation, so it’s a win-win situation!
So, there you have it, folks. Breathing is not just for amateurs. It’s for all of us, even if we’re not planning to climb Mount Everest or run a marathon. So, take a deep breath, hold it, and exhale slowly. And if someone asks you what you’re doing, just tell them that you’re practicing your respiratory gymnastics, and they’ll think you’re a sophisticated genius.
My Breathing Exercises Techniques for Reducing Panic Attack
Breathing exercises are my new secret weapon against panic attacks, and let me tell you, they work like a charm! I started with the basics, studying Buddhism meditation (Anapanasati) or as I like to call it “the art of not freaking out.”
But, being the overachiever that I am, I decided to dive even deeper into the science of breathing. Dr. Huberman’s “Box Breathing” technique caught my attention, and I decided to give it a try. It turns out that it’s not just for boxers or people who have to deal with their mother-in-law’s constant nagging!
The best part is, I don’t need to sit still like a statue and close my eyes for hours on end. Instead, I focus on my breathing pattern and figure out what my nervous system is up to. If I start taking shallow breaths, it’s a clear sign that I’m about to lose my cool. But no sweat, because now I know how to hit the reset button and chill out before things spiral out of control.
It’s been a month since I started practicing these breathing exercises, and I’m happy to report that I’m no longer on a first-name basis with my panic attacks. I used to see them more often than my family members, but now they only pop up every couple of weeks. I’m feeling like a zen master, and I’m motivated to keep up with my breathing routine. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be teaching my own breathing class!

Are you ready to start?
Hey there! After reading the information I’ve shared with you, I hope you see how important it is to add breathing exercises into your daily routine. By focusing on your breath, you can give your nervous system a boost, leading to a happier and less stressed-out you.
For those who struggle with panic attacks, I feel you. But guess what? Practicing breathing exercises can help you take control of your breath and calm your body’s physical response to stress. Trust me, even just a little bit of relief can go a long way.
So why not take a few minutes each day to practice some breathing exercises? It’s an easy and effective way to improve your overall health and well-being. Plus, it’s a great excuse to take a break from your daily routine and just breathe!
Don’t wait until you’re at your wit’s end to start incorporating breathing exercises into your daily routine. Do it now and enjoy the benefits it brings. You got this!
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