Every human life and its unique set of experiences is a matter of perspective, especially for the one living it, and we, or our experiences, can shift this outlook at any given moment, which can change everything. For example, when an unexpected “crisis” occurs, shifting us into survival mode; our thoughts, feelings, and range of perceived possibilities may narrow from “whatever happens, I can deal with it” to the belief that we are in a struggle for survival. Although we may not always realize it, we can just as easily shift our outlook back into safe mode, which alone can become much of the remedy.
In this post I’ll be sharing my recent experiences with “allergic asthma,” comorbidity factors, iatrogenic concerns to watch out for, the importance of incorporating spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical elements into our understanding of the situation; and some of the natural remedies and practices that helped me manage it. Everyone responds differently to health issues, as well as possible solutions to them, so what worked for me may not work the same way for anyone else. My primary symptom was shortness of breath.
*The contents of this post are not intended to replace evaluation and treatment by a qualified healthcare professional.
My Recent Experience And Two Prior Occurrences
Starting in mid-June 2024 I began experiencing what would, within traditional medicine, be referred to as allergic asthma; and in June 2008 and June 2014 had nearly identical symptoms. In all three situations I had grossly over-exerted myself for a number of days with little rest, had a lot of contact with specific exotic trees in my front yard, experienced tragic losses, and was struggling to accept the injustice of certain material world circumstances.
Comorbidity Factors
When experiencing a set of symptoms, or syndrome, we may try to quickly identify what it is, so we can take the needed steps to resolve it. There are often a variety of spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical issues occurring simultaneously that have collaborated in the creation of the health concern. If we focus only on the most obvious physical symptoms, calling it a cold, the flu, allergies, etc.; then we may miss many other coexisting issues that also need attention. Such concurrent conditions are sometimes referred to as comorbidity factors.
For example, when my “allergic asthma” hit this year, it felt exactly like the other 2 times, started during the same month of the year at the same location, and presented following several days of over-exertion and exhaustion. But there were many other things happening simultaneously, that were either separate issues needing attention, or had also contributed to the depletion and onset of the shortness of breath, many of which were generally present during the other two occurrences. If we fail to recognize the co-occurring factors, then we may be unable to meet our real needs and facilitate true healing.
Shortly before the breathing difficulties began this year, I lost my relationship partner to the Russo-Ukrainian war, decreased my weight training significantly to reduce the muscle mass of my mid-back in order to get the chiropractic adjustment I needed, and had been reflecting upon the tragic injustice of a material world process that I’m going through.
As you may know, from an Ayurvedic perspective, shortness of breath is a Heart Chakra issue, often related to grief and loss, among other things. Spiritually, it can also reflect disappointment with aspects of life or be an effect of ascension. Mentally or emotionally it could coincide with anxiety or panic. Physically, it could accompany a variety of things including the common cold, the flu, asthma, covid, and a host of other things. *This is an over-simplification for the sake of example.
And when it comes to healing, if we don’t resolve the spiritual first, or concurrently with other symptoms, then the issue will either continue, or briefly subside and then come back again — in the same or a different form, in this or another life.
So when you look at my situation, in addition to the tree pollen, and it’s effect on my breathing when I’m in such a depleted state, there were many other factors contributing to my health concern. My shortness of breath was, in part, related to the loss of my relationship partner and lifetime plans. It was also in response to my profound disappointment with material world injustice. And when I reduced the muscle mass of my mid-back, I discovered that several ribs were popped out, preventing me from being able to properly expand my lungs to take a deep, fulfilling breath. Further, my shortness of breath quickly conditioned me to take rapid, shallow breaths, which generated abdominal bloating from the excess air, keeping me from being able to take a full breath.
And the process of my current ascension, which has been occurring again since 2019, may have also been a factor this time. Shortness of breath is, according to many spiritual sources, often an effect of ascension.
And then, of course, you could take each of these factors deeper, in search of the hidden spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical elements underlying them, but doing so is beyond the scope of this post. Suffice it to say that there are usually many additional factors, most not yet being considered, that may be relevant to an accurate understanding and effective resolution of symptoms we encounter.
Iatrogenesis: How Western Medicine Can Compound And Convolute Symptomatology
Soon after the onset of my respiratory issue, during some of the urgent-seeming moments, I visited two different physicians in order to have my vitals, lungs, heart, and general health evaluated. My vitals were all on the healthy side of normal, heart healthy and strong, lungs healthy but wheezing, and general health normal. My oxygen level ranged from 95-98%.
As I described my symptoms to the first M.D., who was in the process of starting up a new practice with some others, she ignored pretty much everything I said about my current symptoms, and the fact that, physically, they were very similar to two prior occurrences; and immediately embarked upon a course of exacerbation, convolution, and compounding of what was, on a physical level, a simple respiratory issue. *And it should be noted that she had spoken with me for no more than 10 minutes prior to arriving at these conclusions. If I had followed her advice, I would have been creating a chronic asthma condition, requiring treatment and medication for the rest of my life. She also, while I was struggling to breathe, plugged her personal business, in her home, and told me she would be texting me about this business. When she texted me, and I responded, she then texted me back, rudely telling me that she was only at the clinic 2 days a week, and that she would charge me if I texted her about clinic matters on any other days. She was cold, narcissistic, and manipulative. Being who I am, I texted her back, gently but firmly confronting her with the truth of my experience. She then offered a free visit, said “we have a lot of work to do,” and then charged me for the second visit anyway. Needless to say, I had no further use for this doctor.
When visiting the second, at a community urgent care center, I was greeted with alacrity, professionalism, and respect. She listened to everything I said, acknowledged that I was an alternative healer and clearly understood my body, and made practical suggestions consistent with her findings and my explanation. Until/Unless further medical examination/testing revealed something else about my body, this is what made the most sense to me based on current history/symptoms, and relevant practice guidelines.
What would have happened if I had fallen into the trap of the first doctor? What if I was not as educated, informed, and confident as I am? What if I just accepted what she said, because she was the doctor, and did not question, stand up for myself, and/or consider a second opinion? Think about how many people blindly trust the advice of their doctors, creating lifelong health issues, believing all-the-while that their doctor is helping them. Did you know that the four leading causes of death in the U.S. are heart disease, cancer, traditional medical treatment, and pharmaceuticals? Please think about it. Two of the four leading causes of death are the things people reach for first when experiencing health concerns.
Overthinking And Panic
Since overthinking, along with panic, can, alone, generate most, if not all of these symptoms; we must never underestimate the power of the human mind upon our physical, emotional, and mental state. For example, if we experience an allergic asthma attack, within which we can’t breathe and become frightened for our life, then we can quickly develop a conditioned reaction to even the slightest signs of shortness of breath, including those that are completely normal. For example, our hyper-focus on not being able to obtain a deep, fulfilling breath, having a stuffy nose or thick throat mucous, or being unable to fully expand our diaphragm to comfortably fill the lungs; can instantly cause a panic response, which can generate shortness of breath. We may often believe it is the asthma flaring up, when it is actually panic setting in. Many will end up believing that all such symptoms are coming from their asthma, that the panic is the result of their inability to breathe, and may never realize that it is often the other way around — that their initial panic, which may have been in response to a normal situation that was over-reacted to, is what generated the shortness of breath, and then more panic. This can become a vicious and lifelong cycle, and will likely be treated with corticosteroids such as Prednisone, inhalers, prescription allergy medication, other anti-inflammatories, anti-anxiety tranquilizers, sleep medication, and more; all maintaining the problem, causing gradual health deterioration, and creating dependency upon the medical system.
Much of this can be prevented, and we may need some education, an alternative healer or spiritual teacher, or supportive friend who has been through it; to gain a better understanding of what the symptoms truly represent and how to manage and heal them.
*It should be noted that, if you are truly unable to breathe, this should be treated as a medical emergency. Once the emergency is over, please be careful which direction you take.
Spiritual Perspective
To better understand what I mean by spiritual, in this context, and how the spiritual interacts with and influences the physical, mental, and emotional human elements; let’s do a quick review of an Ayurvedic perspective.
According to Ayurveda we are composed of three bodies containing five sheaths: physical body (food sheath); astral body (pranic, mental, and intellectual sheaths), and causal body (seed sheath). The astral body is connected to the physical body at several points called chakras. We are alive because of the life force, or prana, flowing through us. Prana circulates within the astral body through channels called nadis, enters the physical body through the chakras, and circulates within the physical body through pathways called meridians. Many forms of illness exist first in the astral body, and may exist there for years before reaching the physical body. A blockage or imbalance in the energy flow within the astral body may lead to physical, emotional, or mental illness. Chakras send energy outward from the core of the physical body to the astral body, and receive prana from the astral body which enters the core. Chakras can be open or closed, excessive or deficient, or can exist at various stages in between. The chakras must be in balance with each other, and there should be an even flow of energy through all of them. After entering through the chakras, prana circulates within the physical body through meridians. These meridians govern the functioning of the major organ systems of the body. For each organ system to remain healthy and balanced, prana must flow freely along the meridians.
If we enter into an ascension process, then the frequency of our vibration increases, and the lower vibrations of our physical body may have a difficult time keeping up. This can cause problems within the physical, emotional, and mental parts of us while our spirit is evolving at a soul level.
To learn more, please check out “Chakratic Hierarchy of Needs.”
Natural Solutions
During the first two occurrences I was married, and my former wife took wonderful care of me, by researching symptoms and solutions, preparing natural herbal remedies, taking care of everything in the house so I didn’t have to, and supporting me in every possible way. This time I am single, and appreciate even more what she did, as I am doing it all myself in my spare moments.
As a proponent of alternative medicine and natural solutions, I experimented with a number of things to help manage the symptoms, and found several of them beneficial. These include, but are not limited to the following:
- Hot tea consisting of turmeric, ginger, cayenne, honey, and lemon (teabag containing turmeric & ginger, big pinch of 90,000 IU cayenne, teaspoon of local honey, and 1/4 lemon) 3-6 times daily
- Saline nasal spray (in orange can with white lid) — clean out nose after each cup of the above tea
- Singing (to encourage deeper, diaphragmatic-costal breathing and raise vibration)
- Exercise (to encourage natural breathing and normalization)
- Meditation and Chakra cleansing/balancing (to help remove blockages and raise vibration)
- Listening to relaxing music — especially when preparing for sleep (e.g. “Relaxing Harp” on YouTube)
- Frequent vacuuming, dusting, and wiping things down to remove pollen, mold, dust, and other pollutants
- Standing up and walking around (sometimes makes breathing easier)
- Wearing a mask when going outside (to limit exposure to pollen, dust, mold, and other pollutants)
- Going for rides in the car with windows up and the AC on (something about this makes breathing easier)
- Eating small portions (to keep abdomen more flexible)
- Eating spicy foods (e.g. Thai thom yum soup/to encourage sinus drainage and throat mucous clearing)
- Talking with friends on the phone (comforting, normalizing, creating distraction)
- Taking time to wind down at the end of the evening to prepare for sleep
- Focusing on writing or other things that occupy the mind
- Going on and living life — normalizing
- Postural drainage, including inversion therapy, using gravity to help drain the lungs
- Massage (to promote relaxation and support chiropractics)
- Chiropractics (to help spine promote higher vibration, and structurally make breathing easier)
- Sunshine
- Drinking ridiculous amounts of water (to keep mucous thin and promote natural drainage)
- Composing music (to inspire, shift focus, and normalize)
- Getting in the ocean (to encourage natural breathing, normalize, and experience beneficial vibration/motion)
- Ingesting almonds, apples, fish, and turmeric — all natural anti-inflammatories
- Avoiding foods and beverages containing excessive amounts of sodium
- Avoiding wine, and keeping dark beer consumption light
- Using digestive enzymes and charcoal to reduce bloating
- Diffusing essential oils, especially lavender, peppermint, or eucalyptus
- Putting onion slices on the bottom of your feet inside socks before sleeping
- Having plan for how to deal with urgent situations (e.g. inhaler, calling friend, etc.) for psychological safety
- Searching for and removing dust, mold, and other pollutants from home environment (especially bedroom)
- Believing in your ability to manage and overcome situation
- Using relevant supplements, like Clear Lungs or Airway Clear
- Trying things like humidifiers or air purifiers (neither helped me/humidifier increased mucous and air purifier dried me out/but they often help others)
Livin’ The Dream
While awake and breathless, during some of those long, lonely nights, I decided to write a song that would create the vibration I was going for, to help return my body and life to their healthy, normal state. I called it “Livin’ the Dream,” and it was inspired by an evening of deep conversation and good beer shared with an artist friend of mine. After it was written I started playing and singing it, and discovered that the singing opened up my airways and made it easier to breathe. So then I started singing this, and a few other blues-rock songs, several times a day to improve my breathing. The song seemed to be coming along nicely, so I decided to record it, again to support my breathing and invest in returning my life to its blissful, joyful norm. I recorded two different versions, and you can find them both here.
I hope you enjoy, and remember that true life is spiritual, and that you can always reclaim it from a material world illusion. Here’s to livin’ the dream!
*It should be noted that, during this writing, I am still experiencing some shortness of breath. Symptoms are less severe, and seem to be related to spiritual (Heart Chakra and ascension), emotional (disappointment with material world process), and physical (ribs and viral infection). The shortness of breath now seems to be limited to upper airways, and is no longer present in bronchial tubes and lungs. However, each time I believe it has subsided completely, and then stop investing in managing it (beyond structural adjustment), I, once again, experience shortness of breath — so it is still serving a spiritual purpose in my life, and I accept this, with alacrity and grace.
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Photo Credit: Fire Prince Music, BMI
