I feel inspired to write this blog for you in case perhaps you, a friend or family are going through a stage of suffering from a cough or severe chest infection this may help you in some way. No it’s not a substitute for seeing the doctor or going to the hospital or anything like that, or taking your medicine, but some of the tips may help you during this challenging or difficult and stressful time.
I recently had a really severe chest infection and I was feeling so ill that I went to the hospital to see the emergency doctor and thought I’d probably be admitted to hospital that night, anyway I wasn’t and two courses of antibiotics later and what felt like a full-time job coughing at the sink, I won’t go into any more details! I’m finally starting to improve ( just).
the doctor gave me an inhaler as the breathing was so bad, wheezing, crackling & coughing so much. At that point my posture was slumped and I certainly didn’t look like a Pilates teacher. She recommended I did some breathing exercises.
The doctor did a great demo, good sitting posture in a chair, a full breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. The thing is when you least feel like it, and you’re worried about your breathing, and having difficulty breathing, the last thing you think about doing is consciously working on your breathing with a breathing exercise. The particular exercise she gave me is what I teach all the time in Pilates, very similar to the 100 breathing in Pilates, where you breathe in through your nose for a count of five and you exhale through your mouth for a count of five. The difference is that you don’t actually do the exercise lying down exercise way, you literally sit with good posture during the breathing.
here’s a few things that helped me during this very tough time, may they help you, a friend or family too
tips:
1 say a kind affirmation to yourself
‘it’s going to be ok’ and every time you look in the mirror say to yourself it’s going to be ok. Fake a smile!!
2 ask for help.
3 sit with good posture & practice this breathing exercise , either on side of the bed or in a chair, breathe in through your nose for a count of five and you exhale through your mouth for a count of five. Do 5 repetitions (or in for one!!)
(do this regularly throughout the day)
4 calm breathing:
when your breathing has gone really bad. Lie down with yourself propped up with several pillows behind your head , close your eyes & relax. Just allow your breathing to settle down, it may take a while to settle down, but with rest & calm it will improve. Count to 10, allow your breathing to calm naturally on each breath. Let it settle in its own time.
5 1 minute meditation , enjoy this in a restful way in bed or in your favourite chair (good when you’ve been resting)
6 keep moving & stretch
circle your shoulders 5 times one way & five times the other way. Sitting or standing with good posture, whichever is comfortable for you.
you can join in here
A bonus tip 7 for you from homeopath Danielle is sharing a friends grandmothers special recipe called onion cough syrup.
7: Onion Cough Syrup
Ingredients
• 2 onions
• juice of 1 lemon (optional)
• 10 Tbsp honey
Directions
Prepare a clean medium jar.
Peel and roughly chop onions.
Mix lemon juice with honey and pour it over the onions. Close the jar and leave for a day in a warm place.
Pass it through a sieve.
Usage Drink one tablespoon 2-4 times a day. Or add a tablespoon to your tea.
Keep in a fridge.
to find out more from Danielle Abramov BSc (Hons) MARH About Homeopathy and Intolerance Testing
thank you for this wonderful bonus tip
Love Bev
Beverley Densham
Helping back pain sufferers to alleviate their discomfort and enjoy their favourite exercise, sport & lifestyle by doing the one-to-one reduce back pain mindfulness Pilates programme.
