Difficulty breathing during zazen

[speloquin626]

Hi everyone!
I'm new to Treeleaf, happy to be here! I've been sitting zazen for about 2 years now. Recently though, I've been struggling with practice due to certain physical symptoms, mainly unexplained shortness of breath and irregular heartbeats which both tend to get worse with exertion. Most of the time it feels like I'm struggling to breathe properly. Needless to say, this can make sitting quite uncomfortable! When it's really bad, it feels like somebody's sitting on my chest and I'm not getting enough air. The cardiologist I've been seeing told me that it's nothing heart related and the irregular beats are benign, but he referred me to a pulmonary specialist who is still trying to figure out what the issue is.
So because of this, my zazen has become increasingly difficult. It seems like the best approach is to just sit anyways, and allow whatever sensations I'm experiencing to arise. However, this is quite unpleasant at times; breath is such an important part of practice, and when it's compromised, it's not something you can ignore, especially when you're observing it directly. I was wondering if anybody has ever had a similar experience, or might be able to shed some light on how to cope with this type of thing during practice.

Gassho,
Scott
SatToday

[Geika]

Well, sometimes when my breath is short it's due to the tilt of my pelvis restricting my diaphragm. Perhaps try adjusting the height of your zafu or whether or not your pelvis is tilting too far forward or back. Sometimes, anxiety causes shortness of breath as well.

I'm glad you're working with your doctor on this!

Gassho, sat today

[Jundo]

Hi Scott,

First, follow your doctor's advice, and only sit Zazen with his or her permission.

Second, if you are having difficulty breathing, just sit in any physical position that makes doing so a bit easier ... even standing, walking Kinhin or reclining on your back. If you can sit in Lotus, Burmese or a chair, and it makes no difference, then continue to do that.

Otherwise, yes, just let the breath be the breath ... let the heart be the heart ... while sitting. If shortness comes, let there be shortness. If longness comes, let there be longness. If "irregular" beats come, just let them do their thing. In our Beginner's series, I quote Dogen Zenji on the breath ...

One we return to sitting focused on “everything, and nothing at all,” letting all things “just be” … we let the breath “just be” and give it no mind, too. We do not try to do anything artificial with the breath, and just let “long breaths be long, and short breaths be short,” the breath finding its natural rhythm. Pay the breath no mind, give it no thought, and even (as Master Dogen advises) drop all thought of “long” or “short”! ...

... Thus Dogen’s teacher Master Tendo said, “it is not that this breath comes from somewhere … it is not possible to say where this breath goes. For that reason, it is neither long nor short.”

It does not sound like, from your description, that Zazen is in any way causing or aggravating the condition. You may even find that, when you truly learn to relax and "lean into" that shortness and heartbeat issues, letting them alone and just be, it may even help.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Mp]

Hello Scott,

First off, wonderful advice already given and pretty much the same thoughts I have ... first follow your doctors advice, your health is the most important. Second, I agree with what Geika is saying about the pelvis. If our zafu is not correct our pelvis may tilt backwards which then tilts our Hara (navel area) upwards, which can put pressure on our diaphragm pushing on our lungs. Then we have a tendency to take short shallow breathes in the upper part of our chest.

Next time you sit try this ... when on your zafu allow your belly button to move forward (like it is being pulled by a string), this will help in moving your pelvis forward and aligning your back. Roll your shoulders back slightly to open up your chest and take a slow deep breathe and see how that feels. Are you able to get a deep breathe more in the stomach region? Or are you still stuck with short breathe? If you are feeling relaxed and not constricted, then just allow the breathe to find its balance and rhythm. Let us know how things come about. =)

Gassho
Shingen

s@today

[Tai Shi]

Scott
I can identify with you--I have very serious arthritis and severe tension. Might I suggest that for a while to the count of three very gently inhale through the nose then to the count of three exhale through the mouth--this will defiantly relax you, and then you can change back to Zen breathing
Tai Shi
std
Gassho

[Kyonin]

Hi Scott,

Yes yes, please follow your doctors' advice on this. And try to see if breathing with your mouth allows you more air without affecting your health.

When we sit we sit with what is, but we do it paying attention to our health.

Let us know how it goes.

Kyonin
#SatToday

[speloquin626]

Thank you all for the wonderful advice. My doctor said that it was okay for me to go about my business as usual, which is good but I hadn't really considered trying to adjust my sitting in such a way that would accommodate my breathing. I will give this a try today. Also, thank you Jundo, for the Dogen quote. I think you're right in suggesting that I "lean into" the shortness as opposed to struggling with it. I've been trying to practice this way recently, and although it doesn't necessarily make the discomfort go away, it's easier than trying to force myself to breathe "normally". Forcing tends to set up an opposition which I think may be detrimental to practice. And since it doesn't seem to be going away, I might as well learn how to work with it!

Gassho
SatToday