MAUKA MAKAI

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Elithe Kahn wants to teach the world to breathe. She is practicing an exercise for ho'o papa'a, or storing breaths.

Just breathe

Deep breathing is essential to
well-being, but most people
don’t know the proper
technique, says an island author

YOU can sign up for lessons in any subject of interest, from singing to gardening to cooking or building a deck. If there's one thing people don't need lessons for, it's breathing.

'Ha' Breathing demonstrations: Where: Native Books / Na Mea Hawaii at Ward Warehouse When: 6:30 to 8 p.m. the first Wednesday monthly Admission: Free Call: Zen Care, at 523-3622 "HA Breathe!" By Elithe Manuha'a Ipo Aguiar Kahn (Zen Care, 58 pages, softcover, $18.95) Breathing lessons » Start the breath forms with a visualization, says Elithe Kahn. Close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting on the beach watching a sunset. Listen to the gentle lapping of the waves. When you are ready, exhale "HA" -- a sigh of relief. » As you inhale, imagine the breath hitting the back wall of your throat and sliding down the back of the throat into your abdomen and lower back. To monitor yourself, place hands on the small of your back at the waistline and inhale until you feel it expand. » The goal is to imitate the sound of the ocean in your throat, like a wave lapping up on the seashore as you inhale. Your exhalation should sound like a wave going out to sea again, Kahn says.

Sure, athletes and dancers sometimes hold their breath while concentrating on their physical movements, prompting coaches and teachers to yell, "Don't forget to breathe." But, for the most part, we've been doing what comes naturally since we were first slapped entering this world.

Well, don't be so certain you're breathing right. According to Elithe Manuha'a Ipo Aguiar Kahn, most of us have been getting this basic motor skill wrong all our lives.

Kahn teaches proper breathing techniques and pono (proper intent), and has just written an easy-to-read book, "HA Breathe!," on the subject. The book covers three breath forms widely practiced in the past, that are almost nonexistent today.

"A'ala" is active breathing for exhaling stagnate air and healing emotional trauma. "Noho Pu" is a passive form of breath used for contemplation. And "Ho'o Mana" is storing breath with the intention of building energy and power.

She demonstrates the breath patterns during free demonstrations the first Wednesday each month at Native Books/Na Mea Hawaii at Ward Warehouse.

THE FIRST TIME I spoke to Kahn, she knew I needed help: "It sounds like you need to breathe," she said.

I had to acknowledge the fact that my fast-paced life as a stressed and shallow-breathing working mom was probably apparent to everyone if this stranger could hear it in my voice over the phone.

Quick and shallow breathing is a mild reaction to the body's "fight or flight" response to fear or stress. Taking a deep breath in those instances helps the body to relax and the mind to focus because more oxygen reaches the brain, Kahn says.

"Lack of proper breathing technique is the major culprit in tension-based diseases," she said. Headaches, high blood pressure, indigestion and even anger can be controlled through proper breathing. That's why people are instructed to take a deep breath and count to 10 before acting when angry.

Kahn said those who spend a few minutes a day consciously breathing will find it is like a balm that soothes and calms, which is why proper breathing is essential in meditation.

"Runners endure marathons to reach that euphoric (endorphin) high. ... They don't have to wreck their knees when they could get the same benefits from breathing," Kahn said. Similarly, she said recovering drug addicts would benefit from learning to breathe properly.

Some studies have shown that taking deeper breaths expands the lungs and increases the circulation of oxygen, said Eugene Lee, a family medical practitioner.

"Oxygen affects metabolism as well as chemical reactions that occur in the body. It's what keeps the organs going."

That is why the first five minutes are critical in CPR. The human body can go without food for weeks and without water for days, Lee said, but if oxygen does not get to brain and heart, the organs will die.

Each exhale purges the body of carbon dioxide, excess water and other toxins, he said. With shallow breathing, the exchange is "just not as effective as with the deeper breathing," he said.

"A person can improve oxygen readings just by taking a few slow, deep breaths," he said, adding, "Yogic breathing has been known to decrease blood pressure and slow the heart rate."

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Using chant, posture and visualization, Kahn wants to turn shallow breathers into deep breathers.

Deep-breathing techniques, learned through yoga and other disciplines, "helps to better circulate oxygen through the body," said Cynthia Richmond, a yoga instructor at Lokahi yoga in Kaneohe.

If done correctly, one should feel their lungs, rib cage and abdominal area expand.

Breathing also helps concentration. "Many of us have monkey minds ... it jumps from place to place and doesn't stay focused on one thing," said Richmond. Yoga incorporates breathing techniques to keep the mind focused, and the skill can be applied to anything you do, she said.

Kahn calls that active breathing, used for cleansing purposes. By helping certain clients enunciate the word "Aloha," she helps them to breathe and eliminate emotional pain.

The word "Aloha" is broken up into three sections: "A" for fire; "Lo" to build and obtain proper desire; and "HA" to breathe out gently and blow the injury away. You breathe in on "A" and "Lo," drawing the air into your stomach area, and slowly exhale on "HA."

This technique of belly breathing is hard for many people to grasp, explained Kahn, who suggests trying to feel the breath in the lower back.

Most of her breathing exercises are accompanied by repetitive Hawaiian chants. For those worried about pronunciation, Kahn says not to fret. "It's like when a baby speaks its first words. When they say 'da da,' it is the most beautiful thing in the world," she said. "The main thing is a person is trying with good intention."