Breathing exercises

I attending a Yoga session after work today. This Yoga session was interesting for it described how we often don't breath properly and as a result we are more stressed and tend to have high anxiety levels. Apparently if one or both of our nostrils are partially blocked then this can have an affect on our thinking and the hemispheres of our brain. Now I know some of you may be cynical and not want to think more about what I am saying, but stress and anxiety are fueled by shallow breathing. As an Aspie shallow breathing has some negative consequences in that it can make me very anxious and affect my sleep patterns etc.

A lot of Aspies seem to have sleep issues. Because our brains turn over and obsess about things we cannot find the switch to turn off this process. So instead we have to look into strategies. I was speaking with one Aspie today and he is unable to drink milk or when it is warmed as it affects him. I also know another Aspie who tries to exercise to reduce his anxiety levels. He finds anti depressants are not Aspie friendly to him so he chooses exercise instead. He also has sleep issues but he gets by as best he can.

I used to have sleep issues and sometimes I try to help other Aspies with their sleep issues by suggesting advice and I am not always aware of boundaries. For instance I asked an Aspie recently about does he have mental health issues and his response was "What's my mental health got to do with you?" I feel it is sad in a world where adults have to rely on their own coping strategies to the best of their ability. I think sadly for some adults that they know the lack of services available are a reality and they may be cynical of things changing. I know personally all to well my own mental health issues when I worked in a traineeship some years back where I was being pushed to perform to my maximum with the result being a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation or performance issues. Disclosure of diagnosis is a personal decision from adult to adult but in my own situation I feel it is best my employer know and they try to make allowances where they can. I have known of some Aspies being refused meal breaks, recreation leave and even support within the workplace to cause them to cope, have other difficulties or end up resigning out of frustration. It can be very difficult.

Breathing exercises can always be difficult and as an Aspie I find anxiety can hijack my thought processes at times. When I worked full time some years back I was having severe anxiety. I tried going to the bathroom to try techniques for relaxation and found I was self concious of how long I was in the bathroom as I needed to get back to work and I also realised that being at my work station, distractions would get in the way of me trying relaxation techniques. I now cope as best I can and feel that by writing books, and connecting with other adults on the Autism Spectrum seems to be one way to go. Aspies are like our own culture. We think differently and we need relaxation techniques to help us. Meditation, massage and other techniques can alleviate anxiety in ourselves to some degree. I have included a youtube video with some Yoga for the benefit of others if they so choose.