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kaberettWhen I say "poetry teaches me how to breathe", or "poetry reminds me how to breathe", I'm not actually being metaphorical.
In the middle of bad anxiety, it feels like my throat is tightening and closing up: breathing is difficult enough, let alone regularly, and I do get stress-related voice loss on occasion. I do tend to hyperventilate, or to forget to exhale (where inhalations take care of themselves), but - poetry, I tend to read aloud. It forces me to regulate my breathing patterns, but does so in a way that is second-nature and soothing; playing the horn also works for this, though singing doesn't tend to for reasons I'm not clear on.
(Also, doing better than last night. <3)
In the middle of bad anxiety, it feels like my throat is tightening and closing up: breathing is difficult enough, let alone regularly, and I do get stress-related voice loss on occasion. I do tend to hyperventilate, or to forget to exhale (where inhalations take care of themselves), but - poetry, I tend to read aloud. It forces me to regulate my breathing patterns, but does so in a way that is second-nature and soothing; playing the horn also works for this, though singing doesn't tend to for reasons I'm not clear on.
(Also, doing better than last night. <3)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-20 04:44 pm (UTC)Glad to hear you're doing better. <3
-J.J.
p.s. if additional resetting activities would be useful, this roundup looked promising — I have a 'back to baseline breathing tag' for a reason.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-20 05:33 pm (UTC)at any rate, I'm also glad you're doing a bit better and you're not the only one for whom poetry serves as a lung opener in the literal sense.
Happy Friday.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-20 08:55 pm (UTC)More importantly: so happy to hear you are doing better!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-21 02:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-21 06:16 pm (UTC)