Since I have been coughing for over 36 years, and have just gone to yoga classes three times, you would think that the title to this essay would be “My Cough and Yoga.” But the credit goes to the yoga class for doing something in only three weeks that nothing has done in the past 36 years: Cause an apparent reduction in my coughing. This essay is Part 1 of an unknown number of parts. If the frequency of my coughing continues to reduce, then there may be numerous parts. On with the story.
I first noticed my cough 36 years ago toward the end of a trip across Europe. My best guess is that the wheezing I had experienced in Northern California before I left for my trip turned into the cough. That cold winter, and my occasional underexposure to the weather likely morphed my wheezing into an asthma cough. When I returned from my trip, doctors at Kaiser diagnosed my cough as “cough variant asthma” in response to a positive result on a “methacholine challenge” test. I refused to take prescribed inhalers since I had no problem breathing.
My wife began taking weekly yoga lessons at our YMCA about two years ago. Three weeks ago, I decided to join her in the class.
Pardon My Coughing
Stress and breathing had only been “lip service” concepts to me. I knew that I coughed more when I was stressed, and I never concentrated on my breathing before.
After three yoga sessions, I believe I see a reduction in the frequency of my coughing, which I attribute to what I have just learned and just begun to practice: Concentrating on deep breathing, and the concomitant reduction of stress that comes with saying a mantra while I deep breathe. Each morning when I awake, I practice the deep breathing technique I learned. I remind myself that it will be a “no stress” day. Whenever I think about breathing during the day, I take a deep breath — hold —exhale — hold —inhale.
I know I must now chart the frequency of my daily coughing. I will. And I will report back in Part 2 of this topic in the near future.
The lesson to be learned: Things that you only paid lip service to are available for learning about. And you can do it before 36 years have gone by!
Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com
