Off Topic - Meditation & Sleep Apnea

[maljushri]

Any others on the site practice Buddhism and/or integrate mindfulness meditation or breathing practices with their CPAP therapy? I think my practice has been helpful so far, but other anecdotes would be nice. I've just started on a CPAP, for a few days now.

Thanks!

[johnthomasmacdonald]

I meditate daily but I've never thought of it as being connected with my apnea - I'm sort of a buddhist without beliefs if you've ever read Stephen Batchelor's book of that title

[SleepyonMagnoliaSt]

I'm a Buddhist/Christian. I am not on Cpap therapy but while meditating last night I wondered if it could be used in correlation with CPAP therapy. Especially for those who feel their Cpap makes them claustrophobic I think meditation could be very beneficial

[ellen1159]

I don't meditate but I found the deep breathing techniques taught in childbirth classes are wonderful for dealing with any kind of anxiety (I'm a white-knuckle airline passenger). If I have to take a flight anywhere I do my deep cleansing breaths to start. I've also found four-count or square breathing to help: imagine drawing a straight line as the top of a square while you do a long inhalation; hold that breath for the same count as you draw the second line/side of the square; exhale as you draw the third line and hold your breath for the fourth line or wall of the square. The idea is to focus on the duration of each "side" while you're doing it. It certainly distracts you from whatever is bugging you.
Tonight's my first night at home with a CPAP machine and I'm sure I'll be breathing like a steam radiator!

[BlackSpinner]

I have been using various meditation practices for many years.

It made a huge difference with my ability to adjust to the mask, especially those middle of the night wake ups of "OMG I can't possibly breathe with this on my face!!!!" which I got the third week in.

[maljushri]

Blackspinner, yes, that's what I was wondering about. I've basically been working on (1) paying attention to my breath and not focusing on distracting thoughts that the CPAP means I "can't breathe", mostly due to the pressure on the exhale, and (2) letting myself feel the mask and all of its attendant sensations, especially in the middle of the night when there's panic in my waking up.

I have been using various meditation practices for many years.

It made a huge difference with my ability to adjust to the mask, especially those middle of the night wake ups of "OMG I can't possibly breathe with this on my face!!!!" which I got the third week in.

ellen1159, I hope that the breathing techniques work for you! I've been doing a lot of intentional deep breaths, too, to try to work with, rather than against, the machine.

I don't meditate but I found the deep breathing techniques taught in childbirth classes are wonderful for dealing with any kind of anxiety (I'm a white-knuckle airline passenger). If I have to take a flight anywhere I do my deep cleansing breaths to start. I've also found four-count or square breathing to help: imagine drawing a straight line as the top of a square while you do a long inhalation; hold that breath for the same count as you draw the second line/side of the square; exhale as you draw the third line and hold your breath for the fourth line or wall of the square. The idea is to focus on the duration of each "side" while you're doing it. It certainly distracts you from whatever is bugging you.
Tonight's my first night at home with a CPAP machine and I'm sure I'll be breathing like a steam radiator!

SleepyonMagnoliaSt, yes, I don't think that one has to have any particular belief system to benefit from meditation practices in connection with CPAP.

I'm a Buddhist/Christian. I am not on Cpap therapy but while meditating last night I wondered if it could be used in correlation with CPAP therapy. Especially for those who feel their Cpap makes them claustrophobic I think meditation could be very beneficial

John, I've read it, yep. I myself am comfortable being a secular humanist kind of Buddhist, too. I'm still thinking about how to integrate medical treatment for sleep apnea with my understanding of attachment/suffering, etc. I think there are some useful connections to make, but since this isn't a philosophy/Buddhism forum, I mostly was curious about meditative practices.

I meditate daily but I've never thought of it as being connected with my apnea - I'm sort of a buddhist without beliefs if you've ever read Stephen Batchelor's book of that title

[carbonman]

Any others on the site practice Buddhism and/or integrate mindfulness meditation or breathing practices with their CPAP therapy?

SOLO technique
S stop doing
O observe yourself: know your mind
L Let yourself be: just breathe
O Observe yourself: know your body

TFI (thought/feeling/image) balancing

These are forms of meditation.
Sound mind, sound sleep
Dr. Barry Krakow

I use them nightly.
I also practice Zen of the Mask-
taking you far beyond the mechanics of blowing air up your nose.

Extra credit exercise:
Can you develope your Zen strength to
over come an itch, under your mask?

[chunkyfrog]

By the time I've done everything necessary to lay my head down, I am only awake about 3-5 minutes before I'm asleep.
So much to do, I'm out - like - a - light.

[newhosehead]

SOLO technique
S stop doing
O observe yourself: know your mind
L Let yourself be: just breathe
O Observe yourself: know your body

TFI (thought/feeling/image) balancing

Hey Carbonman,
It's been awhile, my friend. Thought of you today and came here, found your latest post and had to smile. TFI...I do it every day.

Jean

[DreamStalker]

Before being dx'd with OSA I used to attend a yoga class. The class always ended with a yoga nidra period and I would always fall asleep and start to snore ... ruining the meditation for everyone else in the class

[Tom W]

Before being dx'd with OSA I used to attend a yoga class. The class always ended with a yoga nidra period and I would always fall asleep and start to snore ... ruining the meditation for everyone else in the class

Been There - Done That.

For me there's a VERY fine line between RELAXED and SNORING.

[chunkyfrog]

I have found creative visualization to help me deal with things I cannot control:
Tinnitus becomes a tiny angel singing off key--but full of love and earnestness.
Night sounds (machine, air conditioner, locusts) become machinery on a starship, taking me to a wonderful sci-fi adventure.