The health of the lungs and the quality of respiration are of huge significance when assessing how dynamic and vital our overall health is.
Post-partum, life starts with the first breath. And in Chinese medicine, the sequence of the acupuncture meridians begins with the lung meridian.
It’s of primary importance: a deep, relaxed, even breath calms our nervous system, regulates our heartbeat, and improves our digestion. It sets in motion a fundamental rhythm of expansion & release that many of our physiological activities take their lead from, almost like the conductor in an orchestra.
Many people whose health was damaged by Covid have experienced some compromise in their respiratory health, particularly those with long Covid, and improving the quality of their breath is often a key part of the recovery process.
When discussing lung health with patients I sometimes cite Louis Armstrong as a great example of strong lungs! One chronic fatigue patient that I treated recently drew my attention to this product which works on a similar principle to Louis’ trumpet: namely that breathing out against resistance encourages the lungs to expand and become stronger. She definitely felt that it was playing a part in her recovery!