Asthma: A Fish Out of Water
We are not responsible for our illnesses,
we are responsible to them,
to what they offer and require of all of us,
sick and well alike.
–Kat Duff
Remember always
that you have not only the right
to be an individual,
you have an obligation to be one.
–Eleanor Roosevelt
Asthma is a chronic dis-ease that involves the air passages and makes breathing difficult. For me, when someone is learning from asthma I immediately see images from my childhood when my dad would come back from fishing and set the fish net full of blue gill on the pier, one or two would flop around, trying desperately to flop back into the water. Most of the fish would just lie there with their gills going in and out, slowly running out of oxygen…there are more similarities with this analogy than just running out of oxygen.
It is created by an inflammation of the air passages, this inflammation narrows the airways that supply oxygen to the lungs and then there is a feeling of suffocation. There are bands of muscles that surround the airways, and when relaxed the air flows freely. Those learning (and teaching) from asthma experience a tightening of those muscles and then the air cannot flow freely, mucous is secreted and that is why there is often a wheezing or a whistling sound, the air is being forced through this tight swollen passage leaving little space for air to move in or out.
Bronchial tubes are swollen and irritated and this is what is treated with most asthma drugs and treatment protocols. Looking at the metaphysical aspects of asthma, it is looking beyond the obvious symptoms of not being able to breathe. Asthma is much more complex than just the lung/breathing component. The various components of asthma include:
- Inflammation (first, base center and all about anger and survival)
- Muscles (first, base center and all about structure and controlled movement)
- Mucous (second sacral center, all about fluid and emotions)
- Coughing, wheezing, whistling (fourth center and all about control)
- Chest pain, tightness, or pressure (fourth center and pain is all about attention!)
- Inability to breath deep (shortness of breath) (fourth center and about inability to take in life, and to release what you take in…)
Putting all of these together can really emphasize the multiple lessons involved with this tissue issue! Taking these components and THEN adding yet another level of information helps me hone in on the issue behind the tissue. My two questions are:
- What type of asthma?
- WHEN did the asthma manifest?
Asthma attacks can occur at seemingly any time, yet being aware of what is going on in your life at the time is a good indication as to what is really triggering the lesson. Asthma is being out of your comfort zone, out of your environment. There is an underlying element of “smothering” by another, whether it is a parent, a partner, or even your work environment.
This smothering (some may call it concern) can create a sense of doubt about making it on your own, and then the fear/panic sets in and manifests an “attack”. The smothering does not allow one to breathe or be on their own or be in charge of their own decisions. This dependency may lead to a feeling of desperation and fear when they are finally asked to be on their own.
Often with children, take a look at how many activities they are involved in? Do they have a life beyond one practice or lesson after another? They may develop asthma in response to feeling they have no control at all concerning their own interests. Perhaps being in an activity that they do not want to participate in for some reason can trigger symptoms. It may be due to performance, self-esteem, or some other aspect of self-doubt, but the underlying lesson is there is a fear of being on their own.
As I mentioned in my entries on smoking, the bronchia in the lungs represent family. (I think of it as “the family tree”). Lungs are about commitment to be on this earth, and they also represent control, so issues with the lungs address situations in your life that involve your commitment to a task as well as how you “flow” from one experience (task) to another.
Asthma is also associated with the sacral center, the second emotion center that addresses person-to-person relationships. This emotion center has to do with fluids in the body, but again it is also about flow, in this case it is airflow and blood flow. This second emotion center vibrates to the color orange, and orange is often used in color therapy for lung issues. (More on this in The Color of Asthma).
This reference to person-to-person energy is important because the initial “attack” (right there is an interesting reference isn’t it?) involves inflammation. There is the increase in mucous production; mucous being a fluid, and often is seems an “ever-flowing” fluid! So there again is another association with that sacral center, person to person energy.
I would like to pull out two key words: commitment and attack. Commitment is often thought of as being “committed to a relationship” but I would like to define it in a different context here as I see commitment being about situations in your life that you need to take responsibility for, you need to be committed to, rather than allow someone else to do for you.
Therefore, situations that you feel are out of your control, whether you give up control in order to escape commitment, or someone else takes over and you relinquish control so as not to create any conflict are the basis for lessons involving asthma.
The word “attack” is interesting because there is an underlying feeling of being attacked and defenseless in regard to your situation. Whether it is allowing the attack and not having any energy or initiative to “fight back” or that there is a feeling of surrender because you do not feel you can stand on your own. Both involve the underlying theme of not believing you can do or the fear of even trying to do it without a particular parent or partner taking on the burden. You have trouble “breathing on your own”.
There are different types of asthma, and each type can be a bit telling as to what is influencing your fear to separate yourself from another and become independent.
Allergic Asthma is activated when specific airborn allergens such as pollen or smoke are inhaled. Allergies have been addressed before, and they represent “inner conflicts” These conflicts involve decisions of being on your own -vs- not being on your own and therefore, the asthma may be triggered.
Exercised-Induced Asthma is triggered by exercise or other physical exertion. There are those with asthma that experience symptoms when they exercise, but there are also those that ONLY experience asthma symptoms when the exercise. This would involve a feeling of not being committed to the activity, or the fear of not doing it well enough, so why bother at all?
Stress-Induced Asthma is the overwhelming fear of not being good enough, and frustration with not being able to get up on your own two feet. This can be a result of an overbearing, over ciritcal co-worker, boss, or the institution itself. I personally was diagnosed with stress-induced asthma years ago when I taught at Notre Dame. I was on an inhaler and had many attacks while I was there. It disappeared within a week after I left! What does THAT tell you? Amazing isn’t it?
Work-Induced Asthma involves the environmental factors of irritants or chemicals that you may be reacting to, causing symptoms to occur. This would involve a feeling of not being in control of your environment, and is common with factory employees, as they cannot “stop” the use of certain chemicals or processes.
Cough-Variant Asthma: Sometimes it is even hard to recognize asthma because there is not any wheezing or whistling involved. A chronic cough particularly at night can indicate asthma. Often the diagnosis of asthma is made as to whether or not the cough is relieved with an inhaler. It is a dry, non-productive cough, no mucous involved. This type of asthma is about releasing an irritation or frustration in regards to how you are living (or not living) your life. You cough and cannot gain control, gain air or oxygen and it is non-productive because YOU feel non-productive.
Last but not lease, is Nocturnal Asthma or “Nighttime Asthma” which occurs when you try to sleep, anytime, not just nighttime. It ruins sleep and creates some serious issues throughout your entire day. What issues would we have with sleeping that would correspond with the asthma? It is the fear of separation and “breathing on your own” that takes place when one goes to bed. I think of my children and perhaps the biggest parenting challenge I had with them was getting them to go to sleep in their own bed! So it would make sense that nocturnal asthma would involve being forced to be on your own, and that is what asthma is all about!
Blessings to you, and have a great week! Catherine
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