GP and avid yoga enthusiast Jackie Cheng tells the story of a typical
day in her surgery helping patients – and how yoga, meditation and
deep breathing techniques see her through it
W
e join our GP in a moment
of rest, of sleep; breath
is slow, steady, fully
under the control of the
medulla. Suddenly, out of
nowhere, a rude awakening: the loud squawk
of the alarm tears her from her slumber, the
fight or flight response switched on, heart
racing, breath gasping. After a moment of
disorientation she comes to her senses,
turns off the incessant noise making her
ears ring, realising it’s time for early morning
yoga she moans with a sigh at the early hour.
The pressure is on to get everything done in
preparation to leave the house – teeth, face,shower and breakfast. Her breath is shallow
and short as she struggles to get ready on
time, she’s late, she’s late!Morning yoga
...“and deepen your inhale, lengthen your
exhale” Ahhhhh a long sigh as she arrives
on her mat. A deep inhale a reflexive cue for
a slowing of the breath, switching to a 5/5
breath instantly the shoulders melt back and
down, her heart rate lowers, her belly and
chest are engaged in the full yogic breath.
Closing her eyes, she is here with her breath,
with the present moment. Another deep
inhale preps the body for an o m chant, thebreath controlled as it allows the rumble
o f “aauuooommm” from the upper chest,
reverberating in the throat, vibrating in the
mouth as the breath is slowly exhaled. The
mind is focused with how deep to inhale to
hold the vibration, the sound, for as long
as possible. Voice wobbling as the lungsPatients & patience
om mind om mind
“As the breath releases to a
natural breath in savasana
she lets go of the breath,
the practice allowing a
moment of rest.”