What a great day –

My PFTs went up 5% – which is pretty amazing.

However, I can’t take full credit. Yes, the air came from my lungs, but the respiratory tech showed me a new technique – a technique I had never been shown before.

The last time I went to my doc’s in MN, it was the first I had PFTs there since I was 27, and the RT that I had was new, or at least newer.

It went a little like this –

I stand, have my nose clip on, and I put the mouthpiece in my mouth. I take both of my hands and hold onto the mouthpiece with my elbows almost as high as my shoulders pointing straight out as if I was going to fly away or do the chicken dance.

“Why are you doing that?” Ruby asks.

“Because, I say, that is the way Boston has shown me or said I should do it. I think at one point the mouthpiece would fly off from the hose, so you are supposed to hold onto or something. So I was told to hold onto and I bring my arms up to open my lungs up as much as I can.”

In had, in fact, disconnected a couple times and we had to start over. “Hold onto it” is pressed in me.

“You are too tense. Just bring your arms down.”

I am hesitant. We do one loop the way I normally do it.

“Just relax.”

I am thinking – I don’t want to fly back while I am blowing out and the thing releases.

“I will try.”

Of course, I will.

I start the next loop with my elbows about halfway down than what they were before.

When I start to blow out, she says, “Bring your arms down, relax your shoulders, keep relaxing, keep relaxing, keep blowing . . . ”

“Look at that, 3% higher than last time,” Ruby says.

We continue with the next loop, bringing shoulders down, loose, loosen my arms and shoulders, keep blowing, blowing, and blowing . . . 5%.

We continue for three or four more loops. I believe I did seven total all be around 4-5% higher than last – all for practice. You only have to do three to four loops total normally.

It was much easier than I have ever done them. I asked for a mouthpiece to bring home to practice.

My friend mentioned later – “Maybe good to consider for every day breathing.”

“Did not think of that. That would be a good idea.” Thinking . . . thinking . . . Hmmm . . .

So here’s the deal –

Women breathe with their chest; men tend to breathe with their stomachs. It is best to do the loop breathing from your stomach. I used to breathe out too much from my chest, then my throat, and then my larynx started to collapse while I blew out and then I flatlined. It has gotten tired over time.

It has taken me much practice to blow out from my stomach.

So here we are, we all know this. Loosen up, relax, and breathe. Always easier said than in practice. To think about doing this while breathing normally is definitely a meditative practice.

I have been breathing out with much power as I can muster to get a good score. Granted, I have been aiming to fly away, and hold onto the mouthpiece. My airways tighten, narrow, and less air can be expelled.

By relaxing, they loosen, open, and more air can be pushed out.

It is forced power versus trusting your internal power.

My friend asked me today, “How much do you think all of this is a mental thing?”

“150%, or like 2000%. Everything is.”

The rest of the appointment was great, lots of laughs. I met with a bunch of people and learned more new things.

Pause.

I want to note an observation –

I have seen a lot of women friends during my visit, and just listening to my friends at home, and other states as well, and there is a large commonality – Women Make The World Go Around.

I said this to one of my friends.

Christmas’s would not be Christmas without women.

Birthdays would not be birthdays without women.

Every holiday. The new school year, each milestone within that school year. The day-to-day tasks that women honestly have to do – and I am not saying every partner does not help, but somehow it still leans on the woman heavily even if they work.

This is just what I am hearing and seeing.

A friend of mine said that recently her husband said, “I support feminism.”

She said, “Really, why then do we have a 1950s arrangement.”

Women work, then have to at times cook, do laundry, somehow help with homework, while some of these tasks are shared – but still there is a lean.

The almighty waiting to see who helps game gets old fast.

I asked one of my friends, “Do your kids help out?”

“Yeah, sometimes. I can give them a list and sometimes it gets done . . .”

Which leads to the hovering right below the threshold at times.

I, unfortunately, do not have a big grand solution.

But I wanted to say – women don’t just make the world go round – They Run the World.

Here is a woman who is just amazing. It is related in a sense. I love listening to her voice. You may have heard of her, or not.

It is worth the full listen – but there are shorter versions of this video as well.

Much love. Keep your hearts full and round.