I often suggest meditation to my clients as a way to reduce the tension built up in their bodies by chronic stress. As you may guess, I sometimes meet resistance to this suggestion. The resistance has more to do with the public image of meditation than unwillingness to work toward self-health.

When I say "meditation" most people imagine someone wrapped in a sheet, sitting on a cushion in a position akin to a square knot, contemplating their navel. Just the thought makes them wince in empathetic pain. "My knees won't bend like that," they cry. "I can't sit like that!"

And I say, You don't have to! The point of meditation is not to become a contortionist ­- the point is to become more aware of yourself. You can meditate in a chair. Ancient Taoists used to meditate lying down (the feat is to not fall asleep!).

More important in meditation than position is the breath. We focus on the breath as it flows in and out of the body. The breath rules the body.

As a massage therapist, one of the first body functions I check as I'm working with a client is their breathing. The way a client breathes tells me much about their state of stress -- often more than the client even knows. Shallow chest breathing is a sure sign of chronic stress because shallow chest breathing causes chronic stress!

Chest breathing is based on a common misconception: everyone knows you breathe with your lungs, and your lungs are in your chest. So it stands to reason that if you're breathing your chest should move. The deeper you breath, the more your chest moves, right?

Wrong!

Your breath originates in your abdomen, not your chest. The next opportunity you get, watch a small child breathe. You'll see the child's abdomen moving more than his chest.

Why? Because the abdomen works as the bellows that drives the air into and out of the lungs. To inhale, the abdomen moves outward and the diaphragm (located at the bottom of the ribcage) drops down, creating a pressure differential in the lungs, which draws air into them. To exhale, just the reverse happens. The abdomen contracts, pushing the diaphragm upward, which presses the air out of the lungs. During this whole breath the only work the chest did was to allow the expansion and contraction of the lungs!

Now how does shallow chest breathing cause chronic stress? For that answer we need to take a look at your nervous system.

The autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts that are polar opposites: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. There are really only two key things you really need to know about these two systems.

First, how do these systems function in your body? The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for what we call "fight or flight" mode. When there is a huge sabertooth tiger charging you, your body enters "fight or flight" mode and you either run faster than Michael Johnson or make a meal of that tiger. The parasympathetic nervous system does just the opposite ­- after you've outrun the sabertooth tiger, the parasympathetic nervous system puts the brakes on and begins the repairs on the pulled muscle in your leg.

Second, what does this have to do with your breathing? Everything. When you are breathing in short, shallow breaths, you are giving your body a signal that there is a tiger about to make a meal of you. Your body, therefore, goes into "fight or flight" mode. If that tiger is just your boss or a deadline or even a first date…you can't run! But your body wants to. It's prime to jump. You hold it back and it calms down a little. But you keep giving it the signal to run with your breathing, so it goes right back into "fight or flight" and turns into a vicious cycle called chronic stress. "Road rage" and "desk rage" are examples of chronic stress pushed past the breaking point.

There is a remedy to this awful mess -- it's the parasympathetic nervous system to the rescue! How? Take deep, slow breaths from your abdomen and exhale all the stress. This signals the parasympathetic nervous system that it's time for a nap on the beach, time to put out the "Do not disturb" sign.

This is the power of meditation over stress. Meditation helps you focus on correct breathing and allows you to release the stress you've built up over time. No, it doesn't happen instantly, although you will feel a difference the first time. But with practice, even standing in line becomes a vacation rather than an aggravation.

Kathi Remsen is a certified meditation and Qi Gong instructor teaching at the YMCA. She is also a licensed, nationally certified massage therapist in private practice in Anchorage. Call 332-4992.