little tight?
Jared:(Nods, but can't speak.)
Sam:Sit with me here and lean forward like this. Put your head forward like this so your bronchial tubes can open and smooth out. [At this point, Sam's voice drops in pitch and slows down so that it's soothing and controlled. He "paces" his son's breath with his own, carefully so s not to hyperventilate, just enough so that there is a joint rhythm. As he speaks to his son, his breathing slows down just a little bit at a time, "leading" his son back to normal breathing.) And as you do, you can remember very clearly how your inhaler feels when you take a puff on it, a little cool, a little tingly and how it opens you up pretty quickly, you can remember how it feels when it's working"a little more open now"a little more open, a little cooler, until you can get a really good deep, slow, even breath"
With his father's steady guidance and well-chosen imagery, Jared's breathing returned to a more normal rate and they were able to get home safely. Even more than averting a respiratory catastrophe, Jared came away from the experience with a body memory, a knowing that he could change the way he thought, felt, and healed. Although the crisis lasted a few minutes, that learning would last a lifetime.
This article will be continued with another demonstration tomorrow.
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