Paradoxical breathing

I want to write about this over the weekend, along with mouth taping.

Here's Swami Rama's take on it for starters:

"Paradoxical breathing is seen in conjunction with a sudden shock or surprise. One reflexively gasps when startled, expanding the chest while tensing the abdomen. If a situation which elicits paradoxical breathing occurs frequently, either because of the presence of much stimulation from the environment or because of an excessive sensitivity to environmental cues, the body will accommodate itself to this mode of functioning, gradually offering less and less resistance to it. Then, after being accustomed to this abnormal pattern, the body risks becoming less specific in its application of this pattern. Relatively minor stresses may then also begin to initiate the same response. And if, as has been previously suggested, breathing is intimately associated with the original emotional atmosphere and can in turn reinforce or recreate it, a vicious cycle ensues. Breathing therapy becomes much more complicated than simply dealing with a set of muscular movements. It becomes a potential tool for intervention in interrupting or controlling undesired emotional response patterns."