Page 9 - Winter2009

Letters

himself, describes the deeply ingrained described in the book Saharasia, which ticle). He made a number of comments
emotional restraint of the Indians that apparently was practiced in a few tra- about jaw development and how it re-
were studied; an artificial restraint that ditional cultures. As noted, the main lated to asthma. This technique “cured”
was revealed in the face of emotionally reason given for swaddling in cradle my lifelong asthma. I am thirty-six now
charged circumstances both joyous and boards was to protect the infant. The and have been off all asthma medication
tragic. point of the article was the great em- (most recently Pulmicort and Bricanyl)
This fact is more thoroughly docu- phasis the American Indian placed on for several years. I say “cured” because
mented with extensive cross-cultural preventing mouth breathing. Obviously my symptoms would soon return if I
evidence in the book Saharasia: The we do not recommend the practice of didn’t maintain good breathing habits.
4000 BCE Origins of Child Abuse, continuous swaddling today, although To manage my asthma I do the fol-
Sex-Repression, Warfare and Social many mothers have found that light lowing: breathe quietly through my nose
Violence in the Deserts of the Old World swaddling in a blanket can be useful while awake; tape my mouth closed at
by Dr. James DeMeo. Here it is demon- in calming a very young infant. The night with micropore tape (fold a tab on
strated that, far from being an innocuous premise that swaddling during the first one side so it can be easily removed);
and independent child-rearing practice, two years of life resulted in the emotion- breathe only through my nose while
the social institution of swaddling devel- less demeanor of the American Indian exercising, such as running.
oped as part of a much wider, functional is an interesting one; but to claim that I can now get up on a cold morning
social matrix that included many other the Native Americans lacked the will to to run without fear of symptoms, and I
biologically traumatic child-rearing resist the incursions of the Europeans no longer carry an inhaler with me. In
practices. Swaddled infants may in fact into their territories does not stand up 2007 I ran the Sydney and Auckland
appear calm, but this is often a conse- to the recorded evidence. Quite the con- marathons breathing only through my
quence of the swaddling wraps causing trary, European Americans had to go to nose. I wake up in the morning feeling
a compressive reduction in respiration, great lengths to break the spirit of the calm and relaxed, and the tape prevents
after which they eventually resign to American Indian. The allegation that the any snoring.
their confinement. American Indians practiced child abuse Most of 2008 I spent milking cows
The negative psychological effects and were sexually repressed seems far- on an organic dairy farm in New Zea-
of swaddling may be carried into adult- fetched. In fact, in the early days of the land—somewhat ironic after suppos-
hood as an emotionally immobilized American colonies, one of the greatest edly being allergic to cow’s milk as a
character structure. Such submissive “problems” encountered by the settlers baby (asthma/eczema) and being told as
people, for example, are unable to ex- was the fact that many Europeans ran a child that I was allergic to grass. While
press the necessary outrage at authori- away to live with the Indians, because on asthma medication I never thought I
ties who try to take away their individual they found the Native American society would be able to work in an environment
rights and freedoms. We urge parents to less stressful than their own. like that. (I suspect that I may be allergic
do their research before deciding on the to hard work though!)
practice of swaddling. BUTEYKO BREATHING Konstantin Buteyko, the Ukrainian
Joseph Heckman, Ph.D. TECHNIQUE physician who invented the technique,
New Brunswick, NJ Thank you for printing Nancy made a couple of important discoveries.
James DeMeo, Ph.D Henderson’s fascinating article about First, that healthy people breathe air at
Ashland, Oregon George Caitlin. My interest in the WAPF around six liters per minute. Most of
started after I was taught the Buteyko us breathe far too much all the time
George Caitlin did not observe the very Breathing Technique by Roger Price (chronic hyperventilation). Second, that
cruel practice of head deformation, as (whom Henderson refers to in the ar- overbreathing results in insufficient CO
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WINTER 2009 Wise Traditions 7