The Hindu Business Line : Cough it out

If, like me, you're prone to a sore throat, try homeopathy. It has varied cough remedies for varied constitutions, even temperaments. In addition to treating a dry, moist, loose or explosive cough, your doctor may give you Pulsatilla if you're feeling weepy and helpless, or Nux vomica if you're irritable and exasperated. Its territory includes not just remedying but reprogramming as well. "It spells out," says Dr Rudolph Ballantyne, "energy rearranged — a piece of information that is now available for restoration of balance and order. Smooth sailing ahead."

Not necessarily. Could be that there's still some ballast to be tossed out. It's no joke staying up nights hacking, if the episode recurs. It's no fun if a good, deep belly laugh splutters into a coughing fit. Before the waters get choppy again, analyse why the throat hoarsely yells "Mayday!" so often.

For that, let's trace the route of our emotions. They flow upstream from the stomach, are amplified into feelings by the chest and the throat refines them into thought-sounds (words). If those words remain unexpressed, if every feeling jams into another with no outlet, the throat rasps an urgent, "Cough it out!"

Since the throat is responsible for vocal expression, I wonder... Am I suppressing myself? My students dub me the prince of protocol who waits for the other person to stop speaking before I put across my views and end up not expressing myself as others less polite barge in and barrel on. So, should I cut in abruptly, stop listening, start speaking?

At least, that's what Dr Ballantyne who suffered from a four-year off-and-on cough indicates from a psychiatrists' workshop conducted by Dr Arnie Mindell. Asked to choose his symptom, Dr Ballantyne chose his cough. "Describe what this symptom does and how it looks," instructed Dr Mindell.

Replied Dr Ballantyne thoughtfully, "The impulse to cough digs, pushes and burrows up my chest... It looks and feels like a malicious mole!"

"What is its message to you," asked Dr Mindell. This was Dr Ballantyne 's turning point as he replied, "It's urging me to be aggressive, to roar my agony, my indignation when I'm pushed around!"

Another psychiatrist explained it as a tug-of-war between feelings (wanting to lash out) ascending from the chest, and thoughts ("be rational, be civilised") descending from the brain to create an inflamed deadlock in the throat. "What do you wish," asked his colleague.

The answer in a slow, sad voice: "I wish that my head and heart would be on better terms. I am tired of mediating unsuccessfully between all their conflicts. I wish I could find ways that would encourage my thoughts to relax and respect my feelings; and my feelings to show some consideration for the needs of my rational mind..."

By visualising a peace-making dialogue between his two teams to reach a mutually-agreed middle path, the cougher reported that his throat felt less raw.

The lesson we coughers can learn from this couch is: try to create a level field between feelings and thoughts in the throat, instead of turning it into a scarred battlefield. The throat is literally a soft target for mutiny or an agreeable meeting-ground. For, according to Kundalini Yoga, the throat houses the vishuddha chakra responsible for not just vocal outflow but an inflow of self-reflection and self-identification.

Reflect, and we see, it's not just a human aggressor, but often, the many choices we make that `push us around' — one example: when we choose a profession over a passion. Perhaps, it's such unexpected parts of us that stick in the gullet, sometimes stiffen the jaw too.

Interestingly, one exercise in our programme for toning down the double chin is recommended as "a bio-energetic exercise to release throat and jaw-tensions." Throw back your head. Open your mouth as wide as you can and shut it. Done several times, the throat vibrates, the jaw loosens tears of tensions.

Further, Israeli physicist Dr Moshe Feldenkrais has devised physical exercises to get at our unexpressed parts. First, fold your arms across your chest. Next, reverse their position and once again fold them across your chest. The first fold, which comes easily and naturally, is your expressed part. The second fold, which feels awkward and unnatural, is your unexpressed part.

Doing such two-way exercises, Dr Feldenkrais explains, sends new messages to our nervous system, breaks our usual neuromuscular patterns, and we experience expansive ways of thinking, feeling and sensing beyond what we are accustomed to. Expressing follows.

Ultimately, it's about finding a healthy balance between our present socio-professional programming and freely exploring other unrealised facets of ourselves. Meanwhile, don't forget the karwhol-tablet steam-inhalation and the warm-saltwater gargle. Long-term remedies need short-term soothers too.

The writer is co-author of the book, `Fitness for Life'.

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