I have had asthma since I was six years old. My worst trigger WAS anxiety. My asthma attacks were brought on by stress and tension and the severity of the attack was often increased by fear and panic of the attack itself. However, since I was 16 years old I have learned that relaxation is key to keeping my life in order. I don't take medications and I don't puff on inhalers. I simple close my eyes, clear my mind and breathe. I meditate. It has been suggested that a type of meditation based on yoga principals can help lessen the severity of the symptoms of an asthma attack and have been found to even decrease the frequency of these attacks in people who practiced meditation continuously on a regular basis. Meditation relaxes the mind, increases our mental alertness and decreases the amount of chatter in our minds. When the mind is in this relaxed state we are better able to control our emotions and this positive effect flows on the body by increasing blood and oxygen flow plus decreasing blood pressure.