Health Benefits of Optimal Breathing

Consider this:
Our very lives begin and end with the breath. Between the two sacred moments of birth and death, most of us will take countless breaths and rarely give it a moment’s notice.

Scientists have observed that wild animals instinctively know how to “shake off” the high stress of life-threatening situations and return to a relaxed state where they are alert and aware without sacrificing their health and survival needs. They are still able to stay healthy, breath properly, procreate, eat and socialize. This ability to maintain balance is an inborn trait. While humans have the same instinct within, our modern lifestyles, which include unnatural living conditions, high stress, environmental pollutants, dishonoring social conditioning and poor food quality usually serve to keep us out of touch with our natural ability to maintain proper equilibrium. We do manage to procreate, socialize, eat and survive but for many people, our lives are not realized at a satisfying level and recurring health and emotional issues constantly hinder our quality of life. Traumas, including subtle prolonged emotional neglect, violent abuse or physical injury can separate us from our instinctive selves for years. Usually, the breath is the first physiological response to be affected by trauma. The change in breathing patterns is rarely noticed, especially when the trauma begins at a young age, yet the resulting effects on body, mind, emotions and spirit are ultimately profound.

Here are just a few of the ways healthy breathing affects our lives:

IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION

- Increases vital energy so the body has more energy to put towards it’s constant process of self-healing and detoxifying

- Lessens stress responses by regulating the nervous system that staves off diverting energy from healthy immune system function.

- Accelerating regeneration of tissues by allowing the regenerative systems of the body to heal/regenerate instead of fight off invaders.

-Speeds recovery from trauma and disease

- Partially compensates for inherited limitation and genetic weaknesses

Maintains body balance which supports ease of breathing including proper CO2 elimination

Eases the strain on the heart by increasing oxygen to the heart

Decreases stress on organs of elimination, thus helping the body to naturally cleanse and tonify

Improves coordination and grace via greater relaxation and self-awareness

Replaces energy lost during the natural process of growth and aging

Reverses effects of stress related to self-defeating habits and tendencies, including childhood traumas, religious programming and cultural conditioning

Strengthens coping skills

Enhances sense of self and inner power

Produces heightened self-awareness and self-love which leads to healthier life

Balances subtle energy systems affecting all the bodies: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual

Enhances creativity

Increases awareness and management of subtle energies within and around you and others

Re-learning to breathe the way nature intended from the beginning is a significant portion of anyone’s overall holistic wellness program.
Michael Grant White

Breathing.com, 1800 Camden Rd. Suite #107-36, Charlotte, NC, 28203 Toll-Free Phone:
866 MY INHALE (866 694 6425)
http://www.breathing.com/articles/health-benefits.htm

Unique Acupressure Technique

Unique Acupressure Technique Alleviates Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chemical SensitivitiesSan Francisco, CA (PRWEB) According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) must constantly monitor their condition in an effortto cope with the severe, changing and unpredictable symptoms of varying severity. However, an increasing number of patients are turning toEmotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and getting remarkable results

Conventional treatment for CFS is a complex combination of drug andnon-drug therapies. EFT works because it addresses the unresolvednegative emotions that may be contributing to the illness. Whenanger, guilt, shame and fear are repressed and unchecked, the stressof these issues weakens the immune system, thus making way for illnesseslike CFS to develop. When EFT is used to collapse the negative issues,the body’s immune system is able to do its repair work. Symptomstypically subside, sometimes immediately and often permanently.

The Center for Disease Control maintains,unresolved emotions and stress can make symptoms (of CFS) worse,interfere with pharmacological therapies and make recovery harder. However, EFT theory goes one more step to say that the unresolved emotionsand stress are the root cause of the symptoms.

Dr. Eric Robins, who uses EFT in his daily medical practice, agreeswith this theory. He says, At least 85% of medical problems are physicalmanifestations of how stress, anxiety, and past traumas are held inand processed by the body. I recommend that patients ask themselvesquestions like: a) what unresolved issues exist in my life that maybe contributing to this disease and b) what kinds of things am I stressingmyself out over. The best technique to address these issues and toclear them out of the body is EFT.

 
Eric Robbins, M.D.

Anxiety attacks are extremely scary.You feel as though you are ready to die. Here is one alternative way to help yourself get through an attack.

Breath work is an effective alternative technique that can be used whether you are taking anti-anxiety medications or not.

One of the most interesting things about breathing is its dual nature: it’s something that happens automatically, but at the same time, it’s something that one can control. It is both helpful and useful to pay attention to your breath and how you breathe. Start slowly and simply. You don’t want to increase your anxiety by worrying if you’re doing a breath work exercise properly!

Go ahead and try the following techniques to help relieve some anxiety:

• Go to your bedroom and close the door. Pile a couple of pillows on the edge of the bed and then pound the pillows with your fists. You might want to yell while doing this, but only if yelling won’t disturb or upset anyone else.

• Do some jumping jacks, jump rope, or march in place for a few minutes.

• Dance to music. NOTE: This works best when no one else is around. You can turn up the music a bit and you don’t have to worry about what you might look like while dancing around your living room!

• Go for a walk around the block.

• All of these activities will help release muscular tension; they also tend to lead naturally to deeper breathing – you need oxygen

  Now you’re ready to try some breath work. Here’s a good place to start:

• Find a place where it’s quiet.

• Sit in a straight back chair with both feet on the floor, hands on your thighs. Or lie down on the floor on your back with arms by your side, palms up, and your legs slightly separated and relaxed. Relax your jaw and gently close your eyes.

• Take a couple of deep breaths. Sigh as you exhale. You might want to stretch your arms a couple of times as you inhale and exhale. Listen to the sound of your breath as you inhale and exhale. Notice your abdomen rising and falling as you breathe in and out.

Practice Makes Perfect

Begin by doing this for a couple of minutes. Then gradually increase by adding a couple of minutes. There is no need to rush. This practice is something you can do from time to time during the day, even while you’re at work or standing in line at the bank. Pause for a moment, close your eyes, and listen to the sound of your breath.

What happens? Maybe you’ll notice that you were holding your breath and you hadn’t noticed that before. Maybe you’ll notice, as you’re listening to your breath and feeling your abdomen rising and falling, that your breath is gradually slowing down and deepening.

There’s no need to push yourself or judge yourself. The idea is simply to be quiet and notice how you’re breathing at that moment. Be patient with yourself. You’ll get it!

National Institue of Mental Health Anxiety Hotline: 1-888-826-9438