Reducing Stress through your Breath

When teaching a stress management seminar, a yoga class or workshop the first thing on my agenda is a breathing exercise. Why? Because it is the easiest way to ground the audience, myself and relax the energy in the room. A yogi once said, "erratic breath, erratic mind", therefore, if your breath is short, fast and shallow, your thoughts are likely to follow suit. It is important to have a conscious awareness of the breath, even though it is an involuntary action in the body.

Watch the breath. Just for a moment, watch the breath...maybe you are holding your breath...which is common for people do without even knowing.
Want to slow down, or calm down? Take a deep breath, let your abdomen rise, exhale slowly, things become calmer, clearer. This is important in our fast paced, multi-tasked society, when things get spinning out of control.

Deep breathing does 5 things:

1. Slows the Sympathetic nervous system, or the "fight or flight" and stimulates the Parasympathetic nervous system, which is the "rest and digest", or relaxed system, in turn, slows the heart rate.

2. Oxygenates the blood and the brain, so your thinking becomes more clear.

3. Stimulates the diaphragm muscle, the real "breathing muscle" as opposed to the chest muscles, which are used in short, shallow breathing.

4.  Moves lymphatic fluid throughout the body, which is our major detoxifying system. When you don't breathe properly, fluids get congested, clogged and you feel bogged down.

5. Relaxes the muscles, and creates a connection to nature which allows you to flow through life in a more harmonious manner!

The best way to begin deep breathing, is to just start. Take a deep breath in through your nose, allow the abdomen to rise, relax the tongue and jaw, and exhale through the back of your throat. The mouth can be slightly open or closed. When the air is exhaled you can either blow gently out through pursed lips, or you can do the "Darth Vader" breath, which is with closed lips, and makes a loud breathy sound. This is commonly called the UJJAYI breath in yoga.

You can perform deep breathing while you are driving, taking a break on the hour, in the morning when you wake up, in bed at night before you go to bed. It won't be long before you notice clearer thinking, less anxiety and a more relaxed you!

10 Reasons for a Detoxifying and Rejuvenating Massage

Tomorrow is Sunday, a day of rest, during the last couple weeks of cold and flu season increase your immunity by giving yourself  or someone else a massage.

The benefits of massage therapy are numerous. This ancient healing art has been around for over 4000 years. Massage was used as a primary method of treating illness because of it's effectiveness on the lymphatic system, our natural detoxifying system in the body. Massage stimulates the muscles and tissues to release metabolic toxins and the lymphatic and circulatory system work to eliminate them from the body. This is still true today.

It is important to receive massage for the following reasons:
1. Improves and tonifies the Circulatory System

2. Eliminates toxic by-products of metabolism

3. Increases immune response, by increasing production of white blood cells

4. Increases endorphins, or the "feel good chemicals"

5. Improves muscle tone

6. Lowers blood pressure

7. Decreases anxiety

8. Regulates sleep and eliminates insomnia

9. Balances appetite

10.Enhances mental clarity and improves productivity
See more reasons to have massage at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/03/08/healthmag.massage/

Time to Breathe the Winter Air

It is Winter, breathe in the crisp air. Cold temperatures vasoconstrict your blood vessels. When returning inside to the warm air, the blood vessels dilate and you have increased circulation. This is apparent in your rosie skin color. You can think of it like the Roman baths, alternating cold and hot therapies. Who knew the Roman baths were right outside your door. Get outside, breathe the winter air, and realize you are alive.

A Real Breath-arian

I stand corrected, the real term for those living on pure breath, or prana, is called Breatharian. I had the pleasure of meeting one this past month in Rishikesh, India, her name is Sama Fabien.

Out of Breath

So, it is 24 hrs before I depart on my journey to India. I am a bit anxious.
Busy checking my supplies, running from place to place, I am out of breath. I need the Indian air...

Breathing Eachother

Breath is powerful, as powerful as blogging. I have many now coming with questions on how one could simply live on breath alone, no food, no water. With every breath, you inhale 10 22nd power atoms from the universe. This astronomical volume of material enters your body from your environment and quickly becomes the cells of your heart, bones, kidneys, and liver.

When you exhale your release the same number of atoms from every part of your body. You’re literally breathing out bits and pieces of your heart and kidneys. Bits and pieces of organs seem to be plenty for breathatarians.

It's Time to Breath

We don't even realize the complexity of our breath, because it is a passive involuntary function of our body. And yet it is often taken for granted, the breath has power, a quiet power, larger than the universe. Some people simply live on breath alone, they are called breath-a-tarians.