LONG DEEP BREATHING
The lack of relaxation and peace of mind
in our present day society inhibits proper breathing. Poor breathing
increases susceptibility to stress, with all its attendant illnesses.
(The AMA reports that 80% of diseases are stress related.)
The body's physiological response to stress,
whether physical or psychological, is (among other things) to increase
the breath rate. Shallow, upper chest (upper lung) breathing, with
a faster breath rate, leads to chronic tension and weak nerves, which set
the scene for illnesses and fatal breakdowns in one or another of the body's
systems.
By slowing your breathing down, it changes
your state of mind. The yogis say that slowing your breathing to
16 times a minute calms and relaxes you. Consciously decreasing the
number of breaths per minute even more will put you into a state of hyper-awareness.
The ultimate goal is one breath per minute (20 seconds inhale, 20 seconds
holding the breath, 20 seconds to exhale).
Long deep breathing is quite simple yet is
something most of us have never been taught how to do. Hold your
hands with fingertips touching on your abdomen. As you inhale, the
abdomen should expand so that the fingers separate, and as you exhale,
they should come together again.
To learn exactly how it is done, start by
inhaling while relaxing the abdomen (the navel area) and even pushing it
out. The muscles of the abdomen draw the diaphragm down. The
downward movement of the diaphragm creates a vacuum in the lung cavity,
so air automatically flows into the lungs.
The lowest portion of the lungs will fill
first (like when you pour water into a bucket, the bottom fills first).
Continue the breath until the chest expands and the upper lungs are filled.
Try to breathe so that one inhale takes 5 to 10 seconds (the time
can slowly be increased with practice).
On the exhale, let the air out the top of
the lungs first, then the bottom (like pouring water out of the bucket).
The abdomen will shrink back itself, but pull it back in near the end of
the exhale. This pushes up on the diaphragm creating a pressure in
the lung cavity which causes the air to be expelled.
Practice long deep breathing as often as
possible for as long as you can. The positive and useful effects
of long deep breathing could fill pages, including:
1. Relaxes and calms you.
2. Cleanses the blood of impurities.
3. Gives clarity, calmness, and positivity.
4. Aids in speeding up healing, both
emotional and physical.
5. Reduces insecurities and fears.
6. Aids in breaking subconscious,
unwanted habit patterns and addictions.
7. Increases your ability to efficiently
handle stressful situations.
Herbs and Nutrition for
Health
KEEP THEM COOL
Have you wondered where and how you should
store your supplements so they can maintain maximum freshness and potency?
The best rule of thumb is to keep you supplements
in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight. Many ingredients are
light sensitive and will quickly deteriorate (dark brown bottles are used
to help cut down the light effect).
How about the extra large bottles?
I often suggest that if you've purchased a large size bottle of supplements,
empty out into a smaller vitamin container enough vitamins for a couple
of weeks use. Then take the large bottle, put saran wrap on top,
put the cover over the wrap and store the bottle in the refrigerator.
If you store your vitamins for daily use
in the refrigerator you'll likely run into a moisture problem. Because
the vitamins inside are cooler than room temperature, when you open the
bottle, moisture in the air will condense and will concentrate on the tablets.
This will cause quicker spoilage.
Long-term storage of vitamins in the refrigerator
without daily removal is usually fine. Before opening, be sure to
let the unopened bottle come to room temperature until the contents are
also room temperature. Take out your dose for a couple weeks, reseal
the large bottle and put it back in the refrigerator.
Enjoy your good health!
Upcoming
Classes
Nutrition, A Sailor's
Best Mate
Techniques and tips for staying healthy and
recovering quickly on your sailing vacation.
Wednesday, June 14, 2000 7:00
p.m. — 9:00 p.m.
Call Windsong Sailing Academy to register
404.256.6700 — Space is limited
Kundalini Yoga Classes