Breathing—the key to a healthy life!

March 7, 2010 By marie Leave a Comment

It is not out of necessity that we humans breathe. We need the right amount of oxygen for us to be able to live. At some point, instead of breathing clean and fresh air, we breathe in the harmful pollution that surrounds our environment everyday.

Breathing gives us some health benefits .Well, taking a few deep breaths can be very relaxing not only to our lungs but to our whole body. It can relieve us from everyday stress and lets us handle situations more calmly and with a clear head.

As you may have noticed, when people get stressed or mad, they take in short quick breaths. Why? It is said that it makes us feel relaxed and comfortable at the same time and perhaps, makes us think clearer because of the opening up of all the veins and air passages in the body.

Deep breathing also has its own benefits in relieving stress. Deep breathing is the cornerstone of several breathing relaxation remedies for stress.

Practice deep breathing by sitting comfortably with your back on a full stretch. Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach and try Breathing through your nose.  The hand that is on placed on your stomach should rise and the one on your chest should move very little.

Exhale through the mouth, making sure that you are releasing as much air as possible contracting the abdominal muscles. While exhaling, the hand on your stomach should move in and still, the hand on your chest should only move a little.

To be able to obtain satisfying results with your breathing exercise, try doing this exercise with counts. It usually works because you are distracted by the breathe-in-breathe-out process and you will be able to concentrate in breathing thus, keeping you relaxed and at the same time, keeps your body, specifically your respiratory system healthy.

Filed Under breathing, breathing exercises Tagged With , , , , ,

Power breathing

September 16, 2009 By marie Leave a Comment

It has been reported that stress is the dominant cause of sickness all over the world. It can be due to multi-tasking, performance pressure, heavy workload, and it can be your breathing.

Every time you feel pressured, overloaded, or rushed, physical tension is building up in your chest making your chest muscles contract. The force makes you breathe shorter and take in shallow breaths.

If you have been taking shallow breaths constantly, this can cause you fatigue, emotional tension, mental weakness and health issues like asthma, colds, indigestion and anxiety. Aside from that, rapid shallow breathing increases the tension in your neck and shoulder and also increases the risk of hyperventilation.

Aside from that, studies show that when the body’s cells are starving for oxygen, there is a 60% chance that these cells would become cancerous. There are a lot of studies made that would prove and attest to the fact that one of the most significant factors of your health is how well you breathe.

Therefore, the importance of breathing correctly should be acknowledged. The rate, depth and quality of your breathing can help increase your energy levels, clear your mind, block pain, calm your nerves and even improve your health.

Here is a breathing exercise to help improve on the depth of your breathing:

Allow your belly to move in and out as you breathe. When you breathe, make sure that it is deep in your abdomen and not in the shallow of your chest. This will allow the diaphragm to draw the air in and out of the body.

Here is another exercise that you can use to improve on the frequency of your breathing:

In order to calm your body and gain focus in your mind, you have to take long, rhythmic breaths. Breathe in for about 5 seconds, hold it for 2 seconds then breathe out for 5 seconds. This is a good frequency in order to start having a positive breathing habit.

Breathing is a stress relief tool that is very efficient and is the most potent of all stress management techniques. Remember, stress relied is not all about escaping. The key to get rid of stress is to create a peaceful and calm sense inside of you.

Filed Under breathing, breathing exercises Tagged With , , , , , , , ,

Breathe well while working out

August 26, 2009 By marie Leave a Comment

yoga11Ever felt like you are going through too much fatigue and that you have over exerted your efforts during a work out session? This is not because you have done too much. It could be because you are not breathing well.

Starting your exercise with proper breathing is important. If not, you will just end up panting like a dog on a hot day throughout the whole exercise. Not only that but you will not be able to accomplish the right amount of exercise in one session properly.

One of the most common errors that you people usually make is that they do not breathe correctly while doing their exercises. Breathing incorrectly during work out sessions can cause high blood pressure. This is why most people can not get the most of their workouts and actually end up feeling so tired after every session. Here are some tips to help you avoid fatigue after your exercises through proper breathing:

When you are doing a particular exercise, identify which parts make you exert the most efforts. When you reach that part, breathe out. For example, if you are doing sit ups it is best to breathe out every time you lift your body from the floor.

It is important that you should never try to hold your breath while exercising. People often make the mistake of holding their breath especially when it comes to weight lifting. Holding your breath can make you feel dizzy and can lead to fatigue. It can also lead to high blood pressure. When you exercise it is important that your muscles get enough oxygen.

During the rest part of the exercise, breathe. If you are doing more dynamic exercises, then you should be doing fast paced rhythms when it comes to your breathing. Doing controlled exercises like Yoga and Pilates allows you to do fuller and slower breaths.

Proper breathing while conducting your exercises makes the whole work out session less strenuous and gives you the energy to actually do even more. Knowing how to exercise correctly with the right diet is the best way to get closer to your goals.

Filed Under breathe, breathing exercises, exercise, yoga Tagged With , , , , , , ,

Alternative ways for Asthma relief

August 16, 2009 By marie Leave a Comment

asthma

Asthma can be a chronic concern to most people from childhood till the adult stage. Asthma is a breathing disorder that is caused by the inflammation and narrowing of your lung’s airways. Some of its symptoms include cough, rapid breathing, wheezing and breathlessness. And these symptoms can worsen with poor breathing techniques. When air can’t get in then the patient will also have a hard time breathing out thus causing the patient to have an asthma attack.

If you have asthma, you can help yourself by manipulating your breathing patterns with relaxation and deep breathing exercises. This will help you control your respiratory muscles and in turn will contribute to the improvement of your condition. When trying to learn breathing exercises it is important to consult a respiratory therapist first because not all breathing exercises can be safe for you.

Aside from breathing exercises, you can also seek help from the healing properties of nature by employing alternative treatments with the use of Garlic and honey. Garlic is considered to be an effective ingredient when it comes to natural asthma remedies. You can try it out by boiling garlic in milk. This is said to be very helpful when you are experiencing asthma symptoms and is recommended especially for those who are in the early stages of asthma. All you have to do is boil ten cloves of garlic in half cup of milk and drink it before you go to sleep.

Another possible remedy for you will be with the help of honey. You can get a glass of very hot water and add a teaspoon of honey in it. Drink this mix very slowly before you go to bed. Another concoction involving honey is to use one teaspoon of honey and mix it with a teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Then consume after mixing the two ingredients thoroughly.

Another home remedy you can use to relieve yourself from asthma is by the use of grapes. These grapes must have seeds and must be fresh. You need to soak the fresh grapes in water and place them in a cool place like the fridge. Then you can chew on the grapes before going to bed. This is said to help prevent any symptoms of asthma to take place.

With all this natural alternatives you can now reduce the risks of you having an asthma attack throughout the day or week. Do not forget to consult your doctor regularly.

Filed Under breathe, breathing, breathing exercises, healing Tagged With , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Breathing and Holistic Living

August 3, 2009 By marie Leave a Comment

highres_4610014

Holistic living is turning out to be the newest and most practical craze of the health industry. Luckily you do not need a degree from a well known University to know what it takes to live a holistic life.

Living a holistic life simply means that you are enjoying positive health and wellness through natural remedies. Applying holistic remedies can give you a sharper and more alert mental state, give you more positive emotions like zest, love and joy and be more spiritually aware.

One way to bring out positivity is to give attention to your breathing. There are a lot of practices wherein you are to apply conscious breathing to create balance in your life. One of these practices is tatwa breathing.

Based on the fact that out body is made of the five elements – earth, fire, air, water and ether – Tatwa breathing is more known as elemental breathing can help bring about balance, in this practice; you start by taking a couple of deep breaths. Then take four short breaths and end it with one long breath. Repeat for five times. Take note that your breaths should be connected without any stopping in between. All in all it will take less than a minute or two to practice.

Having balance between the five elements within the body can help you experience wellness. This practice is very simple to do and you do not have to spend anything to do it. You can do it anytime and anywhere in any position. And what’s more is that nobody will be aware that you are practicing it.

Five to ten minutes of this practice and meditation can be refreshing during a hectic day. You can make it a habit to do this before lunch or before you start a meeting. This helps increase your work quality and productivity with less effort and ease.

Practicing Tatwa breathing every time you feel any signs of negativity drawing near can help you control stress and go through the day with a positive outlook in life.

Filed Under breathing, breathing exercises, health Tagged With , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tantra Breathing

July 21, 2009 By marie 1 Comment

pranayama-8

You have heard that there are a lot of benefits breathing exercises can do for you. Breathing can affect every cell of your body.

Here is Tantra, another method of breathing exercise that can help you free yourself from stress. This technique should be done in the morning on an empty stomach:

  • While sitting, make sure that your spine is as straight as possible. Keep your feet flat in the floor with your knees directly over the center of your feet. Keep your hands on the top of your legs. Close your eyes gently and visualize your ribs.

  • Begin the Tantra breathing routine by filling your lungs up with air, making your ribs expand. Feel your lungs emptying as you exhale and your ribs coming back down.

  • The first few times you do this do it only for five minutes then eventually do it for ten minutes once you get used to it.

In the ancient Indian language, the word Tantra means “to weave”. Basically, Tantra weaves together your inner energy with your outer energy. They are mostly known for their contribution to improving a person’s sex life.

It is important to get expert guidance from an authentic Tantra teacher before you pursue higher levels of Tantra breathing. This is because you are inviting powerful forces of self realization into your life when you practice Tantra breathing. When these Tantra techniques are practiced with the right supervision, the practice can have the potential to change your life.

Deep Tantra is very calming and you will be feeling a boost in your energy. This is because slow, steady and quiet breathing can deliver a soothing internal massage to your nervous system. Use Tantra breathing to experience relaxation and enhance the natural state of your being.

Filed Under breathing, breathing exercises, exercise, healing, health Tagged With , , , , , , ,

Healthy Habits

July 3, 2009 By marie Leave a Comment

healthy-living-can-change-your-life

One way to help increase your tolerance over sickness and stress, is to implement healthy habits in your lifestyle whether you’re looking for health benefits, less stress or just for leading a happier life from day to day.

Maintaining a new healthy habit can be harder than it seems. Luckily, there are a few tricks that can make this easier. Here are some things that you must consider:

Simplicity

Do not take up a habit that will end up giving you stress as you master it instead of relieving stress. For example, if pilates can be straining and difficult for you then do not force it because it will only frustrate you. Choose something easier like walking.

Lifestyle

Do not force something that does not fit your lifestyle. If you are a morning person, then it is best not to choose a morning workout as your stress management habit. It will be too difficult to maintain. And if you are the type who gets exhausted by nighttime, a meditation session before bedtime is also not the best choice for you. And if you have to take care of your children, do not take a practice that requires privacy and silence.

Strengths

Identifying your strengths and weaknesses can help you find a good stress reliever that will fit you perfectly. If you are a verbal person then you can try journaling as a stress management habit. If you have a creative imagination then you can choose visualization.

Once you have made a careful evaluation of yourself and your lifestyle, choosing the right habit can be much easier. Remember that if you want to make it easy to stay with a healthy habit, it must be something you enjoy and those habits must fit in well with your personality.

Filed Under breathing exercises, exercise, healing, motivational, nutrition Tagged With , , , , , , , ,

VICTORY BREATH

July 3, 2009 By marie Leave a Comment

istock_000006852544small

In yoga, breathing is considered to be the foundation of all life and that it sustains the connection between your body and your spirit. Breathing is also an indicator of health and mood.

Victory Breath or Ujayii breathing is a yoga exercise that makes your breathing sound like the ocean. Practicing this has a calming effect on the central nervous system which helps increase mental alertness and clarity – making the exercise very effective to those who are suffering from anxiety and depression. The exercise also builds heat in the body and promotes a sense of calmness in the mind.

Here are steps to doing the Victory Breath exercise:

  • Inhale through your nostrils while constricting your back throat so that the breath will make a soft yet audible sound. Think of ocean waves rolling over the shore.
  • Exhale also through your nostrils while pulling your belly towards your spine. Empty your lungs completely and begin again.
  • Continue to keep on breathing deeply and allow your belly, ribcage, and the upper chest to expand with each inhalation. Make sure that you breathe audibly. And remember that your breath should sound hollow like the ocean.

The exercise is called Victory Breath since it gives you strength and power. This exercise can be challenging to the lungs which at the same time challenges them to work harder.

If you have asthma however, be careful with this breathing exercise. People with bronchitis, sinus or lung infection should avoid doing this exercise until they have been full recovered.

So if you ever want to pull out from your busy schedule and want to have a chance to cool down – even from your cubicle, breathe. Through practicing Victory Breath, you can manage your emotions, gain clarity and take greater control of you life.

Filed Under breathing, breathing exercises, meditation Tagged With , , , , , , ,

Deep Breathing for Weight Loss

June 29, 2009 By marie Leave a Comment

Time for relaxBreathing might be second nature to us but a lot of people do not know how to practice deep breathing. This is because when we breathe, we do it unconsciously and it results to shallow breathing. Deep breathing makes us more aware of our bodies then this allows us to focus in the steps we need to take to make our bodies the shape and size we want them to be.

Deep breathing for weight loss is possible. Just like food, oxygen is considered as fuel for the body. Plus oxygen has no calories. So breathing well can provide you a sense of satisfaction without the calories that come along with the food. Regular deep breathing helps increase the metabolism which will help you burn more calories and effectively utilize the food to provide you more energy. That increased energy can increase your ability to exercise and reduce weight.

Deep breathing can also assist your body when it comes to fat burning. This is because deep breathing changes the way that oxygen is delivered throughout the body which creates a change in the way that the body works – including improved fat burning. When deep breathing is done to minimize stress, the fat burning abilities of the body increases because the stress factor goes down.

One example of a breathing exercise is done while lying down totally flat on your bed, couch or floor. Allow yourself to relax for a second or two before taking a deep breath. Take a deep breath through your nose while pushing your belly up. Stick your chin on your chest to watch your belly rise. Once you’ve got as much air as you can hold, stop and hold your breath for twenty seconds – You will be able to feel your lungs stretching out. Practice doing this for 5 minutes regularly and you will be able to feel relaxed and refreshed with that extra oxygen that you gifted your body with.

Filed Under breathing, breathing exercises, exercise Tagged With , , , , , , , ,

Floating Therapy

June 29, 2009 By marie Leave a Comment

clouds_floating_massageStress is a normal part of our life that we have to deal with whether we want to or not. But even as a passive thing it is still hard to find a way to wind down and relax. Floatation therapy is one way to get some time out and give you relaxation.

Floatation therapy works by you floating on a floatation tank that’s filled with a very dense salt water mixture. The water in the tank is 25 cm deep. With a very high concentration of Epsom salts, the mixture makes it impossible for you to sink so you can float effortlessly.

The floatation tank is usually placed in a room with its own bathroom facilities. You are required to shower before entering the tank and then shower again after you float to remove the salt mixture. Most people do not wear anything when they float which makes it a very private experience. But you are also allowed to wear a swimsuit if you prefer to do so.

The tank has a hatch that allows you to chose if you want to float in darkness by closing the hatch or to leave it open. Some spas also give you the option of floating in silence, with soft and gentle music or with a self-hypnosis audio playing in the background.

When you float, your body instantly relaxes since the external stimuli to your senses are reduced. And since the water in the floatation tank is at skin temperature, the boundary between your body and air and water will be hard to distinguish.

Research has shown that this type of therapy has a number of physical effects on the body. The heart rate and breathing slows. The reduction in gravity causes the muscles to relax and decreases electrical activity in the muscles which allows them to release tension. The blood flow to the muscles also improves. All these factors can lead to faster healing. They also help reduce cardiovascular problems, pain, stress, depression, sleeping problems and fatigue.

Filed Under breathing, breathing exercises, exercise, healing, health Tagged With , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts