I hope by reading this article you will see the value in being aware of your breath and also how it can have the potential to not only improve your internal health but also give you an instantly accessible tool to help you focus on those goals and ambitions you have been putting off. Be sure to try the simple exercise below also to get you started on developing your awareness of how (and where) you breathe.
Not so long ago (well, about six or seven years actually!) I did not give the way I breathed a second thought. In fact, everything I based my physical training upon was external in nature. I lifted weights and focused on bigger muscles, the latest shakes to add a few calories, and in all honesty was quite a shallow person. I lived day to day with no clear vision of where I was headed. I knew I enjoyed competing in martial arts and was interested in fitness but that was about it.
To cut a long story a little shorter I started feeling ill. Tiredness pervaded my body, I had glandular fever and was diagnosed with a liver disorder that slowed down the way in which my liver processed that which I ingested. I could not train for a number of months and felt very dejected. It was then I began looking for more internal methods to train while I recovered. While researching breathing methods it was as if a light clicked on in my mind. I began thinking of working from the inside out.
You may be wondering what sort of exercises I started using so below is one of the first I learnt, and applied, for you to try and benefit from. Perform it ten times with focus and feel it's beneficial effects on your mind and body.
1. Stand (preferably in fresh air) with feet shoulder width apart.
2. Inhale deeply. Do not rush the inhale. You should feel your stomach expand. You should not be just breathing into your chest! Breathe in until you cannot breathe in any more. You should be 'full'.
3. While performing the inhalation use your focused mind to direct the energy, your breath, into your belly, and then down into your legs all the way into your toes. You have filled your entire body with energy!
4. Exhale smoothly and naturally. For this exercise, nothing is forced.
5. Repeat up to ten times.
Try it, right now! Make sure you will not be disturbed. All you need is five minutes (if that), throw open a window, and experience what it feels like to direct your breath and energy through your whole body!
As I delved deeper into deep breathing exercises I created small routines that helped me stay active and a profound change in how I trained and thought materialised. By training from the inside out I felt healthier and learnt how to amalgamate my deep focused breathing with my goals. What I found was the exercises created a sense of awareness mentally and I began thinking about goals I wanted to achieve while doing them!
As I did this each day I felt strongly compelled to take action towards them. By breathing life into mental images I found I was improving internal health and generating positive momentum towards objectives!
So, the next time you are stressed out or trying to focus, give the above exercise a go to help in relieving stress, increasing energy levels, and adding a little much needed focus towards goal!
? Tim Webb 2005
Tim Webb is a fitness instructor, Ju Jutsu instructor and competitor. He specialises in easily accessible deep breathing exercises that combine breath and mind together. His site http://www.breathforsuccess.com/ offers a product that provides deep breathing exercises for invigorating yourself, relaxing, and highlights how your breath can be tied in with your goals to move you towards them in record time
cleaning service near Bannockburn ..If you're like most people, you have your bouts of... Read More
Over the years I've collected scores of comics and cartoons... Read More
Often, in today's fast paced world, we forget to take... Read More
Seems like more and more they are all around us.... Read More
Stress is often seen as being unhealthy, but for some... Read More
* Play Romane's stress control seminar recordings, and read "The... Read More
File this one under the category of "watch your language."The... Read More
Many people recognise the warning signs that stress may be... Read More
Everybody deals with fear and anxiety, however some people have... Read More
... Read More
When Army leaders fail to control battlefield stress, they lose... Read More
Case #1- Elizabeth, a 40 year old homemaker was always... Read More
Who hasn't experienced "worry" at one time or another? Almost... Read More
Think back a few years to the nine coal miners... Read More
We are not designed for long term stress.It causes us... Read More
In a recent CMA survey of 2251 physicians, over 45%... Read More
Here's a fun little experiment:Take a few seconds and look... Read More
The pace of life seems to quicken every year. More... Read More
Do you often overreact to situations? Are you a constant... Read More
Modern stress is habitual, and is something that the vast... Read More
Too much driving, too much shopping, too much rushing around,... Read More
Q. Help! I moved from the Dallas to Denver. I... Read More
Panic.Heart racing. Palms sweating. Breathing rapid and shallow. Mouth dry.... Read More
Governements and businesses have regularly highlighted the costs of stress... Read More
We wonder how many of you might recognise this scenario?... Read More
pet-friendly home cleaners Mundelein ..Meditation seems to have arrived in the mainstream of late,... Read More
My son was watching a Richard Scarry video this morning... Read More
"Watch your language."We all heard this admonition as kids and... Read More
Fear, and its accompanying seriousness, causes our suffering. Fear restricts... Read More
Have you ever noticed what occurs when you are suddenly... Read More
A stressless lifestyle? That's very easy to say. Yet it... Read More
This summer, get away, without going away. Take a mini... Read More
Conceptualizing stress: Stress often has a negative connotation. Failure, illnesses,... Read More
Where does stress really come from? Is there any simple... Read More
Make stress less of an issue for you in your... Read More
Stress is defined as a response by your body to... Read More
What do you do when you wake up in the... Read More
Whether we are at work, traveling, or at home, we've... Read More
If you've recently experienced loss or are going through a... Read More
When was the last time you took a day just... Read More
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour... Read More
1. Take a relaxing bath. Add music, candles and a... Read More
It has long been suggested that "music soothes the savage... Read More
The fall season signals a shift in most people's minds.... Read More
The future is nothing but a fantasy or a daydream,... Read More
In order to free ourselves from the pain of anger... Read More
Here's a fun little experiment:Take a few seconds and look... Read More
Why is it that some people become totally stressed when... Read More
Don't wait to have a life-threatening disease to learn what... Read More
Lake Hopatcong, NJ (PRWEB) November 30, 2004 -- Here are... Read More
Stress Management |