By Sarah Freeland
In a world of corporate stress, traffic jams, bill collectors, and unending debt, it comes as no surprise that a large number of deaths are directly related to high blood pressure and stress.
The world is a savage place in reference to the physical health of an individual. There does, however, seem to be a solution to stress related health issues that the modern world so adamantly offers. The source of this opportunity of hope does not come in the form of a pill, a shot, or a technology oriented miracle cure. It actually comes through a process that originated centuries ago. It is known simply as, Yoga.
Ninety Nine percent of the global population do not use their respiratory system to one hundred percent of its' capacity and/or potential. The daily trials that we experience cause drops and spikes in our breathing patterns, which in turn lowers or raises our blood pressure, etc. The process is long, drawn out, and can literally have diverse negative effects upon every organ and system within our body. These are some truly frightening facts. However, through the art and exercise of Yoga, we can actually retrain our bodies and minds to breath as they were originally intended, before the cruelties of everyday life sat in.
In the process of Yoga breathing, do not expect immediate results. It is a process of teaching our subconscious to act differently than it does at the moment. The subconscious can be a very stubborn aspect and you must be patient with it.
Moving on, the actual process of Yoga breathing is quite simple, once you get it memorized, and memorizing is the first part of reprogramming your subconscious. Consider a yawn for an example. Go ahead and yawn. Interesting that the mere mention of a yawn makes us want to do it. This is the old subconscious taking over again. Make it a deep yawn. Relaxing, is it not? Now, consider how you yawned, your inhalation, and exhalation. When you inhaled, the air went to your abdomen, your stomach being the first to rise. Then your chest rose. As you exhaled, your chest fell first and then your stomach. You see, for some reason, though your subconscious has allowed your regular breathing to become skewed, the yawn has remained, as it should be. Use this as a guideline to go by.
First, lie flat on your back, no pillow, with your entire body straight. Close your eyes. Breathe in forcing the air to make your abdomen rise. Then, breath out, releasing the air. Do this a couple of times. Next, inhale causing your chest to rise. Again, release the air. Practice this a few times also. This part of the process is simply warming up for the real run.
To actually practice the art of yoga breathing, remain flat on your back. Now, breath in, deeply, allowing your stomach to rise first, then your chest. Now, do the same series of events in reverse. Breath out the air, first allowing your chest to sink and then your stomach.
One way to make this process simpler to remember is to think of your body as a bottle and your breath as water. You are filling your body as you would the body. The lower part fills first, then the upper. In exhalation, if you siphoned the water from the body the upper part would empty before the lower. This is a perfect example of the order of events.
Continue this process for 21 breaths. Then, open your eyes and get up slowly. As you rise, you will notice what seems like intensity in your senses. Colors seem brighter, more intense. Sounds are clearer, more noticeable. The effect is the same on all your senses. There are medical reasons for this sudden intensifying of your senses, but they are too diverse to list here. The sensation will begin to ebb after a few minutes. Nevertheless, it is truly an awesome sensation.
In the long run, this practice could save your life. Do not, however, let it end here. Study into the art of Yoga. There are numerous forms of Yoga that can be practiced to enhance your life experience on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. There are several forms of Yoga breathing that will also enhance particular areas of your life. Give them all a try.
Yoga is a great way to strengthen your mind and body and get in shape as well as a great way to unwind after a long day. Whatever your yoga equipment needs, we have the info and resources to point you in the right direction. We have yoga music, mats, clothes, pants, videos and journals as well as info on the different types, postures and the history of yoga. Yoga supplies, such as a yoga mat and yoga pants are a good investment. Yoga music comes in a wide variety of styles and can make practicing yoga more enjoyable. More info: Yoga DVD
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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 10:07 AM
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