Health Benefits of Breathing

By optimizing one's breathing and creating the correct internal and energetic balance, physiological changes occur through increased oxygenation, breathing coordination and nervous system balance. This affects the entire human organism and its billions of functions, including all of the subtle energy systems such as meridians, chakras and aura(s).
Our clients and the clients of colleagues using similar breathing specialty techniques have collectively helped several hundred thousand people throughout the world over the last 30 years. Most of them had one or two other diagnosed conditions that were improved simultaneously. For example, as the list of asthmatics treated with the breathing specialist techniques grows, the practitioners find that more and more people are reporting not only a reduction in their asthma symptoms, but also a reduction in symptoms and ailments with other diagnosed conditions.
Even people with no health concerns who have never been sick a day in their life are learning that by developing Optimal Breathing, they can look better, feel more rested, get more done and have more fun, and live a lot longer.
Not necessarily in order of priority.
· THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Gives you more energy. (chi, life force, prana, kundalini, elan vital, pneuma.)
Reduces mental and physical fatigue.
Reduces chest pains due to tight muscles, thus the tension causing anxiety of "heart attack potential" is reduced.
Aids in relief of many long term respiratory difficulties such as asthma and bronchitis.
Reduces need for artificial stimulants and many harmful prescription drugs.
Opens up the chest to make breathing easier and fuller which facilitates strengthening of the life force, emotional stability and mental clarity to feel more energetic, strengthen coping skills, increased positive energy, and strengthened sense of self.
Helps eliminate waste matter.
· CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
Improves blood circulation and relieves congestion.
Increases supply of oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body. Major organs such as brain, and eyes need copious oxygen.
Eases the strain on the heart by increasing oxygen to the heart.
Helps increase the supply of blood and nutrients to muscle blood and bones.
· THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
Better breathing can calm or stimulate the nervous system, balance or unbalance brain hemispheres, depending on the technique.
Better breathing opens up and balances subtle energy systems affecting all the body.
· THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Diaphragmatic action acts as a pump to massage the internal organs, aiding their *function. "Rest, digest, and heal."
· THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Helps push the movement of lymph throughout the body which helps eliminate toxic waste and strengthen the immune system.
· THE URINARY SYSTEM
Shallow breathing puts stress on other organs of elimination.
Better breathing can reduce edema (swelling of the body) by eliminating fluids through the breath.
*Massaging the kidneys for instance can cleanse the blood and tonify the entire system.
· THE SKIN
Given a complex carbohydrate diet, toxic CO2 waste is eliminated more directly through breath.
Wrinkles can be lessened due to improved circulation and blood oxygen flow.
Radiant skin is observable and more pleasing to look at.
· BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT
Relax deeper.
Look more rested.
Feel nurtured and accepted.
Become more connected with one’s deepest core sense of self.
Have more fun.
Open up more to more kindness and being loved.
· MOVEMENT
Relaxes muscle spasm and relieves tension.
Releases and reduces muscular tension that eventually may cause structural problems.
Helps increase flexibility and strength of joints; when you breathe easier you move easier.
Facilitates stretching of connective tissue, which prevents formation of adhesions and reduces the danger of fibrosis (stringy tissues).
It invites internal sensing of optimal posturing that maintains body balance which supports ease of breathing including CO2 elimination.
Helps to prevent muscle adhesions and fibrosity.
Can partially compensate for lack of exercise and inactivity due to habit, illness, or injury.
Able to recover faster from stress and exertion.
From Candace PertThe peptide-respiratory link is well documented: Virtually any peptide found anywhere else can be found in the respiratory center. This peptide substrate may provide the scientific rationale for the powerful healing effects of consciously controlled breath patterns.
Mind doesn't dominate body; it becomes body. Body and mind are one. I see the process of communication we have demonstrated, the flow of information throughout the whole organism, as evidence that the body is the actual outward manifestation, in physical space of the mind. Bodymind. At this molecular level there really was no distinction between the mind and the body.Molecules of Emotion, Candace Pert

Why do we fast?"

Each year at this time the question of fasting arises. Though the Church offers us numerous opportunities for fasting, this practice is especially emphasized and stressed as an important aspect of our Lenten journey towards Great Week and the Pascha of the Lord. Often fasting is referred to as one of the four hinges of a true and faithful lent — together with prayer, almsgiving and confession.
Rules and obligations regarding fasting have certainly changed throughout the centuries. Originally the fast for Pascha consisted of a Eucharistic fast of one day only. Later the Bishops of the Church in various localities, called for a forty-day fast, and this was accepted throughout the Christian world. The period of forty days was chosen in imitation of the example set by Our Lord Himself Who, after His Baptism in the Jordan, withdrew to the wilderness where He fasted and was tempted for forty days. Perhaps one of the origins of the Great Fast came from the practice of the monastic communities in and around Jerusalem. These holy fathers and mothers withdrew from community life for forty days and, in strict imitation of Christ, went into the desert regions. Their only food was dried bread and water, and their chief occupation was ceaseless prayer. Remember that the monks and nuns fasted from animal foods throughout the year, so their forty-day fast before Easter took on a special seriousness and intensity.
In time each particular Church developed its own observance and rules for fasting. In the West, for example, fasting often meant eating two small meals and only one full meal. Abstinence meant eliminating meats and dairy products from one’s diet. Inmost of the Eastern Churches, fasting consisted of abstinence from food from the evening until the following noon. And abstinence included eliminating meat, dairy products, fish, wine and oil. And there have always been variations in these rules. St. Benedict in the West, for example, decreed that poultry did not break the rules of abstinence from meat.
In our time and in our Melkite Church, emphasis has been taken away from the letter of the law. Indeed, the obligation of law for fasting and abstinence has been greatly reduced from all the days of the Great Lent, to only the first day, Clean Monday, and Good Friday. Nevertheless the Church recommends fasting and reminds us of its importance in the spiritual life of the Christian. To return to the question “ Why do we fast?” we must say first of all, we fast in imitation of Christ. Fasting was used by Our Lord during the time of His spiritual struggle against the Enemy before He began His public ministry. And we, engaged in the same struggle, are offered this powerful weapon. The Church reminds us that Jesus, by beginning His public ministry, called together a community of disciples, and set out on the journey towards Jerusalem — that is, towards His arrest, passion, death and glorious Resurrection.
We can say that we fast because it is part of our tradition. This Tradition is not a mere collection of practices and customs. It is the life-giving fountain of our Faith which includes the Holy Scriptures, the Sacred Mysteries, the Creed and Councils, the teachings of the Fathers. In other words, it is the heritage of the faithful who continue that community of discipleship first formed by Our Lord. If we take our faith and our heritage seriously, we must include this practice of physical self-denial which was recommended and commanded by the Church Bishops in every age. It is given to us not as a punishment or a mere “practice,” hut as a tool. And the use of this tool is to assist us to gain self-mastery over our passions. And by this self-mastery, with God’s help, we gain freedom.
By limiting the amount of food we take, and the times when we eat, we curb our appetite. We do not permit our instinct to control us any longer. But we accept God’s invitation to have dominion over creation — beginning with our self. By abstaining altogether from certain classes of food simplify our life. Certainly by avoiding satiety we attain alertness in prayer and vigilance in our struggle against sin. Following the strict rule of eliminating meats and animal products from our diet is seen as a return to Paradise, where our first parents lived in harmony with Creator and creature, eating only vegetables and fruits. For it was only after the Flood that God permitted Noah and his family to eat meat. So the fast can also serve as a source of contemplation on nature our use of it, and our position as stewards in the whole scheme of God’s created world.
Above all, in fasting we should remember that it is a method, not an aim in itself. We embrace fasting as a discipline which will help us to pray, to imitate our Savior, and to practice charity and peace. No one fasts perfectly, even if he/she is able to follow all the rules. David reminds us in Psalm 50: “Sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit. A crushed and humbled heart God will not turn away.”

Yoga For Kids

Children today are under a lot of stress. Homework, pressure to compete with other children, endless after-school activities, over-scheduling -- it all adds up. And just like their parents, kids today are turning to Yoga to help them relax.
Teaching Yoga to children, I've seen how Yoga helps them develop better body awareness, self-control, flexibility and coordination. I've also seen how they can carry these skills beyond class and into their daily routines. For example, one of my students, Liza, a 10 year old, asked me what to do when she gets frustrated, like when her computer doesn't work properly. First, I asked her what she thought would help.
"Sometimes I do the child's pose when I've had a bad day" she said. I told her that was an excellent idea. We then talked about breathing exercises, such as the three-part breath, that could help her stay centered and calm in difficult situations throughout the day.
Yoga has also been shown to help the hyperactive and attention-deficit child. These children crave movement and sensory/motor stimulus. Yoga helps channel these impulses in a positive way. Yoga poses that seem to work especially well are the warrior pose and tree pose. They help instill calm, confidence and balance. The trick is to get beyond just "doing" the posture. I try to get them to think about what the postures mean, to become like the postures -- strong and confident like a warrior.
I use partner poses to develop trust. Working with each other on poses, the children develop team skills. It also fosters bonding.
When it comes to relaxation, some children have a difficult time closing their eyes while others can't get enough. I once had a 10-year-old boy ask me if we could have an extra long relaxation session as he wanted more time to relax. One technique that encourages relaxation is visualization. At first I may have them focus on belly breathing and listening to relaxing music. Then I may ask them to imagine that they are at the beach, playing their favorite sport, or doing some other activity that they like. At the end of the relaxation exercise, I encourage the children to share their own experiences.
Another approach is to create a guided visualization or story with a calming theme of some kind. For example, I may ask them to imagine themselves walking in a green pasture. "Notice the beautiful trees and the butterflies flying over head," I may say. "Smell the fresh air. Listen to the bluejays calling for their mates." The idea is to instill a sense of peace and feeling of oneness with nature.
In class, I also try to encourage input from the children. Most importantly, their ideas and questions are easily addressed to allow learning to take place
It is my wish that more and more Yoga teachers will choose to offer Yoga classes to young children. It is our dharma to teach children the meaning of union of mind, body and spirit. There is such a wealth of knowledge we can offer our children with the practice of Yoga. The simple chanting of OM makes their faces light up and smile.

Pranayam : How to do & Benifits.

Pranayam
Pranayama aims at bringing the involuntary functions of the respiratory mechanism within human control. The term pranayama has been constituted by two words: Prana + Ayama. Prana is the vital force which pervades the whole cosmos. Prana is more subtle than air and can be defined as the energy essence that is within everything in the universe. Prana is the principle of development and sustenance both of the nervous and cellular tissues of the body and the mind. In the process of breathing when the prana air is inhaled, definite action takes place. One is related to the ingestion of oxygen into the alveoli and the other to the ingestion of the nervous energy into the brain system. Ayama means to control or to give a rhythm or a definite flow. In this sense Pranayama may be defined as a process and technique through which vital energy can be stimulated and increased: and this brings about perfect control over the flow of Prana within the body. Pranayama is an exact science. Regulation of breathing, as a matter of fact, is natural. It hardly offers any scope of artificiality. The breath enters through the nose and depending on ones general health and strength of the lungs; it is retained inside and then is exhaled. This natural condition of intake and outflow of the breath goes on continuously and it is on this process that human life depends. The difference between this natural process and the 'Pranayama' is that in the former the inhalation and exhalation is not necessarily connected with the mind ; that process continues owing to the natural functioning of the heart and lungs. The inhalation and the exhalation are, hence, not of any set duration. In some person the inhalation may take a longer time than the exhalation and in some others the opposite may occur. In Pranayama, however, there is a systematic regulation of both the inhalation and exhalation. This is for the reason that the mind is joined to the action of inhalation and exhalation known as Puraka and Rechaka respectively in practicing the Pranayama. Hence their longer and shorter duration within a specified time has to be controlled. The result of this controlled inhalation and exhalation, both in respect of speed and time has a mere beneficial effect on the mind and the body than that of the natural process. Most of us who largely depend on the natural process will derive immense benefit on falling ill by controlled inhalation and exhalation. Such person should inhale slowly and exhale equally slowly in the beginning for 5 to 10 times depending on their strength and continue doing this morning and evening for 25 to 30 day. The natural inhalation is hence called "SWASHANA" or breathing and that inhalation and exhalation which is done extending time limit by applying the power of mind is called "DEERGHASWASHANA" or Pranayama.
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRANAYAMA
Place for pranayama should be clean, peaceful and airy.
Pranayama should not be performed under a fan on full speed.
Pranayama should be done in morning hours preferably before the dawn.
Body must be cleansed before sitting for Pranayama.
Duration of Pranayama should be increased gradually and gradually.
One should not sit for Pranayama after meals. At least a gap of 3-4 hours is essential.
Pranayama should be practiced after Asans and before Meditation.
One should not strain the body.
PRANAYAMA: HOW TO DO IT
BHASTRIKA PRANAYAM Sit in Sukha Asana and take deep breathe so that your lungs are full with fresh air. Hold the air for a few seconds and release it through nose. Repeat this for 5-10 times till your breathing system is perfect.

KAPAL BHATI PRANAYAM Sit in Sukha Asana and take a deep breathe. Exhale the air by pushing the stomach inside and let the process of fresh air inhalation be done with least effort. Repeat this process of exhaling the air by pushing the stomach inside and inhaling fresh air with least efforts atleast 200 times or say for about 15 minutes. By doing this Kapal Bhati Pranayam for 15 minutes or more every day you can cure the following diseases.
Indigestion
Acidity and gas.
Obesity.
All other abdominal related diseases

BAGHI PRANAYAM Sit in Sukha Asana and exhale the air to the maximum possible level and try to move your stomach inside by pressure. Hold it for a few seconds then inhale fresh air. Again exhale the air as above and repeat the process for 10-15 times. By doing this Baghi pranayam you can cure all problems relating to abdominal and intestine.

ANULOM VILOM PRANAYAM Sit in Sukha Asana and take deep breathe with one nostril open and the other closed by use of your fingers. Now release the air by another nostril which was closed while inhaling the air and closing the other nostril by use of fingers. Take deep breathe by the nostril through which air was exhaled last time and exhale the air through another nostril. By doing this anulom vilom pranayam for about 15 minutes a day you can cure the following diseases:
Hypertension or high blood pressure
Diabetes
Migraine Pain.
Asthma
Bronchitis

BHRAMRI PRANAYAM A person should sit in Sukha Asana or dhyan asan , close his eyes , keep his fingers in such a way that three fingers cover the eyes and one finger gives a little pressure on the forehead . The thumb should cover the ears by giving the little pressure. Now he has to take deep breathe and release the air slowly through nose so that a sound similar to the humming of bees comes out . Repeat the process for about 15 minutes. By doing Bramari pranayam you can cure all diseases related to :
Ears
Nose
Throat
Eyes
Nervous system

UDGEET PRANAYAMA person should sit in Sukha Asana or dhyan asan, close his eyes, take deep breathe and release the air through mouth slowly that the sound of “OM” is pronounced. Repeat the process for about 15 minutes. By doing udgeet pranayam you can cure all diseases related to:
Nervous system
Throat

BENEFITS OF PRANAYAMA
He who practices Pranayama will have good appetite, cheerfulness, handsome figure, good strength, courage, and enthusiasm, a high standard of health, vigor and vitality and good concentration of mind. Pranayama is quite suitable for the Westerners also. A Yogi measures the span of his life not by the number of years but by the number of his breaths. You can take in a certain amount of energy or Prana from the atmospheric air along with each breath. Vital capacity is the capacity shown by the largest quantity of air a man can inhale after the deepest possible exhalation. A man takes fifteen breaths in a minute. The total number of breaths comes to 21,600 times per day. Other benefits are as follows:-
It makes the life meaningful and social.
It keeps the man balanced in all the conditions and situations.
It helps in understanding the real nature of man and its relationships with the community.
It manages psycho physical diseases.
It put chain on the senses.
It makes the body healthy.
It helps in controlling the modalities of mind.
It gives opportunities to soul to flourish.
Intellectual development is accelerated.
Will power becomes strong through its practice.
It develops feelings of national and international well-being.