Breathefor Better Health

Would you be surprised if I told you that there is a simple thing that you can do which will help relieve stress, decrease blood pressure, increase immunity and vitality, alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, all of which equates to better health and quality of life. And that simple thing is - breathe! You can consciously breathe for better health.

That's right that simple process that goes on every minute of your life, from your first inhalation to your last exhalation and without which there is no life, and we take it for granted, give it little or no attention and expect it to keep us going despite our own best efforts to sabotage it and make its job practically impossible!

So instead of making life harder for ourselves and working against the system that is working tirelessly to keep us alive and healthy, we can assist it, work with it and by doing so, bring about remarkable, positive health benefits.

Quality Breath is Quality Life

We are all clear that if we don't breathe, we cease to live, but how we breathe is also reflected in how we live.  The state of our physiology and our psychology are hugely impacted by how we breathe. So much so, that Dr. Rangan Chatterjee describes breathing as 'the Ultimate Health Hack!' The positive health benefits of Yogic Breathing techniques were described in Yoga texts dating back hundreds of years. These claims have now been validated by modern research, and the beauty of it all is that everyone can do these techniques. It requires no special skills; we all breathe, all the time. What we do need to do is to learn how to regulate our breathing so that it becomes as efficient as it is designed to be, and creates the ideal psycho-physiological balance, leading to organic and systematic health.

The vicious cycle of stress

When we are in danger, our physiology is designed to take appropriate action to help us survive. If produces cortisol and adrenaline and triggers the fight or flight response, increasing heart-rate and blood pressure, speeding up our breathing, directing blood flow to the muscles and away from internal organs etc. This is all great when we are truly in a life-threatening situation and as soon as the threat is passed, the balance to normal functioning should be restored. The problems begin when this system kicks in even if we are not actually in danger or does not revert to rest and digest when a danger that may have been present is over. This is the chronic stress condition that many experience on an ongoing basis. The great news is that we can remedy this situation by breathing consciously.  Yoga breathing techniques are simple, yet the impact they have is huge and really, we should all be taught how to do them in school!

Before and after

'When I was growing up, I was asthmatic and struggled a lot with allergies, dry-skin and eczema. As I got older, I hoped I would grow out of these conditions but in my 20's they became worse. I didn't realise then that a combination of sub-optimal diet and lifestyle(!), lack of exercise and stress at work were all contributing. It was only when I developed a consistent, regular Yoga practice and began to make healthier eating choices that I started to see improvement.  I started to breathe for better health. Now, after many years of breathing and other yoga techniques, I rarely if ever experience those symptoms that were a constant for me for so long. Most importantly, I recognise when life becomes pressured, and know what to do to maintain balance.

Breathe for Better Health Masterclasses

I have studied Pranayama (Yogic breathing techniques) for over 20 years, and since 2009 have been a direct student in the lineage of Swami Kuvalyananda, of the Kaivalyadham Institute, who initiated the validation of Yogic Breathing through rigourous scientific research. I am lucky enough to have studied with Paul Dallaghan, and with his teacher, Pranayama Master Sri O. P. Tiwari, and especially, for the last 8 years, with his son, Sudhir Tiwari. This is powerful stuff and of such great benefit that I would love to share it with you. So, I encourage you, come and join me and learn how to Breathe for Better Health, at two Masterclasses I am offering on Sunday 5th and 12th March at 11:00am, for 2 hours each day. For more information and to book, please CLICK HERE.Om Shantih.' DDavid.