Breathe Easy for Better Health


Breathing exercises can soothe the psyche, rebalance the system and ease pain throughout the body at the same time. Many of us tend to breathe lightly, from the tops of our lungs and we don't make much good use of those old windbags. Well exercised lungs deliver oxygenation throughout the body and help support healthy immune system function.

Picture a square and breathe in through your nose, following its left side up, counting slowly to 3 or 4. At the square's top, hold that breath for the 3 to 4 count, then glide down its right side as you empty your lungs through your mouth, to the same count. Hold at the square's bottom for the count, then inhale as you rise back up its left side. Repeating these basic `breathers' a few times a day, especially when under extra stress, can ease its impact and help us focus.

Studies have proven that meditation can reduce pain and stress and sharpen thinking. It needn't be esoteric, psychedelic or require a change of religion because it's simply about using mental and physical techniques that enhance our well-being. Whether we use simple meditation to ease our daily pain or instant calming to handle emergencies, it takes little time or effort and can be a real boon in our balancing act on Ol' Wolfie's tightrope.

Try simple, easy relaxation techniques to ease your tension, stress and pain. Just sit or lie down in a comfortable position and breathe yourself into tranquility. Visit MoonDragon's Health Therapy site and scroll down for more information on breathing, pain control, accupressure, massage therapy and other techniques you may find helpful.

Breathing exercises can be done at our desks, while washing dishes or lying down. Just draw air in deeply through the nostrils, hold gently for a few seconds, then breathe out through the mouth. While exhaling, focus on relaxing your muscles from head to toe, releasing stress, letting it flow out and away. Little by little, you’ll find you inhale more deeply, hold your breath longer and relax more comfortably.

Women in particular tend to hold stress in the muscles of the back, between the shoulder blades, so relaxing those muscles regularly can be very beneficial. Practicing deep breathing for even a few minutes, a couple of times a day, can be restful and revitalizing to mind, body and spirit. Simple breathing exercises increase blood flow, enhancing oxygenation, sparking up the brain cells and releasing endorphins. It's amazing how much better such a slight effort can make us feel.
- posted by Shar @ 7:40 PM