deep breathing exercise – Page 4 – Resilient Edge Wellness

The Power of Being In the Moment

May 1, 2012kvanness01

There is a concept in traditional martial arts called “beginner’s mind”. The Japanese word for this is “soshin”.

As a beginner, the first time you do something you really have to concentrate and focus in order to do it correctly.

The idea of soshin is to continue to be like a beginner when p erforming various tasks. No matter how trivial a task is, retain the mindfulness of a beginner when performing it.

Have you ever engaged in some kind of creative work, or have you ever become so engrossed in doing something, like playing and laughing with your kids, that you lost all track of time?

This happened because you were living in the moment. You truly felt more alive and energized by doing it.

It’s an incredible feeling, almost a state of flow.

This is one of the things I love about the martial arts…and one of the reasons I highly recommend it for kids and adults.

During hard training, you have to concentrate 100% on the instructor’s commands and on your movements. When sparring or fighting, you have to be totally focused on your opponent and your own strategy and tactics.

During these times, I lose all sense of obligations and responsibilites outside of the training hall.

I stop worrying about what needs to get done, or the latest problem or issue. Although these things await me, for the moment I can just …. be. And enjoy!

Performing conscious breathing, or other types of breathing exercises, can help you create these moments of presence.

When you focus on your breathing and on how your body feels in response to the breathing, you are in the moment.

And at least for this moment, you forget about responsibilities, issues, and demands.

You stop dwelling on health problems or aches and pains. And you help yourself to relax and feel calmer, more centered, and more in control…regardless of what is going on around you.

Breathing exercises and being in the moment are not instant cures for all that ails you. But awareness of your breathing and of the present moment can help you lead a calmer, more relaxed and healthier life. It can imbue everything you do with more power.

I encourage you to put these concepts to work by making them a regular part of your life.

You Can Do It!

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!”

http://www.BestBreathingExercises.comcom

P.S. Discover how you can use your breathing to enter a state of effortless flow and power with the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course Volume 1: Invigorate and Rejuvenate. The movements coupled with complete breathing will invigorate, rejuvenate and relax your body, mind and spirit. Pick up your own program CD’s at the Best Breathing Exercises website.

How To Be In Control, Naturally

April 27, 2012kvanness01

A few days ago, I discussed the prevalence of stress in our lives. It’s become so chronic that we get used to it as a sort of baseline.

We can even become addicted to stress as a way of being.

Once you become aware of how you act in your world, and react to the stress that is a natural part of it….you can then do something about it.

Probably the simplest (and often overlooked) way to put the kibosh on stress-oriented behavior is to focus on your breathing.

A great way to learn how to breathe naturally and completely is through the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume I: Invigorate & Rejuvenate.

In the course, I teach you the Complete Breath. And I also teach you seven exercises, combining breathing with specific movements, that open, free and relax you.

The most important thing is to simply become conscious of your breathing.

Here’s a great example from my own life that you may share.

Our son, Miguel, who is 7, is a great kid and a good student. But, like many kids, he is sometimes anxious about school and therefore resists getting ready. He’ll use all the stalling tactics, like not getting dressed, refusing to eat breakfast, etc., etc.

When I’m in reactive mode, rather than thinking mode, I respond to his escalations in resistance with escalations of my own. This typically results in yelling and screaming and tears. We make it to school on time, but it’s not a very pleasant way for us to start the morning.

On the other hand, when I catch myself, I resist being reactive to Miguel’s tactics. Instead of rushing about and worrying whether we will be ready or not when it’s time to leave, I take a moment to observe my breathing. Invariably, when I’ve been in reactive mode, my breathing is tight and I feel tense.

Chances are, you’ve experienced a similar reaction when in a situation of stress, like trying to get the kids ready and off to school. Your breathing is “tight” and very shallow. You probably have tension in your jaw and forehead areas, as well as in your shoulders and back.

This is a typical physical response to stressful conditions. I’m not sure why it developed in us this way, because it certainly doesn’t seem to help us cope better with the situation.

At any rate, by the simple act of observing your breathing, you will automatically and naturally release some of that tightness. Take advantage of this. Take in 4 to 5 deep breaths.

Don’t force it. Just allow yourself to slowly and smoothly inhale.

If you find you are forcing the inhale, switch your focus to the exhale.

Blow out all the air – without straining – then relax and see how fully you inhale. “The exhale takes care of the inhale”, if you do it properly.

So, next time you are stressed out, or about to enter into a demanding or stressful situation… take a moment or two to become conscious of your breathing.

Give yourself the gift of a minute or two to just sit (or stand) and breathe smoothly, calmly and deeply.

You’ll find yourself naturally relaxing, yet feeling energized at the same time. The perfect state for performing well and dealing with the challenges life throws at us.

You Can Do It!

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!”

www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Be Sure To Protect This Focal Source of Energy

April 25, 2012kvanness01

Stress is stealing away your life, even if you don’t realize it.

Stress, fatigue and chronic pain manifest physically as increased tension and tightness in the body, particularly in the large muscles of the torso, such as the chest, shoulders and back.

This is why neck and back pain and headaches are so prevalent today.

Stress can also cause your breathing to weaken and become more shallow. When you take in less oxygen, your system doesn’t work to capacity. You feel physically fatigued and mentally foggy and fuzzy.

These reactions to stress put into motion a cascade of hormonal and neuromuscular changes that can have dire consequences for even the hardiest of us.

Your posture also changes when you’re under stress. You turn in your shoulders and hunch forward. You may notice that you cross your arms more frequently.

These are all signs of the protective impulse…. of your body collapsing in on itself in an effort to protect you physically from more abuse. Problem is, the tightness and tension in your muscles, along with the stressed, hunched posture, create huge imbalances and overloads on your spine.

The spine is the foundation of your body and one of its critical centers of energy.

Sitting, standing and walking compress the spine to varying degrees. The high proportion of time many of us spend sitting is particularly tough on our backs. After years of sitting at desks, in meetings, on the couch, or on airplanes, the spine loses its resiliency.

This in turn affects the entire nervous system, causing decreased energy, backaches, headaches, neck and shoulder tightness….even moodiness, irritability, and the inability to concentrate or focus.

So..how do you counter this postural reaction that places so much additional strain on your lower back?

The secret is to free the tension and tightness from your entire torso area, so that the breathing spaces are wide open and free and the spine is extended and lengthened.

Open breathing spaces mean full, complete breathing. In turn, this enhances your lungs’ capacity to infuse larger amounts of oxygen into your body, and more effectively remove wastes and toxins from your system. Elongating and loosening the spine helps free up vital nerve force and energy and also releases tension.

The combination of the two is a powerhouse!

It leaves you with a loose, relaxed, energized feeling. It not only invigorates you – it’s a major pathway to physical health and wellbeing.

You may think it difficult to achieve this combination of opening, freeing, and releasing.

You may think you have to pay big bucks to visit a chiropractor or massage therapist every week.

Well, it’s not difficult at all. Nor is it expensive. With just a few minutes of listening, you can learn how with the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 1: Invigorate and Rejuvenate.

The course consists of two series of 7 exercises. The first series focuses on dynamic breathing coordinated with easy, flowing movements. The second series helps stretch, relax and rejuvenate your entire torso area, with special emphasis on the spine and back.

These amazing exercises stimulate, strengthen, and rejuvenate you.

They help you instantaneously relax AND improve your energy levels. You’ll feel more in control, rather than at the whim of the latest crisis. After doing the exercises for just a few days, any back or neck pain you have been experiencing will be history.

The Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 1: Invigorate and Rejuvenate provides you with a quick, easy, enjoyable way to rejuvenate and protect your foundation.

To learn more about this incredible course, head on over to the Best Breathing Exercises website.

You Can Do It!

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!”

www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Three Steps to Breathing – and Living! – On Purpose

April 18, 2012kvanness01

If you want to live bigger and better, with more energy and enthusiasm, vim and vigor, all you need to do is…breathe.

Your breathing practice can be as simple as 10 deep, complete breaths in the morning when you first wake up.

If you integrate conscious, focused breathing with your physical exercise, you are furthering your mastery of your breathing…AND transforming your exercise sessions into something a whole lot more powerful and beneficial.

And, if you invest a little time in learning various types of breathing techniques, you will have a tool and a resource you can use to enhance your health, improve your stamina and power, and increase your mental focus and clarity.

Unfortunately, most people don’t even bother with the first step: doing some deep breathing every day.

An even smaller percentage get to steps 2 and 3.

You may think you don’t have the time to learn such things. Or you may be concerned that, in order to correctly perform breathing exercises, you have to be at a certain level of physical fitness.

Perhaps you’re worried you will have to twist your body into contorted positions or chant or something.

I’m not making this up! These are objections I have actually heard from people.

This is part of what motivated me to make proper breathing instruction and breathing exercises more accessible to people, including those who may not be interested in doing yoga or learning chi kung or tai chi, but would still like the benefits of such practices.

A lot of information on breathing and energy practices make it all seem so esoteric and so mysterious that you need a degree in Chinese medicine, or advanced abilities as a yogi, to fully understand and benefit.

Not so!

The first, very accessible step, is to learn a few basic techniques.

Then apply your breathing skills to every day situations, such as: exercising; sitting in traffic; sitting in a boring meeting; relaxing and calming yourself before bedtime.

Here’s an excellent question from a Dear Reader:

Hey Karen,

I faithfully practice outside every morning. I’m a very recently retired Personal Trainer, but proper breathing is something I’ve ignored over the years, other than when a client was lifting a weight. My question is – When I inhale, how long do I hold the breath? Or is it simply, like yoga, as long as I’m feeling comfortable?

I want to thank you for the updates. They really help.

KVN: Thanks for your question, Al. And great to hear that you do your exercises outside every morning. It’s a great way to start the day, isn’t it?

Now, in answer to your question: it depends.

It depends on your purpose for the breathing exercises you are doing.

At a very basic level, breathing techniques can be grouped into ones that help open up and relax your breathing spaces, and help you get grounded and centered.

Other techniques help to balance your breathing. Still others are used to increase breath control, lung power, and the generation of power, such as techniques used to increase power and speed in the martial arts.

You can find a rational, effective progression of these types of breathing exercises and techniques in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volumes 1 and 2. (And you can take advantage of a special price and extra bonus when you order both programs together. For details, please go to the Dynamic Energy Exercise Course page.)

When you hold your breath for longer than 4 to 8 seconds, you are using breath retention techniques.

Hindu and Taoist masters developed breath locks, or “bandas” to help improve their ability to retain their breath for longer and longer periods of time.

This was done, in part, as a meditative aid.

Breath retention techniques are also used to help develop breath control and internal power. These types of techniques are practiced in traditional martial arts to develop maximum power and focus in the practitioners’ strikes and kicks, as well as make the practitioner more resistant – or even impervious – to blows from their opponent.

For your own breath practice, you should perform most breathing techniques as Al described: be comfortable in your breathing.

This means getting into and maintaining a rhythm of inhalation and exhalation, and letting the pauses between the inhale and exhale occur naturally.

The main thing is to balance your inhalation and exhalation.

For example, an excellent rhythm that works well for most people is 4:2:4:2. In other words, inhale for 4, hold for 2, exhale for 4, hold for 2.

You can do multiples of these to extend your breathing. So, you could inhale for 8, hold for 4, exhale for 8, hold for 4. You get the picture.

If your goal is to develop better breath control, you can add breath retention exercises into the mix. Generally speaking, you should do some balanced breathing first, as a warm up.

Then move into breath holding, performing 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise.

Here, you should push yourself a little bit. Not to the point that you are gasping for air when you finally breathe. But gradually, over time, extend your hold on the inhale or exhale.

For an excellent workout, add dynamic tension to your breath holding, as well as exhalations against resistance. You will work up a sweat in no time!

You Can Do It!

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

What Can Doing Your Taxes Teach You About Better Fitness?

April 16, 2012April 16, 2012kvanness01

Well, tomorrow is one of the least favorite days for American taxpayers.

It’s the final day to submit your tax returns without incurring a penalty – unless you have already filed for an extension. And even if you get an extension, you still have to pay what you THINK you owe by tomorrow…or be hit with another penalty.

I was reminded of tax day during this morning’s trip to our local post office. I dropped off some orders I was shipping to customers, nd couldn’t help but notice that the line at the counter was longer than normal.

When I lived in Northern Virginia, I used to ship my orders from the Merrifield Regional post office. This post office was -and is – featured on the local, and sometimes even national, news every year on tax day. It’s incredible to see people in a long traffic jam, using the improvised drive-through that the post office sets up. It beats trying to get inside, where it’s wall-to-wall people.

The post office stays open until midnight, for those brave people who wait until the ultimate last minute to do their taxes.

I’ve never understood this obsession with waiting until the last minute to mail in your taxes. Some people do it deliberately, and with pride, every year…year after year.

I guess it’s their way of “stickin’ it to the man”, not giving up a blessed cent, nor filling out those dastardly forms, until the last possible moment.

The annual tax deadline is instructive. It demonstrates how much more efficient you can be when you have a deadline — either self-imposed or mandated from some external force, such as the long arm of the tax man.

For example, I usually complete my taxes by the end of February or early March.

Because preparing taxes is such a tedious process, I break down the overall task into smaller steps: gather the statements and records I need; organize everything; complete the P&L statement and document deductions; complete the returns on Turbotax; file everything away.

Doing this in steps involved a little time each day over a period of a week or so. Not a terrible process – but not terribly efficient, either.

This year, however, I procrastinated…and had to complete my taxes this weekend. With my back against the wall, I cranked through the record gathering, organization, calculations and statements, and completed and filed my tax returns within about three hours.Plus I also cleaned out old records and reorganized files and folders so I am better organized for the coming year.

What had taken me a week or more to get done in previous years…I completed in only a few hours this year.

Talk about the power of a deadline!

The deadline is a powerful tool to apply to any important action you want to take – or know you should take – to improve your life or your health.

As an example, you may be good about working out on a regular basis.

But you may begin your workout without a plan as to what you are going to do, and how long your workout is going to last. So you may dawdle and do less effective exercises. You may not reach the level of intensity you need to, for long enough, to propel yourself forward toward your fitness and health goals.

As an alternative, even if you have all the time in the world for your next workout (is that true of anyone anymore?), try setting a time limit for yourself.

Set a deadline of one hour from now and get going.

You’ll immediately notice a significant change in your approach. You’ll be forced to plan what you are going to do, and for how long.

You may budget 10 minutes for warming up, then move into a more intense cardio workout for 20 minutes. Then you will spend 20 minutes on strength training, followed by 10 minutes to cool down and stretch.

Of course, you can train in such a way as to combine these separate activities as well. A lot of that is driven by your breathing, and with the level of intensity you bring to each activity and exercise. This approach is what I teach in the Best Breathing Exercises programs.

With a deadline-driven approach, you don’t have time to dawdle or dilly-dally. You automatically move from exercise to exercise with more efficiency. You focus better, and you get more done in one hour than you might have achieved in two hours during your “old” way of working out.

This approach offers an outstanding way to increase the quality, intensity – and results – of your fitness program, or any other endeavor that is important to you.

You Can Do It!

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. The great copywriter, John Carlton, is fond of saying, “The deadline is mankind’s greatest invention – because without it, nothing would ever get done!” Use this powerful tool in your own life and see how much more focused and productive you become.

The Best Time and Place to Exercise

April 5, 2012kvanness01

Is there a best time of the day to do your deep breathing and dynamic exercises?

As far as I am concerned, any time is a great time to allow yourself the luxury of a few deep, relaxed breaths.

Taking little “micro-breaks” of 5 to 10 deep breaths throughout the day is a great way to re-charge and re-focus yourself during a busy day. Or a boring day, for that matter.

When it comes to developing a daily habit or routine, though, I think it is immensely helpful to schedule your breathing or other exercise at the same time every day.

This allows your body and brain to become programmed to expect the exercise. Which helps you become more consistent and regular.

I highly recommend doing your deep breathing exercises first thing in the morning, after arising.

In the Dynamic Energy Routine in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume II I actually call the first series of exercises, “Greet the Day”. Because that is exactly what you are doing.

You face east, toward the rising sun, and soak up the sun’s brilliance, energy, and the promise of a new day. This mental component, combined with the breathing and movements, is guaranteed to have you energized and rarin’ to go in just minutes.

Better yet, whenever possible, try to do your breathing exercises outdoors, in the fresh air. Getting close to nature adds a dimension that helps you benefit even more from your practice.

It also carries you closer to that spiritual or divine part in each of us. You are humbled by nature’s beauty…yet at the same time elevated, because you are part of it too.

Well, I know you are already off and running today. Be sure to give yourself the gift of a few minutes of deep breathing and relaxation today.

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. Deep breathing and inner awareness are important tools that can transform your attitude and energy and enable you to move more joyfully and powerfully through each day.

I highly encourage you to begin a morning routine of deep breathing. Better yet, put some of the dynamic energy exercises I teach to work, such as those in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume II. Pick up your copy today at the Best Breathing Exercises website.

Two Keys To Healthy Breathing

March 26, 2012kvanness01

If you want to improve the functioning of your lungs and your ability to pull in more life-giving, energy-stoking oxygen, you need to focus on two major areas.

The first is to develop the muscles that support proper, healthy breathing.

The lungs have no muscles of their own. Their expansion and contraction are completely dependent on the muscles surrounding the rib cage and the diaphragm. So you need to build up the strength and coordination of the structures that support proper, full breathing.

The second major area that affects your breathing has to do with what goes on inside your lungs. This includes your vital capacity and the residual air that remains in your lungs when breathing.

The size of the lungs varies from person to person. But generally speaking, each of your lungs is about the size of a football.

Isn’t that funny? The first time I heard that, I thought “My lungs aren’t that small!” A football just doesn’t seem that big to me.

Anyhoo, a large person will naturally have larger lungs than a smaller person. Men generally have larger lungs than women.

So there are some natural limits to lung capacity.

However, you should be more concerned with how much of the total capacity of your lungs you can actually use. This usable portion is called your vital capacity.

A well conditioned person’s vital capacity is about 75 percent of his or her total capacity.

When you exhale, you breathe out all of the air you can from your lungs. The remaining air is called the residual volume. This is air that remains fixed in your lungs. You may have heard it referred to as “stale air”.

Too much residual volume is unhealthy. If you are inactive for any length of time, or you have a respiratory condition that is not well-controlled, the unusable portion of your lungs may increase.

This physically blocks off more and more of your airways, which leaves less space for normal breathing – and makes it even more difficult to breathe when exerting yourself.

You may get to the point that just climbing a flight of stairs leaves you breathless.

Unless you do something, this breathlessness and chest tightness will keep getting worse and worse.

These two key areas – developing the structures that support proper, healthy breathing and improving your vital capacity – are the same areas we work on with the dynamic energy exercises I teach. I’ve been doing these exercises myself as I work through a relatively sendentary period while my knee heals.

Even though I can’t put weight on the operated leg yet, and therefore am unable to do a more “traditional” work out, I can still get myself huffing and puffing and working up a sweat….with some simple, ancient, time-tested dynamic breathing exercises.

Now, a good fitness program can help you improve your ability to breathe, build your vital capacity, and reduce the residual volume.

However, many people do not breathe correctly when they exercise. Typically we are nottaught how to breathe to maximize the results we get from exercise.

Doing some additional breathing work, such as the exercises in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 2: The Dynamic Energy Routine – is a surefire way to target, develop and maximize the work performed by your lungs, as well as the structures that support proper breathing.

If you’re serious about improving your physical condition and your health, you should make it a point to focus on expanding your vital capacity and ability to breathe properly.

This type of dynamic breathing exercise will help you get fit more quickly. And it provides the foundation for robust health and longevity.

AND – key point – it makes you feel great!

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If you’re interested in developing your breathing ability, enhancing your health and rocketlaunching your energy levels, then you owe it to yourself to take a few minutes to learn more about the Dynamic Energy Routine – part of the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 2. For more information, or to order your own copy of the program manual and DVD, go to the Best Breathing Exercises website.

Harness The Force of Frustration

March 18, 2012kvanness01

When it comes to your fitness and health, you’d probably say that they are important to you.

Yet how committed and consistent are you at taking action in these two areas, each and every day?

Since I’ve been laid up after surgery and quite limited in the type of exercise I can do right now, I’ve been giving the concept of frustration a whole lot of thought. To say I’m feeling frustrated at times is an understatement.

I’m used to moving a lot, doing something every single day for my health and fitness, using physical activity and expression as a key outlet for the stress that builds up from a busy, engaged life. I’ve had to re-focus my usual activities to ones I can support now.It hasn’t been easy, but I’m beginning to get into a groove that supports and energizes me.

But let’s get back to you….

It takes a lot to make significant changes in your lifestyle, your schedule, and your attitude and outlook…changes that will propel you towards greater things in your life.

It’s a lot more comfortable to stay where you are, with what you know, and dream about “If only…”

If only I were thinner. If only I could put on more muscle. If only I could get control of this stress and anxiety and live in a more relaxed manner. And so forth…

Seeing the need to change, thinking you ought to change, even wanting to change are all good. But they don’t quite get it done when it comes to actually taking the consistent, sustained action that will enable you to reach your goals.

No, it takes something much stronger. And that something is… frustration.

Yes, that negative, nasty emotion. But it’s true, something very negative can help you make positive changes.

I used to abhor frustration. I hated the feeling. I think frustration and boredom are the two states I seek to avoid the most.

However, I realized from my own experience, as well as working with others, that you’re not reallly ready to do the things and think the thoughts you need to, until you are at the end of your rope and ready and willing to do what it takes to get out of the situation you are in.

If, for example, you get to the point that you are really frustrated with your anxiety and levels of stress, and the fact that you don’t seem to be improving…Or you are frustrated with your appearance and inability to lose the weight…then celebrate.

Get happy! Put your hands in the air and shout “Hur-rah!”

I’m serious. Because when you get truly frustrated, you are ready for a breakthrough.

You are at the point where you begin to ask yourself the right questions, and look for the information or resources that can help you.

So leverage the frustration you may be feeling and use it to help energize and support your efforts to change or improve.

Here’s one more thought on frustration: it can also trip you up.

Once you are on the path to losing weight, or gaining the upper hand on stress…you may at times experience little or no progress.

You may get frustrated at how slowly things are changing. Or you may get frustrated at yourself for slipping up or backsliding. You may think you’ll never reach your goals.

Well, once again, use this frustration as a tool to energize yourself. Don’t let it put you into a funk, or get so down that you give up.

Here’s a great quote I heard a long time ago, that helps describe this point:

“How long would you give the average baby to learn how to walk before you didn’t let him or her try anymore?”

That’s a crazy question, isn’t it? You’ll give your kid as long as it takes, and all the love and support to help them. But dadgummit, that kid is going to learn how to walk!

And think how frustrated babies and toddlers can be at times, when they are trying to master a new motor skill. But they keep at it, again and again and again, until they finally get it.

Why not apply this same approach to yourself?

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. I’d love to help as you leverage your frustration into action, and seek the information that will help you take smarter steps towards your fitness and health goals. Visit the Best Breathing Exercises website for information on the products and programs that can help you transform your health and energy levels.

Nature’s First Adaptogen

February 21, 2012kvanness01

Feeling tired? Stressed out? Not losing the weight or fitting in the exercise as you resolved to at the beginning of the year?

If so, read on….

A fascinating class of compounds called “adaptogens” help the body heal from disease, imbalances or other stressors and return to homeostasis, or a steady, healthy state.

Exactly how these compounds work is not well known. They basically can correct any problem. If you have too much of something, they help reduce and bring you back to baseline. If you have too little of something, they help increase and bring you up to baseline.

Pretty amazing little critters, aren’t they?

Most of the known adaptogens are herbal or chemical in nature. Ginseng and rhodiola are two fairly well-known examples. Gynostemma is another widely used herb for adaptability as well as anti-aging.

There are also classes of mushrooms (not the type you may be thinking about!) that are used to enhance recovery, such as athletes recovering from hard training or road warriors recovering from a tough travel schedule.

The problem with herbal compounds is that you never know for sure about the quality or amount of the active ingredient you are getting with each dose.

You have to be very careful about selecting a quality supplement from a manufacturer that is known for quality and care in creating its products.

I rarely ever plug a specific supplement or company. But I know people are curious as to what I do or what I use.

Here at the Van Ness household, we’ve been drinking Spring Dragon Longevity Tea made by Ron Teeguarden’s Dragon Herbs. It’s a broad spectrum health promoting tea with specific adaptogenic herbs. It actually tastes good (which is saying something) and can be taken in the morning to help get you started, or at night to help you relax.

I take specific supplements, such as a quality multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement, on a daily or every other day basis. But I also like drinking or eating many of my “supplements” because it’s a more natural way, as opposed to downing pills and capsules. Your body can mor easily assimilate the nutrients it needs from food or drink.

Probably the most effective, and usually under-appreciated, adaptogen is the most natural one. It’s also free.

Yes, of course… it’s breathing.

A few minutes of conscious, relaxed breathing each day can smooth out the rough spots and help you to better manage stress and tension. It can energize you and help increase your stamina. It can improve your mental focus and acuity.

Added as a complement to exercise, it can even help you burn fat and lose weight faster.

If you are underweight and wish to add some healthy pounds, breathing can help you balance your energy and, along with a rational diet, gain healthy lean weight.

Even if you develop the habit of doing some deep breathing each day, you may not be sure whether you are breathing correctly.

It should be a no-brainer, right? I mean, it’s something each of us does, on average, over 17,000 times a day.

Problem is, most people have forgotten how to breathe in a healthy, natural manner. They breathe shallowly, often through their mouths. They have trouble when they have to breathe deeply, because the structures that support deep healthy breathing are out of shape.

This is one reason why I include a lesson on how to breathe completely in Volume I of the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course: Invigorate and Rejuvenate.

It’s also why I sequenced the exercises the way I did in the Dynamic Energy Routine – part of the Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume II.

The first series of exercises combine movement with breathing to help you understand how deep, dynamic breathing should feel. The movements also help open up and strengthen the structures that support healthy breathing. At any rate, I highly recommend at least a few minutes each morning of conscious, proper breathing. It can make an enormously positive difference in how your day starts out.

It can help you gear up and maintain higher levels of energy throughout the day…as well as better cope with the inevitable stresses and strains that go along with having a busy and productive life.

Of course, if you would like to discover some ideas and techniques to help you develop your own “best breathing” program that meets your unique needs, then look into one of the programs available through the Best Breathing Exercises website.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Why Goals Are Not That Important

January 17, 2012kvanness01

I trust you have begun 2012 in fine form.

If you’re like me, you have probably been inundated with emails, articles and other such talk about setting resolutions and goals for yourself.

I’m a huge proponent of setting and working towards meaningful goals.

But I have to admit one thing:

Goals in and of themselves are not the most important thing.

What IS important is the person you become in the process of achieving your goals.

In order to achieve more, you need to become more.What you become determines what you can achieve and realize in your life. What you become is just as important as what you do.

The real reason to set, work towards and achieve goals is your own personal growth. Growth that helps you create a better life for yourself…and have a more positive and profound impact on the people around you. Growth that helps you make a difference in your world, your community, within your circle of family and friends. Growth that is in alignment with your highest personal values and vision for your life.

Here’s the exciting thing about having a goal:

When you focus on a goal, you immediately begin improving because you have become aware of a new and exciting direction in which to take your life.

You’re already mentally and emotionally shifting in that direction.

As you think about what you would like to achieve, do, or bring into your life this coming year….think also about the type of person you will have to become in order to realize your goals.

For example, some years ago, when I set out to overcome a serious and chronic health problem – a severe case of asthma – I not only thought about the obvious goals, like reducing or eliminating the asthma attacks, or breathing more clearly, or getting off all the darn meds.

What really motivated me was picturing the kind of person I would be if I were free from asthma.

I thought about how great it would be to lose the fatigue and anxiety, to have abundant energy and confidence. To be able to participate fullbore in just about any activity I wanted to – without fear.

You may face your own health or fitness challenge. Have you set a goal and made the commitment to begin overcoming that challenge?

If so, keep in mind the transformative power of deep breathing and dynamic energy exercise

No matter what your goal is – losing weight, improving stamina, transforming stress into positive energy, becoming more flexible and open in body and mind – you can get started more quickly and easily if you put one of the Best Breathing Exercises programs to work for you.

It’s not magic, and you have to make some effort. But remember this: “The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get by it, but what they become by it.”

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If your goals for 2012 include getting more fit…breathing more clearly..>overcoming stress and anxiety….or feeling more energetic and healthy, then you owe it to yourself to check out the Best Breathing Exercises programs.

Let me help you make 2012 your healthiest year ever!