Tag: power breathing

How much do you know about the tremendously energizing and
restorative effects of deep breathing and dynamic energy exercise?

For example, did you know that you can amplify and accelerate the
effects of any type of exercise — weight training, bodyweight
exercise, aerobic exercise (or cardio, as it is now called), even
stretching and flexibility exercises — with proper breathing?

This means that, if you know how to incorporate your breathing with
your exercise, in a particular way, you can achieve a much more
effective and efficient fitness regimen. A regimen that leaves you
feeling energized, builds you up, and improves your mental clarity
and focus — so you are more energetic and efficient throughout your
day.

This “dynamic energy exercise” approach (which, by the way, is
introduced in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course,
Volumes 1 & 2 ), involves integrating breath training, breath control, and breathing
patterns into regular exercise.

It also leverages simple but powerful exercises and techniques to
get your internal energy flowing and strengthen and temper your
muscles from the inside out.

You don’t have to believe in the concept of Ki or Chi (internal
energy), or energy flowing, to experience the benefits for
yourself.

But sometimes we Westerners require physical or scientific proof.

The concept of Ki or Chi (sometimes spelled Qi) has been studied,
and is becoming increasingly accepted, under western medical
parameters. And many doctors and other health practitioners are
beginning to respect the existence of energy meridians and the
effectiveness of eastern practices, such as acupuncture,
meditation and chi kung (qi gong) as useful and powerful adjuncts
to conventional medicine.

Here’s an interesting factoid: the same concepts of internal
energy, flowing and enhancing your energy, and so forth, were
alive and well in the western world through the early decades
of the 20th century.

Terms such as “vital nerve force” and “vital energy” abound in
many of the physical culture and health enhancement publications
of the early 1900’s. There is a wealth of practical and inspiring
knowledge in books and courses from that time, many published in
the U.S. and Europe.

I’m not sure what exactly caused western medicine to move away
from these common understandings and practices, but unfortunately,
it did…to our detriment, I think.

Of course, experiencing enhanced energy levels, mental clarity,
and increased confidence and enjoyment can be triggered by many
things.

Any time you have been totally engrossed in an enjoyable,
challenging or rewarding activity, you have probably experienced
a state of flow. You may have kept going for hours without being
aware of the time, and without experiencing any fatigue.

Imagine being able to induce such a state, whenever you need or
want to, to enhance the results of your efforts, or to enhance
your enjoyment of the activity.

Whether you wish to add a dimension to your exercise routine…or
jumpstart your efforts to lose weight…or improve your ability to
concentrate or be creative…all these things (and many more) can
be enhanced with dynamic energy exercise.

You Can Do It!

 

 

www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. For a limited time, there is a special holiday offer on the
“Dynamic Energy Special”, which includes both volumes of the
Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course. Following these
two routines will open up all your circuits, get your energy
flowing, release your personal power and get your confidence
soaring. To get your own “Holiday Special”, click here. 
This  page will tell you more about the program and guide you to the
details on ordering.
Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2010

A few posts ago, I wrote about how I like to walk outside as much
as possible, even in the winter…even in the hot scorching Texas
summer.

You have to have a plan for each season. Otherwise you will find
yourself coming up with — and believing — all sorts of excuses
for not working out.

I just heard about the surprise snow and sleet storm that hit New
York and New England yesterday. After a record-setting hot summer,
you guys are now facing an early winter? Huh? Doesn’t make sense,
does it?

That makes me think about winter. You know, we don’t get much
winter here in Texas. But up until about two years ago, I  lived
in Northern Virginia, where we did get our share of cold, snowy
days.

You may not like to exercise outdoors in the winter, when the air
is cold. In the spring, pollen and allergies may slow you up. Same
thing in the fall for some people.

In the summer, we have to worry about smog and pollution. And those
of us with allergies to dust mites and other indoor allergens have
something going on all year round.

Of course, I’m generalizing here. Perhaps you live in an area where
you don’t have these seasonal considerations. If so, good for you!
For the rest of us, I think we sometimes have to ignore these perils
and get outside whenever we can.

For example, I used to love to walk and run on the trails near
my home in Virginia, which are absolutely beautiful. One of my
favorite times to run was when it has snowed. The woods look
gorgeous in the snow. And it’s so peaceful.

But it’s cold out. What to do?

Well, I make up my mind that I am going to do it, rather than
miss out on the fresh air and an activity I really enjoy.

So, if I am running when it’s cold, I warm up for longer than
usual. And I walk to begin with, to make sure I am breathing
only through my nose. I gradually get my body ready to run.

When I run, I may take a slower pace to begin with, so I can see
how my breathing is doing. I speed up or slow down during the
run depending on how I am feeling. I also take time to look
around me and enjoy the scenery.

One of the most important things I do is to get into a rhythm
or cadence with my breathing. For example, I inhale for 4 steps,
hold for 2, exhale for 6 steps, hold for 2.

As I start running faster, the cadence may quicken as well.
I inhale for 4, exhale for 4, with no holding. As long as your
exhale is as long as (or longer than) your inhale, you are
doing OK.

I mention all this because I know how daunting exercising
can seem if you have some type of health problem or have not
been active in awhile.

One of the best ways to get started with physical activity is
to tell yourself that you are going to “test” yourself.

Tell yourself you are going to begin a workout, perhaps a walk,
and see how you feel. As you warm up and get into a rhythm,
you may find that you are feeling better than expected. In fact,
you may lose yourself in your walk or run and, before you know
it, 20 minutes has gone by.

On the other hand, if you are not feeling so great, you can
slow your pace and keep it short. Even if you only walk for
10 minutes, you’ve done something that’s good for you.

You can apply this approach to any type of workout or activity.
I’ve used this “trick” on myself quite a bit.

For example, my martial arts training has usually been in
the evenings. But sometimes, after a long, hectic day at work,
I just don’t feel like training. I know I should go, but I don’t
feel like I have the energy to put in a really good
workout.

Sound familiar?

At times like these, I tell myself that I will go, get warmed
up and see how I feel. If I still don’t have the “juice” I need
to get a good workout, I’ll either do an easy one or cut it
off early.

The result: I’ve had some of my best workouts on days when
I didn’t think I had the energy. In fact, I’ve never regretted
showing up and getting in a workout, no matter how listless or
unmotivated I’ve felt beforehand.

If you’ve been putting off exercise, or only exercising
sporadically, now is the time to get more consistent. You don’t
have to set a personal record every time you work out. Just get
started and see how you feel. Your body will guide you
to the intensity that’s best for you on any given day.

And remember to breeeaaathe……

You Can Do It!

 

 

www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright Karen Van Ness 2010

One question I receive from time to time is about breath holding.
Is it healthy to do it? Does it help your breathing or health? And
so forth. Here is part of a question received from Valerie:

Hi Karen,

I’m enjoying your daily tips. They’re so inspirational. Please keep
them coming. They’re such a blessing!

I’ve researched quite a number of naturalistic approaches toward
eliminating health problems, including deep breathing, and would
like to know your take breath holding exercises. Do you feel there
is any danger in limiting oxygen flow to your vital organs,
such as heart, brain, etc.?

Your body can only exist without oxygen for a limited time before
doing damage to brain cells so is this method safe?

-Valerie D.

KVN: There are different types of breath holding techniques out
there. But they all basically have you either inhale or exhale,
then hold your breath as long as you can until you feel
uncomfortable. With subsequent repetitions, you try to increase
the amount of time you can hold your breath.

Some of the breathing exercises in the Dynamic Energy Routine (in
the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise, Volume 2: Dynamic Energy
Routine) also involve breath holding. The breath is held for a specific,
beneficial effect depending on the exercise.

I think it has merit. Any method or technique that helps you
learn how to control your breathing is extremely helpful.

In fact, breath holding is a technique used by some elite athletes
as part of their training. Basically, you perform some simple,
repetitive aspect of your training, like running a sprint for a
short distance, while holding your breath.

What this does is create a severe oxygen debt, which your body
then has to overcome during the rest period. Same mechanism as
performing intense intervals, only taking it to the next level.

Breath holding during specific breathing exercises is a much safer
way to practice it. Holding your breath after inhaling helps flood
your body with life and energy-giving oxygen.

Holding your breath after exhaling helps your body learn how to
adapt to, and recover from, oxygen debt. Over time, this helps
your body become more efficient at processing and using the oxygen
you inhale.

To assuage your concerns, your body has an amazing self-regulatory
capacity. So, unless you are acted upon by an outside force (someone
choking you or covering your mouth and nose), you will not be able
to hold your breath long enough to cause damage.

Those of you with kids may recognize the “I’m gonna hold my
breath” technique, our kids’ feeble attempt to extort something
from us. We ignore it because we know they can not hold their breath
long enough to cause harm.

One caveat, however: if you have high blood pressure or borderline
high blood pressure, a heart condition, or are pregnant, I would
advise against doing any kind of breath holding technique. The
risks in this case are not worth it.

Plus, there are so many exercises available to you that don’t
involve holding your breath, and can really make a difference in
your energy levels and overall health.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If you’re looking for a structured, progressive, and safe
breathing program, you may be interested in the Dynamic Energy
Special. This includes the two “Secret Power of Dynamic Energy
Exercise” Programs at a special savings.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness. All Rights Reserved

Winning by a nose is a phrase that refers to a really close race or match.

The contestant who wins the race does so by just barely outstretching or outcompeting
their opponent. Figuratively or literally, their nose crosses the finish line first.

Kind of a funny saying. But you can apply it to your breathing and come out a
winner too.

By now we’ve all heard how important it is to breathe through your nose. This is
important for physical reasons. But did you know it’s also important for
psychological reasons?

When we breathe through our nose, the hairs that line the nasal passages filter
out particles of dust and dirt that can harm our lungs. If too much dust or dirt gets
in, the membranes of the nose secrete mucus to trap them, or make you sneeze
to get rid of them.

Breathing through the nose also helps to warm and moisten the air before it
gets to your lungs.

Another very important reason for breathing through your nose is that it helps
balance the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen in your system.

Breathing through your mouth all the time can lead to a sort of chronic hyperventilation.
This can make any breathing problem or weakness you have even worse. It also
contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Breathing through your nose can have an amazing effect on your psychological
state, especially when exercising.

When you breathe through your mouth, you only inflate the upper two lobes of
the lungs. These lobes are connected to the sympathetic nervous system. This
is the branch that triggers the “fight-or-flight” response.

When you breathe through your nose, you inflate all of the lobes of the lung. And
the lower lobes are connected to the parasympathetic nervous system.

This is the part of the nervous system that calms you down, slows your heart
rate, and helps you relax.

So, nose breathing brings a balance to your system that you simply can’t get with
mouth breathing.

You may not even realize that you’ve been breathing predominantly through your
mouth. You’ll need to pay attention to your breathing. Just stop what you are
doing at various times during the day and check in on yourself.

If you have the mouth breathing habit, you’ll have to work on breathing only through
your nose.

An easy way to do this is to keep your mouth closed, but don’t clench your teeth.
Place the tip of your tongue lightly against the back of your top front teeth (touching
the soft palate).

With a little time and effort, you’ll find it becomes more natural to breathe through
your nose. And you should really feel a difference in your breathing and sense
of control.

It’s more difficult to stick to nose breathing when exercising. It’s natural to breathe
through your mouth when you’re really exerting yourself. But this should be the
exception rather than the rule.

To help you, try this: keep your exertion to a level that allows you to continue
to breathe through your nose. In other words, if you are running, slow down
or walk anytime you feel like you have to breathe through your mouth.

Believe it or not, over time this practice can actually improve your stamina
and physical performance.

It seems counterintuitive: slow down to get better. If you give it a try, you’ll
see what I mean.

So, whether you win by a nose or win by 10 meters, who cares? You’ve won!

You Can Do It!

Karen
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. To experience the physical AND psychological benefits of breathing more
deeply, fully and completely, try the incredible exercises in the Secret Power of
Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 1. After a few minutes with the first
CD, you’ll feel a tremendous difference. Get your copy today!

Copyright Karen Van Ness 2010

Sometimes people laugh when I tell them that part of the work I do with my clients
is to teach them how to breathe.

They say, “Everyone knows how to breath. Why would you need to spend any
time on that?”

I understand where they’re coming from. Breathing is the number one thing our
body needs to do to stay alive. It’s largely an involuntary activity, so it’s easy to
take it for granted.

Most people rarely if ever pay attention to their breathing. That’s a shame, because
attending to your breathing and learning how to improve it can have a radical impact
on your health.

When you breathe fully and completely, you bring into action all of the muscles and
structures involved in respiration. You exercise the lungs completely, including the
lower and remote sections of each lung that remain unused by most people. You
expand the chest cavity in all directions, which helps to develop a full, broad chest
and good posture. 

Regular practice of breathing exercises helps you avoid colds and bronchial
infections. It also increases your overall vitality because you are, for perhaps the
first time since you were a baby, activating all parts of your lungs. This rejuvenates
you and provides more energy and vitality.  It also provides a boost to fat-burning
and weight loss.

The medical and scientific communities are recognizing more and more the importance
of getting enough oxygen. Studies have shown that proper breathing contributes to
healthy metabolism, circulation, digestion, and elimination.  It helps calm and relax
you and minimizes stress and anxiety. 

One of the most important means of strengthening and improving is performing a
combination of deep breathing and dynamic exercises.  This helps simultaneously
increase lung capacity and power and strengthen the entire torso.  It also promotes
the unobstructed flow of internal energy that may have been blocked because of your
condition.

This approach is at the heart of the Dynamic Energy Routine, which I teach in the
Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 2 (please visit

the Best Breathing Exercises website for more information).

Through the routine, you learn how to breathe fully and deeply, you develop lung
power, and you build up all of the muscles and structures associated with proper
breathing and good posture.

This approach strengthens the body from the inside out, and thus has a more
profound and lasting effect.  

It’s easy to fit into your day and the exercises are organized in progression
so they are accessible to anyone, no matter what your present condition may be.

It’s amazing the impact that proper, complete breathing can have on you, physically,
mentally and emotionally.

Have you taken the time to learn how to breathe properly?

You Can Do It!

Karen