Showing posts with label breathing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breathing. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

EXERCISE 15 : The Walking Breath

Of course, breathing accompanies our every action and is not something confined to our being still. Walking is a great way to relieve stress. But very often, in the stressed state, we take little notice of our breathing. Here is a fun way of taking notice of our breath and then introducing a rhythm to the simple but beneficial activity of walking.

EXERCISE 15

The Walking Breath

The exercise 15 is best practised outdoors, preferably away from traffic, but you could run through it indoors first.

• Get used to walking at a relaxed pace and notice the way you are breathing. Next try walking at different speeds and in different ways. What happens to your breathing?

• Now introduce a breathing rhythm to your favourite way of relaxed walking. Inhale to a count of four. 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold for a count of two, 1, 2. Exhale for a count of six. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Hold for a count of two, 1, 2.  Inhale again for a count of four. 1, 2, 3, 4. And so on. ( Inhale 4- Hold 2- Exhale 6- Hold 2)

• When you feel used to this simple rhythm, inhale to a count of four, hold for a count of two, and exhale to a count of eight. Check that your breathing rhythm and your walking rhythm are in harmony with each other.


The Walking Breath reminds you how you can enjoy the simple pleasure of walking. Once your breathing rhythm and walking rhythm are in harmony you can forget them and become aware of your surroundings, the way the commonplace may now reveal fascinating details that you never really noticed before. Establishing your link with the Breath of Unity in this way opens your awareness to the energies of your surroundings. You are open to feel your surroundings and feel how your body is positively adjusting to the absence of stress. 

The next EXERCISE 16 helps counter the effects of negative news and attitudes on your subtle energy system. Click Here to continue. 

Friday, March 31, 2017

Breathing Techniques

Pursed-Lips Breathing


Before starting these techniques, ask your Health Care Provider if they are right for you.

Having COPD makes it harder to breathe. And when it’s hard to breathe, it’s normal to get anxious, making you feel even more short of breath. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory (non-reversible) asthma, and some forms of bronchiectasis.

Breathing

There are two breathing techniques that can help you get the air you need without working so hard to breathe: Pursed-lips Breathing and Diaphragmatic (also called Belly or Abdominal) Breathing.

Better Breathing Tip: It’s normal to hold your shoulders tense and high. Before starting any breathing technique, take a minute to drop your shoulders down, close your eyes, and relax.

Pursed-Lips Breathing

  • Slows your breathing down
  • Keeps airways open longer so your lungs can get rid of more stale, trapped air
  • Reduces the work of breathing
  • Increases the amount of time you can exercise or perform an activity
  • Improves the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
To do purse-lips breathing:
  1. Breathe in through your nose (as if you are smelling something) for about 2 seconds.
  2. Pucker your lips like you’re getting ready to blow out candles on a birthday cake.
  3. Breathe out very slowly through pursed-lips, two to three times as long as you breathed in.
  4. Repeat.
Pursed-Lips Breathing

Diaphragmatic (Abdominal/Belly) Breathing

The diaphragm is the main muscle of breathing. It’s supposed to do most of the work. When you have COPD, the diaphragm doesn’t work as well and muscles in the neck, shoulders and back are used. These muscles don’t do much to move your air. Training your diaphragm to take over more “work of breathing” can help.
Diaphragmatic breathing is not as easy to do as pursed-lips breathing. It is recommended that you get instruction from a respiratory health care professional or physical therapist experienced in teaching it.
 
This technique is best used when you’re feeling rested and relaxed, and while sitting back or lying down.
  1. Relax your shoulders.
  2. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
  3. Inhale through your nose for about two seconds.
  4. As you breathe in, your belly should move outward. Your belly should move more than your chest.
  5. As you breathe out slowly through pursed-lips, gently press on your belly. This will push up on your diaphragm to help get your air out.
  6. Repeat.

Better Breathing Tip: Stop, Reset, Continue

When you are feeling short of breath during exercise or regular activities, use these 3 steps:
  1. Stop your activity.
  2. Reset by sitting down, relax your shoulders, and do pursed-lips breathing until you catch your breath.
  3. Continue activity, doing pursed-lips breathing as you go. Go at a slower pace if you need to.

Staying Healthy and Avoiding Pneumonia

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection of one or both lungs. Organisms settle in the air sacs where they grow rapidly. These air sacs become filled with pus and fluid as the body attempts to fight infection. Young children, cigarette smokers, adults over 65 and people with certain medical problems including COPD are at greater risk for developing pneumonia. COPD is the third leading cause of death, while pneumonia and flu contribute to the eighth leading cause of death in the United States.

What causes pneumonia?

Pneumonia is most commonly caused by bacteria, viruses and less commonly fungi which are more common in patients with suppressed immune systems. Contact with the organisms occurs either through directly touching objects with your hands (which then transmit the organism to your mouth, nose or eyes), or through inhalation of droplets containing the organisms. The causes of pneumonia for which vaccines (shots) are available include:
  • Influenza (Flu)
  • Pneumococcus
  • Measles
  • Pertussis (whooping cough)
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

Symptoms of pneumonia:

There are several symptoms of pneumonia that are similar to those of a COPD flare-up, which are often caused by infection. It is important to recognize these pneumonia symptoms and to call your doctor if you experience one or more of the following:
  • Fever over 100.5 degrees or shaking chills
  • Shortness of breath or more rapid breathing
  • Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
  • Cough with increased amount of mucus
  • Cough with a change in mucus color
  • More rapid heart rate
  • Pain in one area of the chest with deep breaths

How can I avoid pneumonia?

  • See your health care professional at your regularly scheduled appointment even if you feel fine
  • Get your flu shot every year. Local pharmacies and grocery stores offer these shots at the start of flu season
  • Check if you are due for a pneumonia shot which can greatly reduce your risk of developing pneumonia
  • Wash your hands often and carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer for when you cannot wash your hands
  • Avoid touching your mouth, eyes, and nose in public to help prevent germs from entering your body
  • Stay away from crowds, especially during cold and flu season
  • Use your own pen, especially when signing in at your doctor’s office or other health care appointments
  • Don’t smoke as it makes it harder for the lungs to fight off an infection
  • Get plenty of sleep. When your body is tired, you're more likely to get sick
It is possible to stay healthy, even if you have COPD, at any stage. Watch for early warning signs of COPD flare-ups which may include pneumonia and report them right away. Work with your health care team to avoid pneumonia!

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

312 Meridian Exercise

312 Meridian Exercise

312 Meridian Exercise was developed by Professor Zhu Zongxiang based on the principles of the meridian system.

3 refers to massaging three acupoints of hegu on the hand neiguan on the wrist and zusanli on the knee.

1 refers to abdominal breathing, actually a form of simplified qigong (breathing exercise), through which Zhu believed could exercise the meridians in the abdomen area being closely related with chronic diseases.

2 refers to the physical exercise of both legs. Zhu believed the most simple and effective exercise is squatting down and standing up.

Profesor Zhu Zongxiang



91 year old (2014) Zhu Zongxiang has the vigor and vitality of man half his age. In a few old and shabby rooms situated near a group of ancient buildings in Beijing, the old doctor has stubbornly persisted in learning more about the meridians of acupuncture for more than 30 years. He often said he was a traitor to Western medicine.

Since the 1950s, he had been teaching physiology, a basic medical subject, in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. However, a decision in 1973 changed his life.

That year, he was inspired by Premier Zhou Enlai's appeal to Chinese medical experts to make clear the theory of acupuncture. Zhou's call for action followed US President Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972.

Zhu joined the acupuncture meridian research group of the Institute of Biophysics under Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Meridian points were discovered in China 2,500 years ago. In Huang Di Nei Jing (The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor), one of the most important ancient medical classics, the meridians were recorded to have the function of "promoting circulation of Xueqi (Blood and Qi) and balancing yin and yang" and "determining life and death and treating hundred diseases."

The meridians were discovered to be a general controlling system for the human body and had the function of preventing diseases and promoting health and longevity. Today, TCM doctors still insert acupuncture needles into the acupoints along the meridians to treat diseases.

However, the existence of the meridians has always been questioned by Western medicine.

To justify the theory, doctor Zhu and his colleagues had spent more than 10 years to experiment with modern methods to demonstrate its biophysical existence.

In the 1980s, the researchers successfully showed the 14 meridians in human body through biophysical methods, which are surprisingly identical to that recorded in ancient classical meridian graph.

For visitors suspicious towards his research, doctor Zhu would proudly demonstrate his two proof tests to them.

He used a mallet to tap different areas on the elbow until the patient heard a loud sound measured through a device similar to the stethoscope. Zhu then marked a red spot at that point.

A line of the red spots determined by the same method is actually showing the position of a meridian, according to Zhu.

He would then place two electrodes of a current meter on the line and stimulation of the current could be felt. When one electrode was placed off the line, one would feel nothing. It showed that the meridian line had the lowest electric impedance, according to Zhu.

Even after Zhu published his breakthrough findings, the scientific world still did not change their skeptical attitude. And the debate on meridians is ongoing and interpretations of the phenomenon vary among scientists.

In ancient times, meridians was a philosophical concept invented by ancient Chinese doctors to summarize the general functions of the human body, according to Wu Gencheng, director of Institute of Acupuncture Research, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University. The institute had been researching acupuncture for decades.

"We believe that the meridians' functions are closely related with the nerves, but it is impossible in modern science to find the material equivalent to the meridians described in the ancient time. It is hard to imagine a new passage way in the human body," said Wu.

In a further blow to Zhu's efforts, the Institute stopped funding their research.

Zhu did not give up and established Beijing Yanhuang Meridian Center to design the meridian based exercise to promote people's health and longevity. Zhu calls it the "3-1-2" method.

According to Zhu, 3 refers to massaging three acupoints of hegu on the hand neiguan on the wrist and zusanli on the knee.

1 refers to abdominal breathing, actually a form of simplified qigong (breathing exercise), through which Zhu believed could exercise the meridians in the abdomen area being closely related with chronic diseases.

2 refers to the physical exercise of both legs. Zhu believed the most simple and effective exercise is squatting down and standing up.

"Physical exercise will involve the excitation of all the meridians spreading in the whole body," he explained.

In fact, in Zhu's views, the health benefits of all kinds of physical exercise are actually coming from the enhancement of the meridians in the process.

Daily exercises for 25 minutes will keep people young and vigorous, prevent and treat many senile and difficult diseases and relieve some common diseases, Zhu claims.

During the past 17 years, Zhu had formally trained more than 10,000 people, mostly elderly people. "Though the popularization of the exercise is slow, I obtain valuable proof information from them that the exercise is effective for health promotion," he said.

Zhang Yawen, 74, was a typical beneficiary of 312 exercises. She was a college professor and had long been inflicted by hypertension and arthritis, which often made her sleepless at night.

She claimed her health improved a lot after she followed 312 exercises for a few months. Now she has the confidence to live to 100.

Zhu conducted a study among more than 8,000 people attending his training class, 95 percent of whom suffered from chronic diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, asthma, diabetes and arthritis. Most have seen major improvements after four weeks' practice.

Though Zhu had a strong wish to spread his exercise to a larger population, he still depends on opening workshops and distributing study materials to spread the word.






312 meridian exercise



16 August 2014
Hosted in Guiyang, China on 16th August 2014, the 4th World 312 Meridian Congress had received speakers from 10 countries around the world including China, India, European Union, Malaysia and Singapore. 2000 strong crowd from 30 different provinces in China attended the congress.

Guests of honour include national leaders of China to grace the event of spreading the popular 312 exercise which had attracted over 30,000,000 people worldwide.

The next congress will be held in Singapore organised by International 312 Meridian Exercise Association.


Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Hawaii meaning

who controls the past controls the future, who controls the present controls the past,
Ha : meaning breath , or breath of life
Wai : meaning water, but also a code word for Mana or life force, and
'I : meaning supreme
You can connect with your own Hawai'i - the supreme life's force that rides on the breath any time , anywhere.
Just stop working (pause a while) and take a full breath in through the nose, and gently exhale out through the mouth with the sound , "Ha." The out-breath is whispered loudly, and is twice as long as the in-breath.
Remember , anyone can -- anywhere , anytime - you can reconnect with the supreme .
The new arrivals/ newcomers were called Haole.
Ha, meaning "breath," and
Ole, meaning "lacking."
So let's not be Haole, at least not in the true meaning. As you're reading now , let's breath together, doing the Ha breath for 5 minutes. Why not stop and do that now?
Just take a deep breath in through the nose, filling your lungs completely. Then exhale through the mouth, loudly whispering the word "Haaaa," and exhaling completely. Continue for 5 minutes -- put on some nice music if you wish or just sit quietly. (By the way if you begin to hyperventilate or feel light headed at any time during any breathing technique, just stop and wait for it to pass.)

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Breathing right is important .

Dear friend, remembering you this year 2008. For one who has HEALTH has HOPE: and one who has HOPE , has EVERYTHING. WE have HEALTH, hence we have HOPE: and we have HOPE, thus we have EVERYTHING.

Friend, HEALTH is the thing that makes you feel that now, this very present moment, is the best time of the year. God guide you through this year around.

Subject: Breath Connection Program

Dear friends, I like to e-share a subject which will greatly enhance and improve your over-all quality of living through a better bodily health. Learn about the incredibly simple shallow-breathing techniques that have spared the lives of thousands of asthmatics and others suffering from related illnesses. Set to relieve you or anyone you care for, from the shackles of asthma and other bronchial or respiratory illness for life.

I believe that people must be able , and encouraged, to choose the treatment system that is right and effective for them and their individual conditions treatment should be readily available to all who need it, freely , without cost.

I promise to respect you as an individual and to offer support at every level; even if you follow the programs for only five(5) days, there has to be sincere effort and commitment on your part - particularly if you decide to keep going for weeks, or even months. The results or improvements that can be achieved by practising the program for just a short time each day, over five (5) days, will encourage you to keep going. Soon, this program will become second nature, and you will continue to reap the benefits.

This e-sharing addresses no more than the breath of life - and no less.

Using a unique preventative health program, we now have the means by which to give our children/adults the basis of sound health for life. And all of us can experience better health now, as a result of the training offered through the program.

Question: Do the health conditions you have outlined for the lenght of the Control Pause apply to both adults and children? Answer: Yes. Age, height, or body size have no effect on the Control Pause. Lung capacity is not an issue.

The Breath Connection Program require no medication, no special equipment or technology (no purchase required), and simply aims to re-educate people, both young and elderly; about how to breath in a balanced, healthier way.

Breath Connection Basics
The exercises that form the basis of this Breath Connection Program are easy to understand and to implement, and within five(5) days you will see outstanding benefits.
The most important part of the program is the Control Pause. It is both a test, a monitor, and a tool for controlling your breathing. Control pause is a technique that allows you to measure the level of carbon dioxide in your lungs, and hence the state of your present (and future) health. Carbon dioxide is a natural gas, and the human body's own, natural bronchodilator. In its various chemical forms, carbon dioxide (also known as CO2 ) is responsible for maintaining the correct pH balance of the blood and is a vital regulator of the body's many systems.

Points to remember :
1. Most people are inhaling more air than their bodies need. This has an adverse affect on the delicate balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen levels, triggering the compensatory defence mechanisms which we call disease. (Dis- ease is the opposite of At-ease?Food for thought) More than 200 disorders can be reversed or eased with correct breathing.

2.Your body needs a precise level of carbon dioxide for oxygen to reach its vital tissues and organs.

3.Carbon Dioxide was once considered to be a waste gas and a poison to the body. That is the problem when we do not really spent time to research and patiently observe the effect of carbon dioxide in our lives, so most of us are guilty of just accept whatever was passed down from previous generations. I encourage you into further personal research into the importance and value of carbon dioxide. Once you learn the discoveries of the various function of carbon dioxide in human body then , you shall herald a new appreciation of the important , indeed vital, role that it plays in your body health. The key to optimum well-being is the natural balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide.

4.Much of the advice (ignorance in reality) offered by medical experts, physiotherapists, sports trainers, and even some complementary therapists to breath deeply had been based on scientific misunderstanding that have only been challenged relatively recently. Don't imagine the 'old rules' are all still valid.

5.Our CP (Control Pause) test can indicate if you are hyperventilating, whether or not you know it. Hyperventilation, or over breathing, occurs when the intake of air is greater than the physiological norm of 5 liters per minute. This lowers the level of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream, which subsequently deprives the tissues of oxygen. Hyperventilation is a breathing disorder that causes a wide range of illnesses and is not merely a symptom of these illnesses.

By definition, hyperventilation is what happens when someone habitually breathes more than four(4) to six(6) liters of air into their lungs every minute. This quantity of air is the correct amount for all adults and children - but obviously varies between three and six liters depending on whether you are a child or a large man - and leads to very quiet, gentle, and almost undetectable breathing, rather like that of a sleeping baby. Nine(9) out of 10 0f us, however, over breathe. (Do the Control Pause to find out your own CP; this simple test is designed to assess your risk of suffering from hyperventilation-related diseases.) We have become so accustomed to breathing deeply (though we do not know any better the real physiology effect upon the body in long term) that we regularly lose vital carbon dioxide when we exhale.

Studies have shown that asthmatics inhale anything between four(4) and eight(8) times the amount of air they need for optimum health, often breathing through the mouth, rather than the nose. This type of over breathing, or hyperventilation, puts tremendous strain on our body systems , such as the digestive, hormonal, circulation, cardiovascular, and elimination systems. This dysfunctional breathing can be corrected by the Breath Connection Program.

6.The Breath Connection program exercises have been responsible for a 90% improvement in the condition of people with asthma and have contributed toward further dramatic improvement in the condition of people suffering from other illnesses.

Here's how the Control Pause(CP) is done.
The Control Pause
Four(4) to six(6) liters of air per minute are all you need to supply your blood with oxygen. More than that, particularly if you are breathing deeply or erratically, can destabilize the central nervous, cardiovascular, immune, hormonal, excretory, and digestive systems. It can also lead to general fatigue and sleeping problems. It is easy to breath more air per minute without seeming to be over breathing, and most of us do it. As a result we are all, unknowingly, damaging our health on a regular basis. Again this is due to ignorant, we do not know any better.

To discover if you are unconsciously hyperventilating, try the Control Pause (CP) test. This simple exercise is central to the Breath Connection program.
1.Sit comfortably in an upright chair close to a clock with a (ticking) second hand, or a stopwatch.

2.Relax and breath in and out gently, mouth closed.

3.Pinch your nose with your fingers, after the exhalation.

4.Keeping your mouth closed, count how many seconds you can comfortably last before you need to inhale again.

5.Don't push yourself too hard. The accuracy of the test depends on you stopping before you reach the threshold of discomfort.

6.Remember: you are not holding your breath in , you are emptying your lungs and then counting.

7.When you breath in (use the nose only, mouth closed) again, try not to take in large gulps of air, control your breathing, keep your mouth closed.

8. Do not push your Control Pause above 60. These breathing exercises, like 'medication', must be administered correctly.

Result check :-
# A control pause(CP) of 50 to 60 seconds or more suggests that you are in excellent health. (Even muscular, sportive looking individuals not necessary have CP at this range.)

#Holding for 25 seconds means that your health requires attention.

# If you can only manage 10 seconds, or less, a serious hyperventilation problem exists. This might already have manifested itself as asthma or some other illness.

#Anyone with a control pause(CP) of less than 30 seconds needs to follow the exercises outline in this program. The exercises are necessary for your general health and well-being and will help to prevent the creation (etiology) of a fertile environment for more than 200 different health disorders.

Take 60 as the ideal Control Pause(CP). Now divide that number by your own CP. The answer tells you how many people you are breathing for --- or, more importantly, how severely you are threatening your health. If your CP is 20, divide that number into 60. The answer is 3, which means that you are, effectively, breathing 3 times as often as you should be, or breathing for 3 people. That's over breathing: inhaling too much oxygen(level increased), and exhaling too much carbon dioxide(level decreased).

What is OVER BREATHING? :-It is breathing through your mouth, as many people with respiratory disorders habitually do, involves inhaling larger quantities of air than is necessary. Apart from detrimentally affecting your carbon dioxide levels and increasing the risk of breathing in allergens, mouth-inhaled air can irritate the airways, resulting in inflammation, constriction, and excessive mucus production, often leading to a blocked nose and sinusitis. When the airways are narrowed, breathing becomes laboured. This can lead to a panic attack, which causes you to gasp for air and compound the situation.

Furthermore, the low carbon dioxide levels found in asthmatics reduce the body's ability to produce the natural form of the hormone cortisone and this can leave the body vulnerable to allergic responses. (Have you drink you daily quota of plain water?)

A healthy body should have CP of 1 to 1.2 (60 seconds to 50 seconds).

If you have ever suffered from any sort of respiratory disorder, you may feel daunted at the prospect of modifying the way you breathe -- tampering with something that seems absolutely natural. I promise you that it is not difficult and it certainly is not dangerous.

In many societies, past and present, breathing is naturally shallow normally, that is , shallow in terms of how much air is taken in. People in such societies have never been taught to breath deeply, and so did not develop bad breathing habits such as breathing through the mouth. Everyone breathe in a much healthier way.

Dear friend , we should not assume that our 'norm' is what is right for us, particularly in light of the fact that we are, in today so-called "advanced economy", decidedly less healthy than our "rural slow backward" neighbours.

Children in particular need to be reminded to breath through their noses. Mouth closed , except during eating, drinking or talking.

Friend, try to see correct breathing as a form of 'nutrition'. Just imagine how much harm you would be doing to yourself if you were eating for two, three, four, or more people, every meal.

You must always interrupt your CP test if you feel at all uncomfortable. Shallow breathe for a few minutes and start again without pushing yourself . Never forget that our exercises are as powerful and effective as some conventional medicines, so please follow the instructions carefully and never push yourself to get a higher Control Pause. Let the CP improve naturally as you continue to practise the Breath Connection program.

Shallow Breathing (SB)
Shallow breathing is the opposite of deep breathing. SB involves taking in small quantities of air. The best way to achieve shallow breathing is to be aware of your breathing and to consciously regulate the flow in and out of the nose. Nasal breathing is the key to correct breathing. Mouth closed.

When we breathe through our mouth, we take in too much oxygen and breathe out too much carbon dioxide, which upsets the balance (or the harmony ratio) of these essential gases in our bodies. (Doubters/sceptics can try this simple test on their own: Continuously blowout hard three times and hold your breath. See how you feel now?)(A little 'dizziness' is the phenomena of lack of carbon dioxide/oxygen ratio in the lung)

It has been established that people with breathing disorders, such as asthma, often have nasal problems, too, such as sinusitis, rhinitis, or polyps. Most nasal problems --- such as asthma --- are one of the body's defence mechanism against over breathing. Breath Connection program can teach you to get rid of nasal problems, and you will also learn how to get rid of asthma, which is another facet of the same problems.
After two or three days of practicing Breath Connection, your nasal passages will open up ---and stay open --- if you continue to breathe correctly.

Unblocking your Nose
It may seem impossible to consider shallow breathing, or breathing through your nose, if you have chronically blocked nasal passages. Here is the quick-fix method for unblocking your nose, which will provide relief for a few minutes, or even hours.

Once you have practiced Breath Connection for a couple of days, your nose will stay clear, and this exercise will be unnecessary.This is what you do:

1.Breath in and out normally.(mouth closed)

2.Pinch your nose with two fingers after the exhalation.

3.When you can no longer comfortably hold your breath out, let go of your nose pinching, but keep your mouth closed and carry on breathing through your nose, which will now be open.

Try to move around while pinching your nose --- the added movement will increase the carbon dioxide levels in your blood even further, and we know that carbon dioxide is a 'natural bronchodilator'.
( Bronchodilator: a drug taken by patients with respiratory conditions such as asthma. Bronchodilators artificially dilate the bronchial tubes in order to facilitate breathing. However, by forcing a greater intake of oxygen into the lungs, these drugs further exacerbate hyperventilation, leading to a greater deterioration of the patients medical condition. There are more facts which may cause alarm if you know the real effect of their usage in the long term, anyway if you want to know more just email me, also, do some serious research on your own is better)

Sleeping Techniques
Asthma becomes worse at night and in the early hours of the morning because the horizontal position of your body during sleep increase hyperventilation. This is because the natural position of our bodies is upright. Lying flat on our backs is not the optimum position for our breathing to function normally. Many parents start to worry when the baby sleeps naturally on the stomach; only if they know it is the best position to sleep naturally and safely. Even first-aiders are taught to position victims on 'recovery position - on the tummies' while awaiting for the arrival of paramedic.

When we sleep, our breathing starts out being low and shallow. However, as we slip into deeper sleep, our breathing becomes deeper and deeper. When we are lying down, our breathing increases, so that our levels of carbon dioxide go down. So, how should we sleep?

The more upright you are, the better. Sitting up is the ideal position, but we accept that it is not very comfortable --- or practical. However, if your asthma symptoms are very bad, you might want to consider it. The next best option is to position yourself on a high pile of pillows, which should rest under your head and shoulders.

Always sleep on your left side, with your legs pulled up to your chest. This fetal position has been proved to be the most effective position for sleeping, although the reason is unclear.

If you find it uncomfortable, switch to your right-hand side, which is, ultimately, much better than sleeping on your back. Lying on your back and breathing through your mouth is the worst possible way you can sleep. Children should sleep on their tummies. See the human throat anatomy and airway illustration from any simple medical book and you can see the reason why.

Just a recommendation: sleep on a hard bed, such as a futon, or one with a thin mattress, and that we should aim to reduce our time sleeping by as much as possible. The less you can sleep, the better. Drink two glasses (use 7oz glass size for adult ) before going to sleep. Your nerves system need water to cleanse and repair themselves while you are sleeping. If you still find difficulty to sleep, put a pinch of sea-salt on your tongue and leave let it melt ,after drinking a glass of plain water before going to bed.


Here are some other tips for getting a good night's sleep:

#Don't go to bed until you are so tired that you cannot do anything else but sleep.

#Don't go to bed just because it is bedtime. Wait until you are genuinely tired before retiring for the night.

#Don't go to bed during the day. If you have had a sleepless night, take a 20- to 30-minute nap, sitting in a chair.

#Make sure your mouth is closed while you sleep and tape your lips to ensure that it stays this way. I recommend a special type of tape, 3M micro pore mouth tape, which is available from pharmacists and hardware shops. This tape can be applied and removed easily and painlessly, and because it has tiny pores,or holes, you will not feel completely suffocated. I suggest that you tape your mouth with a small piece of micropore mouth tape, placed vertically over the lips, while you learn the techniques and throughout the program. Taping is not essential ,but it definitely improves your progress.

Breathing through your nose at night can reduce phlegm, prevent snoring, and provide a much more refreshing sleep. Most importantly, however, it can prevent asthma attack.

The native American mothers used their fingers to ensure that the mouths of their children were closed when they slept, until the children developed the habit of breathing through their noses. Doctors of the time noted that these children were often healthier than their Colonial contemporaries.

Taking your Pulse.
Your pulse is a sure measure of the state of your health, and it is important that you learn how to measure it. A pulse means that blood is circulating in the body.

In general, 70 beats per minute indicates that your health is good.
Up to 80 beats, it is probably fair, but 100 beats is too high.

There are very few people whose health is fine, even if they have a high pulse rate and body temperature, but don't take the risk that you may be one of them. When you normalize your breathing, your whole body system becomes more efficient and less stressed --- and so normalizes the heartbeat.

Checking your pulse rate before and after doing the Control Pause(CP) exercises will demonstrate how breathing correctly has a direct bearing on circulation. As your CP goes up, your pulse rate will come down. You will be checking your pulse regularly to ensure that this happens. It is a very good way to gauge the effect of the exercises.

The Breath Connection program, in general, involves
(i) the Control Pause(CP), which is used both to monitor your condition and to help control your breathing ,

(ii) Shallow Breathing techniques, and

(iii) at various stages, taking your pulse rate.

The program also involves learning to breath through your nose and making adjustments to your day-to-day breathing techniques in order to learn normal breathing.

In this Breath Connection, you are taught to breath less air, which is considered to be normal breathing. Abnormal breathing is the cause of many diseases: normal breathing, the Breath Connection way, will both improve your over-all health and well-being. You'll start to see changes after only a few days. Now, let's begin.

(Resources: http://www.haleclinic.com )

God is good and righteous , all the time.

The principles behind the Buteyko Breathing Method: It is named after a Russian scientist, Prof. Konstantin Buteyko. It has been recognised medically that hyperventilation (or over breathing) causes airways and arteries to narrow. He was among the first to recognise that BREATHING LESS WOULD CAUSE THEM TO OPEN AGAIN! Simple logic, like eating too much without exercise causes weight gain and other disoders.
A working defintion of Hyperventilation:
'hyper' = too much ; 'ventilation' = lung ventilation / breathing.
- the act of breathing too large a volume of air for the body's needs , causing a reduction in carbon dioxide.

Habitual hyperventilation (sometimes know as hyperventilation syndrome) occurs as the result of breathing a larger than volume of air than the body can use, "washing" out too much carbon dioxide(CO2) over an extended period. This may be only 10% too much, or 300% too much. The more a person overbreaths, the more pressure is put on the human body. After a time, any extra stimulation (whether physical or mental) can result in the overload we know as illness.

As healthy person breaths out, the CO2 level in the blood stream will build to about 6.4% , and a chemo-receptor in the brain will trigger the next breath in . This is self regulating , to be maintained whatever the level of activity. Over time, if the habit of overbreathing develops, the chemo-receptor learns to register an unhealthy low level of CO2 as 'normal'.

However, when CO2 levels in the bloodstream are reduced below 5%, the body begins to respond in one or more of the following ways:

-It is unable to release oxygen from the red blood cells as efficiently, so the mind and body react more slowly, and memory and energy levels are affected.

-Airways may begin to close down in sinuses and lungs, in the body's instinctive attempt to prevent the loss of more CO2, with an increase in mucous production - this could result in sinusitis, asthma, snoring, bronchitis, and long term , emphysema.

-Alkali levels increase, which has a negative impact on the body immune system. Underactive and there is a tendency to catch colds, flu, etc., in extreme cases the body cannot combat cancer. Overactive, and you have auto-immune diseases such as ME, lupus, MS, allergies, diabetes, etc.

-Arteries begin closing down, and veins swell, preventing proper blood flow, increasing pulse and blood pressure. Arteries are blood vessels bringing blood away from the heart, while veins are blood vessels bringing blood back towards the heart.

-Weight changes (up or down) as the metabolism alters.

-Increases anxiety levels and andrenaline production.

The core of the Buteyko Method is to raise the public awareness of the correct and healthy way of breathing and to retrain them to breath appropriately for the level of activity they are doing. Even while you are jogging , running or swimming. They are reminded to always breathe through the nose, and for many people, this in itself feels miraculous after years of mouth breathing.

Using this simple, natural technique will help asthma sufferers prevent and overcome attacks, restore healthy sleep and cut medication up to 60%.

For those people seeking an improvement in their overall health, it has other major benefits, too, for stress, weight loss and the heart.

Breathing right is important.