Just Breathe - Is This Your Missing Link ?

Breathing is the vital force of life. It is considered to be the mind-body bridge. Breathing is something that is done everyday, unconsciously; yet the majority of people do it improperly. When babies breathe, it is instinctive. Watching a healthy baby while sleeping, one may notice the deep breaths that are taken which fill up the diaphragm and move up into the lungs. As a person ages, bad habits are picked up, health often declines, nutrition worsens, and stress overwhelms the proper function of breathing. The word pranayama means "that which extends infinitely everywhere". It is the practice of prana or breath. The breath begins at an energy center inside and extends throughout the body to keep one alive. We exercise our bodies, but what about our breathing?

The balanced and peaceful individual is said to have more prana dispersed within the body rather than outside of the body. An image of a breath center with arrows pointing outward but staying within the boundaries of the physical being is one way to imagine an individual with healthy prana. It is thought that, when the prana remains in the body, the individual is free of physical symptoms. If one feels ill, anxious, restless, or discontented, the prana is at a greater force externally than within. This can show up in a variety of warning signs, from the overt physical manifestations, to the mental feelings of depression, lack of motivation, etc?

The state of mind is directly connected to breathing. The quality of our breath influences the state of our mind and vice-versa. They are one and the same. The most obvious example here would be the quality of breath in a stressful situation. The mind is overloaded with worries and the breath, in turn, becomes rapid, shallow, and sometimes even forgotten altogether. If the breath is used deeply and in a proper manner, the mind's focus is taken away from the situation at hand and placed back into a state of peacefulness which shows an immediate reciprocation in the calming of the breath and the mind.

Humans generally, and often unknowingly, pollute themselves and the Earth with toxic substances and various forms of rubbish whether it is in what is consumed, or in what is allowed in the mind. Breathing suffers because of this. Breath, the very most important thing that bodies need besides water, is neglected or contaminated. When the body is filled with debris, breathing suffers, as there is not enough room for it to flourish in the body. A daily breathing practice, along with the other important aspects of a healthy lifestyle, can free the body of detrimental breathing patterns and reverse the process of destruction brought upon by our modern day society.

Breathing exercises are excellent tools that can even be used in everyday situations. In many instances, especially those entrenched in fear, anger, or stress, breathing will help to diffuse the state of mind that may cause a reaction or statement that is contrary to a balanced way of life. The exercises can also be used before speeches or performances that may be otherwise anxiety-ridden. Breathing exercises can be used in childbirth preparation and, hopefully, during labor to reduce the intensity of the baby's birth. The benefits of pranayama are numerous and one who exercises the breath can only hope to have an opportunity to delve deeper into this realm that holds so much significance in our existence on this Earth.

Prana is life and pranayama is its exaltation. One should begin by becoming familiar with the breath and noticing the times when the breath is shallow; be the breath observer. It is recommended to begin breathwork with a qualified teacher (registered yoga teachers are trained in pranayama). As with anything, the more one practices, the more it becomes automatic and a way of life. How can we deny the breath its proper exercise and practice? The next time you find yourself in a stressful situation, remember to take the phrase "just breathe" seriously as it may be that one body-mind-spirit link that you are missing.

"When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed, the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath."(Hatha Yoga Pradipika)

Deborah L. Shipley, RYT
Deborah is a Registered Yoga Teacher and a writer of the free monthly e-zine Self Esteem: Shining from Within. If you would like to contact her please visit her website: http://www.quizforselfesteem.com her blog hosted e-zine site: http://www.quizforselfesteem.com or e-mail her at http://www.quizforselfesteem.com

elite cleaning services Lake Forest ...
In The News:

Uber teen accounts now feature live video streaming from the driver's camera, but encrypted recordings stay on Uber's servers for up to 14 days.
Router firewalls and software firewalls serve different roles in protecting your home Wi-Fi from unwanted traffic and suspicious connections.
A Chrome extension with 70,000 users and a 4.7-star rating began injecting fake update warnings after a threat actor acquired and weaponized it.
Amazon's Alexa+ rolls out free to Fire TV devices across the U.S., but hands-free microphones and stored voice data raise key privacy questions.
Meta's new teen accounts settlement sets a default two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook, plus night mode and school mode restrictions.
The CareCloud data breach exposed Social Security numbers, banking information and medical records belonging to more than 3.75 million people.
Waymo reveals its custom 5-nanometer chip and dual computing systems designed to take over instantly if the robotaxi's primary computer fails.
Identity theft now includes account takeover, phone hijacking and payment card exposure. Here's what to look for in identity theft protection services.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
The FBI and Justice Department seized domains tied to QScan and QTRouter, tools allegedly used by China-linked hackers to breach NASA and other agencies.
Uber Eats drone delivery launches later this year through a Zipline partnership, starting in Dallas and Houston with a goal of one million daily flights.
Medicare Open Enrollment scams start with data broker targeting months before October. Learn why August is the time to remove your personal info.
The World Humanoid Robot Games' crashes show how far the technology still needs to go to be useful, "Survivor" reality TV star and robotics scientist Christian Hubicki says.
X-Humanoid's TianGong Ultra ran 100 meters in 9.32 seconds at Beijing's World Humanoid Robot Games, beating last year's winner by more than half.
A tap-to-pay charity scam is turning small $15 or $20 donations into charges of nearly $5,000, with victims losing thousands before they notice.
Kurt Knutsson shares seven emergency preparedness lessons from surviving Hurricane Katrina inside a New Orleans hotel as conditions turned desperate.
A contractor stored credentials in a Google Doc set to "Anyone with the link," and Google Search autocomplete eventually surfaced the password string.
New Orleans 911 uses Carbyne AI to triage repeat auto crash calls, but strict limits keep human call-takers in control of all other emergencies.
A single card skimmer can generate $1 million in stolen funds, and Secret Service video shows criminals installing them in under two seconds.
ChatGPT, Meta AI and Google now use memory, connected apps and past chats to personalize ads and responses in ways most users overlook today.
MagicalAuth by Glide.id uses cryptographic SIM credentials to verify bank logins without sending SMS OTP codes that scammers can intercept or phish.
A humanoid robot named Lightning Bolt ran 100 meters in 9.39 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, edging Usain Bolt's record.
An AI agent using Claude AI canceled another person's gym booking after finding a security flaw in the reservation system's authorization checks.
Trump signed a memorandum allowing vetted private U.S. companies to conduct cyber operations against foreign criminal organizations under oversight.
Your Social Security number appeared in a breach, but exposure and identity theft are not the same. Here's how identity restoration actually works.

Stress Management: Problem Land or Solution Land

In my experience, most of us spend a lot more... Read More

6 Ways to Release Stress

We are currently living in a capitalist society where money... Read More

Emotional Freedom - At YOUR Fingertips!

What would you say if I told you I know... Read More

Empathy - Anxiety & Panic

If you are an anxiety and panic sufferer, then you've... Read More

Stress Management: Declare Your Freedom From...

1)Excessive worryNo, I'm not saying "don't worry, be happy."Well-used worry... Read More

The 3 Rs of Taking a Vacation Without Leaving Home

This summer, get away, without going away. Take a mini... Read More

Stress Management and Mastery: 3 Tools You Can Use

Q:We recently had someone come to our company to talk... Read More

Rested? The Three Keys to Finding True Rest, Just in Case

What do you think of when you see that word?... Read More

10 Ways to Enjoy Your Stress More

1. The Mentor Method: think of your favorite person. Someone... Read More

Stress Management: 4 Steps to Massive Stress Relief by Having Fun

Over the years I've collected scores of comics and cartoons... Read More

Panic Is No Laughing Matter

Burt Reynolds revealed his vulnerable side when he realized he... Read More

Planning Stress Management

Deadlines at work, demanding bosses, bills to be paid at... Read More

The Cost of Stress ? the Need to Monitor and Manage the Risks!

How much attention is paid to one of the biggest... Read More

How to Recognize Stress Before it Turns Into Anger

After a stressful day as a computer programmer, Jim pulled... Read More

From Problems to Possibilities-Get Out of Your Old Story to Get On With the New!

I love a good story and I know I'm not... Read More

The Top 10 Steps to DeStress

Do you feel tense and anxious at work? Do your... Read More

The Physiology of Stress

In the body, the stress response is mediated by the... Read More

Sometimes C.O.P.I.N.G Is All We Can Do

We strive for excellence in our lives, going at full... Read More

Overwhelm: Love It or Leave It!

Amazing thing, overwhelm!You don't usually see it coming. It just... Read More

7 Healthy Ways To Release Holiday Stress

Many people go through the motions during Christmas. If not... Read More

Can You Say Yes To Less Stress

A little stress is good for us until it becomes... Read More

Simple Tips to Help Simplify Your Life! - Make it Great!

Quote of the week"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Leonardo da... Read More

Stress Management and Mastery: 5 Tips for Positive Anger Management

A grandfather, whose grandson came to him angry at a... Read More

Nipping Stress In the Bud: The Principles of Stress Relief

Stress is normal. Stress is OK. Stress is the same... Read More

The Work of Byron Katie - Freedom From Stress is Only 4 Questions Away

All stress comes from believing a thought that argues with... Read More

expert residential cleaners Northbrook ...