Nature Gives You the Tools

Excess stress and tension can have a “hidden” impact on your overall health.

Chronic stress has been shown to negatively impact the immune system. Because
this is happening “behind the scenes”, so to speak, you may not even be aware
of it.

When you experience stress, or if you have been chronically stressed for some
time, you have a decreased immune system reaction.

You may notice you are more susceptible to illness, such as colds and flu.
And you may experience more serious symptoms than you normally do. Even
minor things like a cough or cold hit you harder.

The good news is, nature provides us with some built-in tools to deal with stress,
regardless of its causes. You just have to take the time to recognize these tools
and put them to good use.

I’ve been in San Francisco this week, attending a major conference. Major as in,
about 40,000 attendees! Supposedly it’s the largest computer or IT conference
in the world! I can tell you, we have certainly taken over this part of the city!

My participation has included a presentation, some video recordings, some media
briefings….plus other assorted meetings and briefings. It’s been hectic,
sometimes crazy hectic – but fun.

And it has given me the opportunity to take my own medicine, to follow my
own advice.

Any time I have felt myself beginning to feel stressed, to get tight, I have
reminded myself of the following:

Part of your response to stress is physical in nature. In fact, you can observe
yourself at random times to determine how well you are handling life’s stresses.

For example, stop what you are doing and take a look at your posture. How are
you standing or sitting? Are your shoulders, neck and back tight or uncomfortable?
Are you hunched over?

Also attend to your breathing. Is your breathing rapid and shallow? Do you feel
tightness in your throat or chest? Do you breathe through your mouth? Do you
sometimes hold your breath when you are in the middle of something?

As you observe yourself, do so without making any judgements or engaging in
negative self-talk. Just become aware of what your posture and breathing are
telling you.

Also be aware that stress contributes to a huge number of health problems, and
can literally take years off your life. And the physical manifestations — poor
breathing, poor posture, back and neck pain, headaches — cause you to live at
a lower level of vitality.

They prevent you from achieving your full potential in life.

To reverse the effects of stress, begin with your breathing and posture.

This seems simple, but it’s a direct and powerful way of addressing two important
foundations for your health. Proper, complete breathing, and a strong limber
structure that supports good posture, are tools that nature has provided you.

Stress, chronic or acute health issues, immune system malfunctions: these are all
systemic problems. So you need to take a system wide approach if you plan on making
significant progress.

By progress, I don’t just mean relief of symptoms, although that’s very important.
I also mean counteracting or even eliminating the root causes. When you take an
inside-out approach, you begin to heal your body from within.

You Can Do It!

Karen
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. You own the tools that nature has provided. Learn how to put them to good
use in combating stress, poor breathing, or chronic fatigue with the Secret Power
of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course. The exercises in the course are easy to learn
and easy to do. But they pack a real wallop. For more information, head on over to
www.BestBreathingExercises.com.