Month: March 2011

You Don’t Have to Believe for This Stuff to Work

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Some years back, I began to modify how I taught my personal
training clients.

I had always studied and followed the conventional exercise
paradigm, with a well-rounded program of strength training, cardio,
and stretching (and variations within each area).

Nothing wrong with that. In fact, this is a very effective way to
think about and organize a well-rounded fitness program.

But then I noticed that I was also performing deep breathing,
dynamic tension, and other energy flowing exercises, separately
from my core fitness regimen. And I was practicing martial arts
and doing specialized training for that.

I felt wonderful and was in great shape. Trouble was, there were
only so many hours in the day. I felt like I was having to cycle
too much between what I focused on.

I also realized that I wanted to introduce my clients to the
tremendously energizing and restorative effects of deep breathing
and energy exercises. But I had to fit this in with their existing
programs, in a way that did not involve additional investments of
time.

To make the program as efficient and effective as possible, I
began to integrate breath training, breath control, and breathing
patterns into regular exercise.

For example, you can amplify and accelerate the effects of weight
training, bodyweight exercise, or aerobic exercise, with proper
breathing.

And you can leverage the time you spend warming up, cooling down,
and stretching to perform basic energy exercises.

The result is a much more effective and efficient fitness regimen
that leaves you feeling energized, builds you up, and improves
mental clarity and focus — so you are more energetic and
efficient throughout your day. You also sleep more soundly and
awake more refreshed.

This was the genesis of what I came to call my Dynamic Energy
Exercise approach.

Here’s the good news: with the proper introduction and
instruction, it’s a pretty straightforward process to apply
this dynamic energy approach to your workouts or other
activities.

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

All you have to do is try it.

For a great introduction, get the Secret Power of Dynamic
Energy Exercise Course, Volume 1: Invigorate and Rejuvenate
(available at the Best Breathing Exercises website )
Follow the directions, focus on your breathing, and gently
move through each exercise.

In only a few minutes, you will begin to feel different.
Relaxed but energized. Calm but focused. Like a weight has
been lifted.

And this is only the beginning of the wonderful benefits you
can realize by integrating this “dynamic” approach into your
exercise.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
www.BestBreathingExercises.com
Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Zig-Zag Your Way to Success

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When you set a goal, you rarely move directly to that goal.

Most of the time, you make progress, then you falter or fall back
a bit (or a lot), then you make progress again.

And the path or method that you initially pictured or planned, may
turn out NOT to be the best way to your goal.

The point is, you have to be flexible in your approach, and you
have to anticipate, and even plan on, the fact that your progress
will come in fits and starts.

You can even build these fits and starts into your approach.

For example, if you are trying to lose weight and get in better
shape…or if you are trying to gain weight, by putting on more
lean muscle mass… or if you are simply trying to maintain your
current weight, without having to worry too much about your
diet…you can employ the “zig-zag” method.

This term was coined by Dr. Fred Hatfield, one of the founders of
the International Sports Sciences Association, the fitness
education and certifying organization with which I am associated.

Dr. Hatfield is also known as “Dr. Squat”, because he was the
first man to squat over 1,000 pounds. I’ve watched the video of
that lift countless times. Each time I am amazed at what he did.
And he’s not even that big of a guy. But he trained like a maniac,
and he was smart about how he trained.

From training as a powerlifter, as well as coaching other
powerlifters, he learned that you have to incorporate some
deviations in your training, in order to continue making
progress.

He then transferred this approach to helping people lose, gain
or maintain weight.

Basically, with the zig-zag approach, you vary the number of
calories you consume each day.

For example, if you are trying to lose or maintain weight, you
consume a higher number of calories on days in which you exercise.
On days when you do not exercise, and your body has lower
metabolic demands, you consume a lower number of calories.

This is a way around the homeostasis your body will fall into,
if you eat the same number of calories, or same amount of food,
each and every day.

A common dieting pitfall is to reduce calories by 300 to 500
below what you normally eat. For example, you may reduce from
2000 to 1500 calories per day in an effort to lose weight
quickly.

Problem is, your body reacts quickly and dramatically to any
significant decrease in calories.

Within a week to two weeks, your body will adapt to this lower
caloric intake by reducing its energy requirements. Then you
are in a really tough place.

The zig-zag method avoids this problem.

When you vary your calories from day to day, you keep your
body guessing. One day you consume 2200 calories, the next
1500, the next 1800, and so on.

Your body never adapts, and you continue to steadily lose
weight. Or gain weight, if putting on muscle is your goal.

You can extend this method to the proportion of macro-nutrients
in your diet – in other words, to vary the relative amounts of
protein, carbohydrate and fat you are eating.

For example, on your workout days (or heavier workout days),
you can eat more carbs as well as proteins to help fuel the
activity. Your body can better assimilate carbs (as in, not
turn them into fat) if you eat them within two to three
hours after a workout.

On non-workout, or light workout, days you lower the carbs
and up the fats a little, as a form of compensation.

I like this method for a couple of reasons.

First, you automatically adapt your eating to your activity
levels. This is actually a more natural way to eat. However,
many of us have lost this “programming” over the years, and we
may not automatically eat this way without building it into
our overall fitness plan.

The other great aspect of the “zig-zag” method is that you don’t
have to precisely measure the number of calories or carbs or
fats you consume each day. Simply pay attention to what and how
much you are eating (a food log or journal helps here). If you
don’t already, read labels and reference a book on the calorie
counts and macro-nutrients of foods, so you learn the  profile
of the foods you typically eat.

Within a few weeks, you will intuitively know your level of
food and calorie intake.

I’m using this method now myself, as I take off some “L-B’s”
to get in shape for summer. I’m “tight” with my diet for
several days, then I am more relaxed on the fourth day. I
give myself a break on at least one of the weekend days so I
can have a little wine or beer and a nice dinner out.

I can tell you from personal experience, this is way easier and
way more enjoyable than the typical diet approach of deprivation
and starvation interspersed with binges and being ashamed.

This is an approach you can feel good about…and which will
make you feel – and look – good in return.

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
www.BestBreathingExercises.com
Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Touch Base

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My parents recently visited us for a long weekend.

Even though they are on the East Coast and we are in Texas, we
try to see them once a quarter.

They’re not so much interested in seeing me. It’s their first
grandson, Miguel, who is the big draw. They are always amazed and
delighted at all the new things their grandson is doing.

The big progression since they saw him at Christmas: how well
he is reading.

Yes, kids in kindergarten read now. It’s fascinating how quickly
they develop this skill once they get started. We encourage Miguel
to read a lot, in all different subject areas. He reads to us and
we read to him.

Very cool!

On the not so cool side: my parents were also amazed and dismayed
at some of the new words Miguel has picked up from classmates
and friends. You know, the ones who have older brothers or sisters
and therefore learn these “not-so-good” words from their siblings?

And then repeat them because they are getting a reaction?

If you have kids, or are close to family members’ or friends’ kids,
you sort of lose track of all the changes going on. You see them
every day, so the changes don’t register with you as much as with
someone who sees the child infrequently.

And boy, do they change! The growth is amazing.

This got me to thinking about how much I had changed since I last
saw my folks. Had I learned much more that was new and helpful?
Had I improved much, or at all. Had I made meaningful progress
toward my goals?

It’s a good idea to “touch base” with yourself on a regular
basis,  perhaps weekly, at least monthly — and assess how you
have changed.

One of your goals as an adult should be to keep that childlike
curiosity and wonderment that makes the world so interesting, so
alive. It’s the best way I know to get out of — make that stay
out of — the emotional and psychic ruts we are all prone to fall
into.

If you are trying to lose weight and get in shape, have you made
progress in your workouts? Progress on the scale, or in your
measurements? Are you making better food choices now than you
were a month ago?

How about your health – either physical or mental? Have you
taken steps, no matter how small, to improve your breathing
skills, which help you cope with and improve a health issue and 
better manage stress or anxiety?

Have you learned something new and exciting about a subject that
interests you? Have you learned something new about your spouse,
significant other, or good friend?

Making the commitment to measure yourself, in any and all ways
that make sense to you, is an important step toward achieving
lasting change and improvement.

It provides you with the impetus you need to make the choices
that move you forward. It helps you keep your goals and desires
front and center, so you think about them everyday. In turn,
this means you will be more likely to do something about your
goals every day.

Touching base also helps because it places an emphasis on
process, not just results.

In other words, if you are having difficulty achieving your goal,
or you are making slower progress than you expected, you may
get down on yourself, or even think about – heaven forbid! –
giving up on your goal.

Don’t do that! Instead, re-focus on your process: on the activities
you are doing each day to move you towards your goal.

Give yourself a gold star each day you do something positive
that moves you in the direction of your goal.

The great motivational and business leader, Earl Nightingale,
said that you are a success when you are making progress toward
meaningful, worthwhile goals.

See yourself as the success you are! Give yourself credit for
setting your sights higher, for taking on big goals and
challenges, and for not quitting.

I’ve found that one of the most powerful habits you can cultivate
is a daily health and fitness routine. Performing deep breathing
exercises (like the ones I teach you in the Secret Power of
Dynamic Energy Exercise Course ), or
doing calisthenics and stretching, or going for a daily walk or
run, is a life-enhancing, life-extending routine you will never
regret getting into.

I highly recommend performing deep breathing exercises first thing
in the morning. It’s a wonderfully energizing way to begin each
day. And you’ll continue to benefit throughout the day.

You won’t have to worry about “fitting it in later”.

And when you “touch base” at the end of the week, you’ll know
you are making progress toward your health and fitness goals.

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingexercises.com/
Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Good Sleep: One of the Most Powerful Health Practices You Can Follow

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This first appeared as an article published as Good Sleep: One of the Most Powerful Health Practices You Can Follow on Technorati.

One of the most beneficial practices you can follow is to leverage the power of constructive habits. Good habits can improve your overall quality of life, including increased health and productivity.

What is one of the most, if not THE most, important health habit you can adopt?

The habit of getting sufficient, good quality sleep.

We often look externally for the answers and resources to our health and fitness-related challenges. What supplement should I take? What new exercise regime or gizmo should I follow or use? And so forth. But the most powerful ergogenic, health and beauty aide available to humans is free…and completely controlled by you.

Yes I know, it can be very difficult to get enough sleep. There’s just too much to do and not enough hours in the day. And if you are stressed out by a hectic schedule, work pressures, family responsibilities, or health issues, you may have difficulty relaxing and getting to sleep.

Deep breathing can help you out immensely. Take 5 to 10 complete, gentle breaths, in and out through your nose. This immediately helps you relax.

If you are lying in bed, you can place your index finger about 3 inches below your navel as a cue. Breathe into the spot your index finger is touching. As you inhale, imagine soothing blue air filling your lungs. As you exhale, imagine you are exhaling all the tension, worries and emotions from the day.

As you continue to breathe, visualize the soothing blue air filling your entire body. Feel your muscles relax and lengthen. Feel your entire body and relax and melt into the bed.

Think positive thoughts. Rather than rehash the problems or failures of the day, think and feel gratitude for the people and things in your life, as well as for the good things that are coming into your life.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But it works.

I’ve shared this little technique with many people, including clients with asthma or other chronic health conditions who have a difficult time achieving deep, restful sleep. They’ve all said this has helped them immensely.

Here’s one more important point about the quality of sleep: It’s becoming increasingly accepted that every hour of sleep before midnight is worth at least two hours after midnight. The reason is not entirely clear, although it has to do, in part, with our natural circadian rhythms.

If your tendency is toward the night owl side, you should consider gradually moving up your bedtime. Getting to bed earlier will help you achieve a deeper, more restful and more rejuvenating sleep.

This in turn increases the secretion of growth hormone, which helps you stay strong and young. And it decreases the amount of cortisol and other stress hormones, which can make and keep you fat.

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’d like a wonderful routine for relaxation,
rejuvenation and effortlessly flowing energy, try the Secret
Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 1: Invigorate
and Rejuvenate. In just a few short minutes, you’ll experience
a release of tension, stress, aches and pains. It’s a great way
to end each day! Get your copy today!

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Your Second Brain

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You have an entire nervous system in your gut.

It’s called the enteric nervous system (ENS). And it’s complex
enough to act independently from the brain.

It literally learns from experience and remembers past actions and
events. It produces a variety of feelings you think of as “gut
feelings” or “gut instincts”.

From an evolutionary standpoint, this second brain developed for
purposes of survival. When rapid thought or action is required, it’s
often better to bypass your conscious, rational brain. Your actions
are faster and, usually, you make a more accurate decision.

Your gut contains 100 million neurotransmitters — the same number
as in your brain. The gut is more responsible than you may have
ever guessed for your mental wellbeing, AND how you feel physically.

The enteric nervous system appears to mirror the central nervous
system. It produces many of the same chemicals that affect your
feelings of energy and wellbeing.

For many years, it was thought that the ENS was part of the
parasympathetic nervous system. In recent years, scientists have
determined that it acts independently.

But the two appear to be interlinked. And one of the ways you can
positively affect the nervous system in your gut is through deep
breathing.

You’ve probably caught yourself sighing when you were frustrated
or feeling down about something. Most people see this as evidence
of depressing feelings.

It’s actually your body’s effort to break out of feelings of
depression or frustration. The sigh involves a deeper inhalation
and exhalation than normal. It involves a physical release through
the breath, that actually enables a release of feelings as well.

In other words, it’s your body’s instinctive effort to help you
feel better.

You can make use of this instinctive mechanism and interplay
between your “second brain” and your parasympathetic nervous
system.

For example, if you are facing a daunting task, whether it’s
delivering bad news, or getting started on a major project that
will involve a lot of work, or perhaps trying to maintain patience
when your kids are misbehaving…

Take a deep breath and then let it release. In through your nose,
out through your mouth, like a sigh. Do this once or twice more.

You will immediately sense a change in how your gut feels. It’s
almost like a release of tension.

If you are experiencing anxiety, or high blood pressure, or pain,
try the same thing. Perform several “synthetic sighs”.

Breathing exercises, like the ones in the Secret Power of Dynamic
Energy Exercise Course, Volume 1: Invigorate and Rejuvenate,
also help you release and relax.

In just a few moments of coordinate breathing and moving, you
will enjoy a release of tension, tightness and negative
feelings. You’ll able to focus and move forward in a more
relaxed — and effective — manner.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

A Jolt of Confidence

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How do you typically make important decisions?

Answer: Not in your brain, at least not at first.

You first make decisions in your gut. Then you analyze your
decision in your mind, in order to rationalize it, work out the
details, and so forth.

I’m sure you are aware of the sensations you feel in the area
around your solar plexus — sensations that radiate up into your
heart and down into your stomach. We often “feel” things in this
area — whether related to physical pain, or mental anguish, or
something new and unexpected — before we actually process them
in our brain.

We actually describe this with phrases like, “It felt like a kick
to the gut”, or “I felt it in the pit of my stomach”, or “I had a
gut instinct”.

Do you know why?

It’s because there is an entire nervous system in your gut.

There are nearly 100 million nerve cells in your gut – about the
same number as in the spinal cord.

Half of your body’s nerves are located in the gut. Your capacity
for feeling and for emotional expression depends primarily on the
gut, and to a lesser extent on your brain.

The gut is more responsible than you may have ever guessed for your
mental wellbeing, AND how you feel physically.

This is important from a health point of view for a variety of
reasons. I’ll discuss a few specific ones in a future tip.

For today, let me say that the importance of the gut and of our
feelings about things is one of the reasons that I don’t just
write tips on “do this”, “don’t do that”, or “try this”.

I’ve learned from coaching, training and managing people that it’s
often the way they feel about themselves, and what they are doing
or trying to do, that has the most impact on their ultimate success.

When you set a goal of improving your health, or losing weight,
or learning a new language, or relating better to your kids….much
of your ultimate success will be predicated on how you FEEL about
the goal, as well as the activity required to achieve the goal.

If your gut tells you that the goal is challenging, but achievable,
and if you FEEL enthusiasm for the goal, and for (at least most of)
the actions you will be taking to reach it — well, you’re a step
ahead of most people.

The confidence and enthusiasm you need can come from all sorts of
places.

Here’s an example that is close to my heart:

I’m fortunate to be in a loving and committed partnership and
romance with the love of my life. BUt, when my son was a baby, I
was a single mom, doing it all by myself.

I had tremendous support from family and friends. But sometimes,
being a new mom can be quite daunting, especially if you’re the
only one there 24/7/365.

I recall my first mother’s day as a new mom. My son was not feeling
well and had awakened a couple of times the night before.I woke up
exhausted, and feeling like perhaps I had bitten off more than
I could chew in deciding to become a mother. 

Well, I decided to go out on the front porch to get some fresh air,
do some deep breathing and try to wake up. As I stepped out the
front door, I noticed a gift bag on the porch.

Inside was a gift and a card. My next door neighbors had placed it
there so I would have it first thing. They wrote the card as if
it was from my son.

As I read the card, and thought about how kind and gracious they
were to do this thing, I felt a jolf of confidence surging through
me. All the exhaustion and self-questioning were washed away. In
their place was a new feeling I can only describe as courage: the
courage to be the best possible mom I could be and to provide well
for my son.

I hope these messages I send you sometimes provide you with a
“jolt” (either major or minor) that gives you the courage to take
the first step, or the next step, or the step after that, towards
improved health and fitness. Nothing gives me greater pleasure
than hearing from someone who has put to use and benefited from
something I have shared with or taught them.

You Can Do It!

Karen
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Here’s a Simple But Powerful Type of Breathing

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In today’s tip I will share with you a very simple but powerful
type of breathing which is wonderful for detoxifying the body,
clearing out your lungs, and making your breathing easier. 

Before we get started….

Did you know that each of your lungs is about the size of a
football. Or about the size of your hand, if you hold your hand
open. Because of the rich branching pattern inside, they have the
surface area of an entire football field! And they transfer oxygen
into your body, and wastes out of your body, with amazing
efficiency.

This is one reason why learning how to cultivate your breath can
be such a worthwhile endeavor. Just a small, incremental improvement
in your breathing can have tremendous results in terms of your
energy, mood and health!

So here we go. This exercise called the Cleansing Breath.

Actually, there are several breathing techniques or methods that
are referred to as “Cleansing Breath”. This is just one of them.
But I like this one the best. It’s  an adaptation of an exercise
I teach in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course,
Volume II: The Dynamic Energy Routine.

Here’s how you do it:

(1) Inhale a full, deep breath through your nose;

(2) Retain the air for a few seconds;

(3) Pucker up your lips as if for a whistle; then exhale a little
air through the opening. You should exhale sharply, with plenty
of vigor.

(4) Stop for a few seconds, holding your breath. Then exhale a
little more air. Repeat until you have exhaled all the air you
were holding.

Breathing in this way for only two to three cycles can really
refresh and invigorate you. Use it anytime you are feeling
lethargic or a bit under the weather.

It’s also a wonderful detoxifier — not just physically, but
emotionally and mentally as well.

Next time you are upset at someone or something, try three to
five repetitions of this exercise. You are literally “blowing
off some steam” when you do it.

I wager you’ll feel much better and will be able to move on
with your day without the emotional distraction or baggage.

One important point: this is a tough technique to do when you
are exercising. However, the same basic approach can be used
to help you recover and replenish your energy during physical
activity.

Simply blow out more of your air in the first, sharp exhalation.

In other words, inhale through your nose, then blow out the
air through your pursed (or puckered) lips, kind of like you
are trying to blow up a balloon.

Make sure your exhale is short and sharp. Don’t worry about
exhaling all the air. In fact, when you are exercising, it is
better to retain some measure of air in your lungs.

Think of it as cycling through inhalations and exhalations,
while always keeping a reserve.

If you are getting excessively short of breath or fatigued when
exercising, try this “sharp exhale” version of the cleansing
breath. It really helps you regain control over your breathing,
so you can continue with your activity.

Have a great weekend, my friend!

You Can Do It!

Karen
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com/

P.S. If you are interested in breathing more fully and
effortlessly…in building up your lungs and stamina…naturally
strengthening your internal organs and hyper-charging your
immune system…then you will want to check out the Secret Power
of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume II: The Dynamic Energy
Routine. This program can have a transformative effect on your
breathing and overall health and energy. Yet it’s easy to learn a
nd do on a regular basis.

For more details, head over to the Best Breathing Exercises website.

 
Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Carpe Diem

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Spring isn’t quite sprung yet…but it’s beginning to emerge.

The longer days, the increased energy and warmth from the sun as
it tracks higher and higher across the sky, the first green shoots
from dormant plants and trees….provide us with that sense of
anticipation of good things to come.

This morning, after I did my breathing and energy exercises
outdoors in the fresh air and early morning sunshine, I found
myself thinking about a common and frequent cycle in our lives:
that of renewal or recovery from some failure, circumstance, or
lack of action on our part.

I’m sure you have had the experience of starting some project, or
setting some goal for yourself. You start off very enthusiastic
and committed to taking action.

After awhile, you may lose steam. You become less enthusiastic, or
an event or series of events throw you off course. You begin to
drift and not apply much, if any, energy to your goal or project.

You may get angry with yourself. You may feel sick and tired of
your present condition.

So you start anew. And you begin again with positive expectations
and enthusiasm.

Even if you’ve experienced this start – stop – start cycle, over
and over again, don’t give up hope. Don’t stop beginning again.

There’s no law or unwritten rule that says you can only try
something so many times, then you have to stop. You can try as
many times as you want, or need, to attain success.

I think this is an important message right about this time of
year, when your enhthusiasm and follow through on your important
goals may be waning a bit.

Several weeks ago, my son Miguel and I watched a documentary on
the great football coach, Vince Lombardi. We’ve all heard or read
so many Lombardi quotes over the years. But there was one moment
in the  program that I found fascinating.

After a stunning defeat, when the Packers lost a Super Bowl game
they were favored to dominate, Lombardi responded to reporters’
requests for a comment by saying, “We didn’t get beat. We just
ran out of time.”

Don’t let your enthusiasm wane either.

As you start toward your goal again, you may be saying the right
things and doing the right things. But, in the back of your mind,
a little voice may be saying, “Here we go again. We feel great
about this new beginning, but just wait a little while. This too
will fizzle out.” I know all about it, because I’ve heard this
voice of doubt from time to time.

Here’s my advice: ignore that voice.

Enjoy your new beginning. Allow yourself to be enthusiastic about
this fresh start. Because who knows, this time it may “stick”.

My high school class motto was, “Today is the first day of the
rest of your life.” It’s a well-known quote. I always thought it
was a little corny, but…I remembered it all these years, so it
must have resonated somewhere in my psyche.

One of my friends has modified it to, “Today could be the LAST
day of the rest of your life.” He claims he is not being cynical.
Rather, he is emphasizing the “Carpe Diem” – Seize the Day –
message within the quote.

Each day can be a day of renewal. So seize it with enthusiasm
and gusto. Enjoy your “fresh start”.

You Can Do It!

Karen
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If you’re looking for a fresh start in your quest to get
in shape or improve your health, and you’re ready to leave behind
the frustration of unsatisfactory results…then try the Secret
Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, volume 2: The Dynamic
Energy Routine. By following each section of the course, one at
a time, you will experience an amazing renewal of energy, stamina
and health. Claim your copy today at Best Breathing Exercises.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Attitude Breathing

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It’s amazing to me the amount of research that is now being done
on the connection between body, mind and emotions.

The connection is indisputable. Many medical doctors and scientists
have embraced it and try to leverage it in their treatment of
patients.

Tuning in to this connection can help you enhance your health,
overcome specific illness — and help you improve the way you go
through life.

In particular, a lot of research has been done in the area of
managing stress. Herbert Benson, M.D., of Harvard Medical School,
popularized this area with his book, “The Relaxation Response”.
He and his team proved the effects that relaxation techniques,
including deep breathing, meditation and a positive outlook,
can have on patient outcomes and health.

Subsequently, Dr. Benson performed follow-up research that lead
to his book, “The Breakout Principle”. Here, he demonstrated how
the same principles and techniques can help each of us relax and
think more clearly as we handle the stresses and challenges of
each day. This, in turn, can help us perform at a higher level
and get into the “flow” of whatever activity we are doing.

You recognize the flow when it happens — although you are not
aware you are in it until afterwards.

Have you ever spent hours immersed in some activity, only to look
up at the clock and be surprised at how much time has passed? You
were experiencing the flow.

Sometimes it’s difficult to get into the flow. If you have a
gazillion things going on, or are pressed for time, you may feel
blocked. You may be unable to relax sufficiently. Or you may be
draining your own energy by allowing negative thoughts or emotions
to take roost in your brain.

These feelings can be especially cumbersome when you are at work,
perhaps facing a stressful meeting, discussion or situation. Or,
maybe you are having trouble getting your kids to comply with
a request.

No matter what the situation, to “unblock” yourself and handle
the stress of the moment, I recommend you try a technique called
“Attitude Breathing”.

This specific technique was developed by the Institute of Heart
Math, which studies body-mind-emotional connections.

It’s easy to do.

(1) Focus on a person or situation for which you are really
grateful. Cultivate a feeling of gratitude as you slowly relax
and soften your breathing.

(2) Next, shift your attention to your heart and solar plexus
area. Acknowledge what you are feeling. Ask yourself which
feeling or attitude you could substitute that would be more
constructive in the current situation.

For example, you might tell yourself to “stay calm”, “stay
neutral”, “get all the facts before I go off”, etc.

(3) Pretend to feel and breathe this new, more constructive
attitude in through your heart. Breathe it out through your
solar plexus and stomach to “anchor” it. Continue to breathe in
this way until you feel like the new attitude has settled in to
your solar plexus and heart.

This simple but powerful technique helps you anchor your inner
power and calm, and bring your thoughts and emotions back into
balance.

It’s great to do first thing in the morning, or any time you
are feeling stressed, anxious, or overly emotional.

You Can Do It!

Karen
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If you have an interest in discovering even more highly
effective breathing and visualization techniques, consider
the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 1:
Invigorate & Rejuvenate. In the course, I guide you through
breathing exercises which help you instantly relax and tranform
stress…and have you feeling in control within minutes. claim
your copy today at the Best Breathing Exercises website.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011