TAKE A DEEP BREATH & SOAR TO YOUR FULL POTENTIAL

TAKE A DEEP BREATH & SOAR TO YOUR FULL POTENTIAL

The momentous importance of deep conscious breathing

 

 John Douillard, author of ‘Body Mind Sport’

“To experience the zone in training is our birthright, and it is within the design of our human nervous system to access it. To push ourselves to exhaustion when we have the capacity to allow effortless, perfect performance to flow naturally, from the inside out, seems somehow primitive and a waste of time. I have never heard of a peak experience that was described as painful, grueling or exhausting. Rather, the descriptions always fit the original definition of exercise: rejuvenating, stress-reliving and accessing full human potential.”

It will come as no surprise that many of us are either, over tiered, over stressed, over extended and/or overwhelmed within our lives.  This constant ‘state of being’ coincidently leaves our bodies in a regular stress state response: fight or flight.  Unfortunately, there is not a great deal we can do to counter the outside circumstance of our lives (as nice as it would be to leave our jobs and have the ability to go sit on a sunny beach for months on end…It is not very realistic…but worth trying to manifest ;D), so the work of countering our bodies fight or flights responses is up to our own selves to manage. On a very basic level, fuller deeper breathing is useful for producing calm and resisting our bodies physiological responses to stress. Deep conscious breathing stimulates the lower lungs to distribute greater amounts of oxygen throughout the body. The lower lungs are rich with the parasympathetic nerve receptors associated with calming the body and mind. Unconsciously, most of us do not take these deep breaths throughout our days and rely on short upper lung breathing (chest and mouth breathing…or if you are like me, you unconsciously hold your breath for short periods of time). To the body, these short breaths are sensed by the body as a mild form of hyperventilation and will trigger our sympathetic nerve receptors, which results in the fight our flight stress reaction.

To give greater emphasis to the enormous health benefits of deep breathing, in 1931 the Nobel Prize was given out for determining that only oxygen-starved cells will mutate and become…cancer! This is mind blowing considering, according to experts, most people only breath 10-20 percent of their full capacity. Plainly put, oxygen is our main source of life and exhalation is the main way our body regularly expel toxins. Not taking deeply focused breaths can contribute to a multitude of health problems and gravely decrease energy levels in the body.   

We all want long term health that subsequently fits in our daily lives. For centuries, yogis have put a great deal of focus on deeply focus conscious breathing. This is because, and modern science agrees, conscious deep breathing is a central function in improving, maintaining and repairing unconsciously run and harmful systems of the body. Imagine, if you will, a record being played on an old rusted record player. One scratch from the rusted record player will not affect the entire record, but if the record is continuously played on the same old rusted record player and is continually being scratched over a period of time, eventually the record will be so scratched up it will be impossible to listen to its melodies and eventually find its way to the garbage. Unconscious breathing will certainly occur throughout our lives but the danger is having that breathing system be our reliable source of breath and doing so over a long period of time; eventually leading to a multitude of health risks. 

Through the work of deep breathing our whole body will become healthy, deeply nourished, aligned and calm. In this state, the whole body can soar to its truest and fullest potential.

Deep Breathing: Exercise 1

1. Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position.

2. Put one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.

3. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move.

4. Breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to push all the air out.

5. Do this breathing 3 to 10 times. Take your time with each breath.

6. Notice how you feel at the end of the exercise

Deep Breating: Exercise 2 (advanced)

To start, put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest as in the above exercise.

1. Take a deep, slow breath from your belly, and silently count to 4 as you breathe in.

2. Hold your breath, and silently count from 1 to 7.

3. Breathe out completely as you silently count from 1 to 8. Try to get all the air out of your lungs by the time you count to 8.

4. Repeat 3 to 7 times or until you feel calm.

5. Notice how you feel at the end of the exercise

Addition Benefits: 

·  The lungs actually extract oxygen from the air during exhalation, in addition to inhalation. Because the nostrils are smaller than the mouth, air exhaled through the nose creates a back flow of air (and oxygen) into the lungs. And because we exhale more slowly through the nose than we do though the mouth, the lungs have more time to extract oxygen from the air we’ve already taken in.

·  When there is proper oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange during respiration, the blood will maintain a balanced pH. If carbon dioxide is lost too quickly, as in mouth breathing, oxygen absorption is decreased, which can result in dizziness or even fainting.

·  Air that we inhale through the nose passes through the nasal mucosa, which stimulates the reflex nerves that control breathing. Mouth breathing bypasses the nasal mucosa and makes regular breathing difficult, which can lead to snoring, breath irregularities and sleep apnea.

·  Breathing through the nose forces us to slow down until proper breath is trained; therefore, proper nose breathing reduces hypertension and stress.  It also helps prevent us from overexerting ourselves during a workoout.

·  Our nostrils and sinuses filter and warm/cool air as it enters our bodies.

·  Our sinuses produce nitric oxide, which, when carried into the body through the breath, combats harmful bacteria and viruses in our bodies, regulates blood pressure and boosts the immune system.

·  Mouth breathing accelerates water loss, contributing to dehydration.

·  The nose houses olfactory bulbs, which are direct extensions of part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is responsible for many functions in our bodies, particularly those that are automatic, such as heartbeat, blood pressure, thirst, appetite and sleep cycles. The hypothalamus is also responsible for generating chemicals that influence memory and emotion.

·  The increased oxygen we get through nasal breath increase energy and vitality

Torus Health: What is the Torus?

Dear Torus Health & Yoga:

What is the Torus & how does it contribute to my Health & Healing?

Torus Health is a business community committed to health and healing, but perhaps not in a typical function. Our healing models and programs are built around new age philosophies and findings to aid each of us take conscious responsibility for our own healing, health and sensational present and future selves. 

One facet of these philosophies is through the use of a combination of physical, mental and emotional works aiding in energy alignment and the strengthening of the Torus energetic field. 

Full stop! 

What is that, that sounds fluffy and what does that have to do with yoga? 

I hear you. Much of what I will discuss in this blog may sound a bit “fluffy” but stay with me. I will do my best to explain, inspire and will leave you with a couple short mediations to try at home. 

Of course, the practice of yoga provides physical health benefits (trust me, the first time I was able to successfully put myself into an inversion gave me the best feeling of physical aptitude!) but the practice of yoga goes far beyond the physical. The word Yoga in Sanskrit means Union and is defined as “the cessation of the modification of the mind”. This “modification of the mind” is achieved through the physical postures along with the integration of disciplined breath control and simple focused meditation. Harnessing these three entities at once helps provide a greater connection to your whole self. Often the great surprise experienced when practicing yoga, is not that an increase in strength or endurance are the leading factors to the inevitable achievement of complex physical postures and flexibility but it is largely due to mentally aligning your body and mind to focus on the present moment and maintain cohesive and constant breath works. With these key elements at play, your mind ignites and takes your body to new heights.  As the mind and body improve, so does your emotional welfare and your inner energies start to align inducing the Torus the take shape and strengthen. Imagine the Torus as an invisible shield surrounding your entire body, fueled with nothing but fulfilling and heightened positive energies protecting you from the negative and depleting energies of this world.

Full stop! 

Even if this concept sounds fluffy to you, the allusion of an invisible bubble of joy surrounding and protecting your body must bring some element of pleasure. 

So read on… 

In a very basic scientific sense, through mediation, breath work and the motion of the yogic postures, you are moving the cerebral fluid in your central nervous system (your lower energy centers often referred to as your root, sacral, solar plexus chakras) up the spin to your brain. These actions give your over worked, over stressed, over tiered brain a rush of fresh fluid to nourish itself and calm.  Once this stored energy is dislodged by the acceleration of the cerebrospinal fluid up the spine, it will draw the stored energy from the first three centers back to the brain. Once there is a current flowing from the base of the spine all the way to the brain, the body becomes like a magnet and an invisible three dimensional electromagnetic energy field is created around the body; the Torus (torsion field). 

Try This Meditation Practice for Starters: 

1) Sitting cross-legged (or how is most comfortable) on the floor or chair. Make yourself comfortable! If you require pillows or other accessories to sit upright comfortably, do so. 

2) Take a moment to place your attention on the top of your head, as if to say, “this is where I want my energy to flow”

3) Take one slow steady breath through your nose and at the same time, squeezing and holding the muscles of the perineum (area between the anus and the scrotum or vulva) 

4) Imagine as you inhale through your nose that the air is breathing up your spine, through your chest, your throat, and your brain, all the way up to the top of your head. 

5) Hold the breath here for 5 seconds while squeezing your perineum and then exhale out your nose. 

Again…adding some more steps 

6) Take one slow steady breath through your nose and at the same time squeezing and holding the muscles of your perineum, then those of your lower abdomen and then those of your upper abdomen. 

7) Imagine as you inhale through your nose that the air is breathing up your spine, through your chest, your throat, and your brain, all the way up to the top of your head. 

8) Hold the breath here for 5 seconds while squeezing your perineum and then exhale out your nose. 

This breathing exercise is one of many that helps to activate blocked energy through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and helps elevate this energy to the brain.  As Dr Joe Dispenza puts it, “It is as if the traveling energy from the lower centers is ejaculated in to the brain”. 

Much of our vital energy becomes stuck within the first three centers because they are, as many would refer to them as, the “feel good centers” or “survival centers”. However, the more energy we draw from these centers the more energy we pull from the invisible field of energy around our body (ding! Ding! Ding! Yes! The Torus). By initiating all of our energy centers (FYI: there are 8 energy centers…ideal we want to be using all 8 and not only the first 3) our entire bodies become engaged, aware and fully conscious. For some, however, the concept of living with elevated emotions such as, compassion, love and gratitude is a scary concept as we all have fallen victim at one point or another to leaning on our anger, resentments, jealousy, competitiveness, or as I personally resorted to at a point in my life; complete numbness.

All though the ignition of your energies is a great big step forward in the right direction, the next step for many can be the most difficult. That is what Torus Health is here for, to help you every step of the way as you commit yourself to reconditioning the body to a new mind; a state were you can allow yourself to live in a state of elevated emotions as your body is lifted to a new state of elevated consciousness. 

Just Imagine…

How would you live from this state of being? 

What behaviors would you potentially demonstrate from this state of being? 

How would it feel to be healed and to be free; to believe in yourself? 

Try this meditation twice a day: 

Morning: before getting out of bed

Evening: before falling asleep 

Place your left hand over your chest in your heart center. Out loud or in your head say: 

~ I Bless my future – that it never be my past 

~ I Bless my past – that it turns to wisdom

~ I Bless the adversity in my life – that it initiates me into greatness & that I see the hidden meaning behind all things 

~ I Bless my soul – that it wakes me up from this dream 

~ I Bless the divine within me – that it moves me, that it moves through me, that it moves all around me, that it shows cause in my life 

~ I give thanks for my new life before it is made manifest  

Visualize and feel these emotions.  

Memorize this feeling. 

Namaste 

How Yoga Can Change Your Body Shape

How Yoga Can Shape Your Body

The body shape of a yogi is different from person to person. Some practice yoga for the fitness and flexibility aspect, while other practice yoga, such as Kundalini Yoga, for the mental and spiritual benefits. The wonderful feature of Yoga as a whole, is it truly is a practice where you can achieve optimal union of Mind, Body and Soul. 

As many gym goers may have already realized, though you may garner great muscle gains, the key "troublesome" areas (ie) triceps, midsection, hips and buttock tend to take a great deal of time to see results and then that much more energy to maintain. Additionally, the physical exertion of weightlifting and cardio intensive workouts can actual cause more damage to the body then benefits. Many of us already live highly stressful lives, triggering an increase of adrenaline & cortisol released into our bodies. These releases trigger a daily elevation in blood pressure and heart rate, thus, stacking on high intensity work outs (triggering more cortisol and adrenaline released to the heart and circulatory system), although they are famous for some, often cause more damage by depleting an already stressed and, for lack of a better term, "tightly wound" body. 

The Answer? YOGA! The practice of yoga has everything to do with filling an individual up with whatever their mind, bodies and souls require to ensure optimal full body functionality throughout their daily lives. 

Here are some reasons HOW Yoga helps achieve full body health and your optimal body shape: 

1) Improves Balance

2) Improves Posture

3) Improves Breathing: Lungs begin to function at full capacity aiding in heightened muscle rejuvenation and mental awareness 

4) Easily Maintain Weight Without Dieting 

5) Improve Flexibility to the nth degree 

6) Firms & Tones every muscle from head to your tippy toes

7) Improves Self Esteem and Body Image 

Mental Health: 

Torus Health & Yoga is a firm believer that once mental barriers are broken through, the results that will follow physically can be life altering. This is because Yoga instructs your mind and body to be in a state of peace, centeredness and present throughout your practice. This mental and bodily state allow for your heart rate, hormones and other bodily systems to calm and regulate themselves naturally. As your body learns to natural align itself in a state of peaceful calm it will gradually learn to move and progress in ways that will leave you with such overwhelming gratitude. You will learn to truly trust your intuition and allow yourself to expand past lifelong mental blocks and physical limitations. 

Please stay connected as TORUS HEALTH & YOGA will soon have updates on upcoming workshops and retreats. 

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Tracking to Optimize Your Overall Wellbeing

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to Increase Physiological Coherence & Wellbeing

The use of new technologies such as OURA and  HEART MATH are fundamental in understanding and tracking your Heart Rate Variability. These and other new devices are coming to the market to help individuals personalize their health management practices. 

Tracking your HRV is a useful indicator for several health related reasons that have been used by researches & physiologist for decades.  Understanding how to optimize your recovery and personal readiness by tracking your HVR will help improve your emotional well being as you learn how to change your heart rhythm pattern to create physiological coherence. 

How does it work? 

The heart beat contains healthy irregularities. These are variations among the intervals between your heartbeats. HVR measures the intervals between each heartbeat (R-R intervals).  

NOTE: Heart Rate Low = HRV is High as it indicates longer inter-beat intervals 

HVR can be traced back to our intrinsic/autonomic heart rate (base-line), comprised of our parasympathetic (rest) & sympathetic (activation) systems. The parasympathetic system has a lower heart rate, giving more room for variability between successive heartbeats. The sympathetic system has a elevated heart rate from the intrinsic level and thus, there is less room for variability between successive heart beats. 

Thus, measuring HVR reactions is a particularly sensitive tool that can give individuals greater insight into your your overall wellbeing and facilitates in the bodies natural regenerative processes. 

Steps to a healthy HRV: 

1) Breath Work: practice different breathing techniques that help regulate your breath and thus slow your heart rate (ie) pranayama breathing, heart lock techniques. 

For example: place your finger on your neck or wrist and find your pulse. You will feel the longest interval between pulses take place when you exhale and the shortest intervals between pulses when you inhale. 

2) Discover your baseline and use this as your starting point 

3) Measure from your baseline if your HRV goes up (heart rate lowers) or if your HRV goes down (heart rate speeds up). An increase in HRV can indicate that something is doing good for your mind and body, however, if your HRV lowers this is an indication that something may be burdening your mind and body. 

4) Regular practice will help restore low HRV to a healthy level. It is recommended to take 5 minutes 3-4 times a day and measure yourself accordingly. (Note: this is an excellent tool to use while meditating) 

Take your personalize wellbeing survey, and discover how HRV can benefit you.