Breath – the source of Well-being
Efficient breathing and nutritional meals are essential to living. It is, however, of vital importance to understand that proper breathing is only possible with good posture, and food is much better digested with healthy breathing habits. For more information on this please refer to my book Five Keys to Well-being.
● Breathing provides direct access to the life force that animates life
Breathing is the primary sign life. Without it the heartbeat soon stops. Respiration is an intrinsic aspect of all metabolic function, from digestion to detoxification possible. To breathe effectively requires an upright and relaxed posture, and firm core muscles. Optimal posture requires mobility. Therefore efficient movement exercises, based on effective breathing, is essential for a holistic well-being program.
● Breathing has an immediate effect on the body and mind
The “breath action” optimises the respiratory function, to improve oxygenation, and help deliver peak performance by regulating mood, focus and concentration.Effective breathing is vital for robust well-being because it offers instant stress management, and provides rapid boost to creative, cognitive and physical tasking.
PS. All breathing functions are enhanced by healthy, fresh and nutritionally balanced meals, that exclude processed foods. Food, however, takes time to digest, for its nutrients and energy to be extracted. But nutrition is also key to optimize the “body and mind”, or breathing mechanism, of “the breather”.
Instruct to Inspire Videos
Awareness and understanding of breath plays a vital role in mindfulness based programs for well-being. My 12 Video series supports my Five Keys to Well-being program. They are also essential for any yoga practice to be effective. The practices are based on full trunk, ujia breathing, and equally important for beginner and advanced practices. They are the basis for all pranayama (yoga breathing) an effective mindfulness program in its own right. All sustainable primary healthcare lifestyle for health as wealth should include these.
How to use these videos. Please learn the 12 videos sequentially from Part 1. Commit to a 2 week time frame of studying 1 – 2 videos, for a few minutes per day. Learn one, two or maximum three breaths per day, while watching the video. Take a few minutes to imitate each video. See if you can duplicate the breath while driving, or at a meeting, when going for a walk or at home, at dinner watching t.v. Once you have practiced all 12 videos, start again with the first one, and repeat the same system.
The full trunk way of breathing is a vital life skill. it supports your BodyMind with detoxification, energy uptake and focus, for vitality of all body functions from digestive to cardio-vascular to the nervous system.
Powerully maintain mental and physiological well-being with 3 X full trunk, whole body breaths, upon waking in the morning, at intervals at work, driving home from work, and on arrival at home.
Mindful awareness of upright, relaxed posture is essential to effective breathing and an effective mindfulness practice. This 30 second video shows how to sit with ease at work, or anywhere, and release stress on a sigh (mouth) exhale.
Build core strenght with effectively executed side stretches with effective full trunk breathing, into the side stretch, up out of the side stretches, and with a centring, upright full trunk abdominally powered . All breaths, particularly the exhales through the nose.
The Full Trunk Breath brings energy directly into the BodyMind, to replenish its Life Force that is depleted with constant doing and outwards directed action. Drawing ones attention within, with the breath, and holding the nourishing energy to be readily absorbed effectively stems the outflow of energy. When practiced regularly the full trunk breath rejuvenates the bodymind from inside out for a sustainable well-being support.
Whole body mobility in conjunction with core strength during full trunk breath/side stretch exercises boosts health of the lungs and heart, the midriff organs (liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys etc) and abdominal organs, especially the digestive system. The spine is conditioned and resulting strong core muscle groups better support the back.
A slow, deep, Full Trunk Breath opens the body and mind to more, and extended contact with the Life Force Energy present in the atmosphere. Simultaneously with deep, slow breathing there is greater contact with the old energy to be exhaled, which improves detoxification.
An accentuated Full Trunk exhale powerfully stimulates abdominal health with its massaging effect. It also strenghtens the core muscles to effectively shape the body and stabilize sitting positions, and supports the back for more physically demanding activities.
Internalising a slow, deep full trunk breath is an advanced breath energy absorbtion practice. It is at once energising, and calming as it slows down all doing in the BodyMind. When there is no business, or spending of energy, the system, filled with life force, effectively recharges on the inhale, and discharges toxicities on a sigh exhale through the mouth.
Regular full trunk breaths in an upright seated position, at work, driving, or anywhere casual, create a relaxed, graceful potural habit. In relaxed upridgthness three powerfull nostril exhalations, with strong abdominal muscle force in the direction of the spine, stimulate vigour of all systems. The immediated combined effect is a calm focussed mind, and in the long term, you will look as good as your inner sense of well-being feels.
A slow side stretch movement with a strong breath combination delivers otpimzed, next level practice of all the previous sequences. When the skills of the previous videos are mastered, do a set of three side stretches, with nostril exhales, and conclude with an upright, centring and calm breath to detox and de-stress on the exhale. Slower is for Mindfulness, faster (Video 12) is for a Power Up. Add additional inhale with abdominal exhale/lift (Video 8), and/or held breath, or more.
A dynamic side stretch movement with a strong breath combination delivers otpimzed, next level practice of all the previous sequences. When the skills of the previous videos are mastered, do a set of three side stretches, with nostril in and exhales. Conclude with an upright, centring and calm nostril breath for a clear mind. Hold the breath to absorb Life Force, exhale through mouth to release stress and toxicity. Add additional inhale with abdominal exhale/lift (Video 8), and/or held breath, or more.
Keep on breathing!
More videos to be uploaded.
This video series was created to synergise with a nutrition challenge program
I recently partnered in an exciting new adventure in support of a plant based diet routine. See the lifestyle nutrition page for the Raw & Roots Wellness Challenge. I deliver a simple breath and stretch practice, of a few minutes a day, for a personally actionable well-being routine.
Breathe at the workplace
Please contact me with any enquiries.
Johann,
27 November 2018,
Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town.
