The Giant Oak Speaks Wisdom: Listen With Your Ears and Heart. Marti Eicholz

elastic properties of your lungs and chest.

      •The strength of the muscles of your lungs and chest.

      •The strength of your abdominal muscles-contraction of these muscles forces air out for full exhalation.

      •The quality of the air in your environment. The air quality in your home or office. How often you get out into the fresh air. Smoking, of course, whether active or passive.

      •The strength of your heart muscle which transports oxygen throughout your body.

      •The level of hemoglobin in your blood. Anemia or iron-poor blood can compromise the ability of your blood to carry oxygen.

      Stepping up to control your breathing

      1.Explore Yoga. Yoga works to condition the body, making it supple, flexible and healthy. Yoga also encourages deep breathing. Yoga breathing can help to relieve headaches, tension and insomnia.

      2.Take a few moments to do a breathing exercise that will show you how to utilize your lungs fully.

      Complete Breath Exercise:

      Sit in a comfortable position, cross-legged on the floor if possible. During this exercise, you will be inhaling very slowly, so try to stay relaxed.

      •First, take a deeper-than-normal breath.

      •Hold it a moment.

      •And then exhale very deeply so that your lungs are emptied of air. To help expel the air, pull in your abdomen as far as possible.

      •Now begin a very slow inhalation through your nose. As you inhale, also begin to distend your abdomen.

      •Continue slow inhalation. Now distend your abdomen as far as possible. Exaggerate this movement, making your abdomen as large as you can.

      •Continue the slow inhalation. Now expand your chest as far as possible. Make this expansion exaggerated.

      •Continue inhaling keeping your chest expanded and now raise your shoulders to let in even more air. This is the complete breathing posture. Now hold for a count of 5.

      •Very slowly exhale completely through your nose, and at the same time, allow your body to contract and relax.

      •Let your shoulders drop.

      •Let your chest flatten.

      •Let your stomach empty.

      •Then slowly, start all over again…

      When you do this exercise, do three complete inhalations and exhalations in a row. The goal is to learn how to refine your breathing process. You can do this whenever you want, making your breaths slow and regular so, your vital life energy reaches all levels of your body and mind. This contributes to a complete state of balance.

      Relaxation

      Relaxation techniques can lower your breathing rate and decrease levels of lactate, a chemical that is associated with muscle tension. Total relaxation also makes the body less responsive to the stress hormone, adrenaline—this is exactly what the leading prescriptions that lower blood pressure do.

      Stepping up to control your relaxation technique

      •Try tense and release. Tightening the muscles in the body and then releasing them helps the body to relax.

      •Try conscious breathing and meditation. When you are relaxed, your breathing reflects an emotional calm and indicates a state where attention can be focused. Disruptions of breath generally are associated with emotional or mental disturbances. For example, the more stressed you feel, the more shallow your breathing becomes. Conscious breathing can relieve tension, quiet fear, and relieve pain.

      •Relax your facial muscles.

      •Recordings of a favorite song or sound and listening to it in a quiet place can help you relax, sometimes instantly.

      Professional Upkeep

      Listen carefully to the signals your body sends you. Don’t ignore them. Get medical attention if you need help. Don’t treat your body as if it’s unimportant and can get by on zero maintenance. If you have an unattended ailment, get it taken care of immediately. Treat your body like the treasure that it is, and it will be a faithful servant during your continued quest for a happy, harmonious and loving lifestyle.

      Some of you tend to fret over your health, and may be prone to schedule unnecessary visits to the doctor for professional reassurance. Some of you go to medical practitioners very matter-of-factly, to get business out of the way. Some of you make medical appointments because you enjoy the personal attention you get from a practitioner. Some of you avoid physicians because you think problems will go away on their own if you ignore them long enough. Use this knowledge to get rid of any roadblocks that are preventing you from making wise usage of available medical resources.

      Stepping up to control

      1.Write down any medical or dental issues that need attention.

      2.Get answers to physical conditions that are worrying or puzzling.

      3.Find a doctor, dentist, naturopath and/or chiropractor you can like and trust.

      4.Obtain good medical insurance

      5.Take sick days when you need them.

      6.Explore alternative therapies (reflexology, acupuncture, Reiki, etc.)