Breathe Your Way To Better Health

Most people are familiar with the hatha yoga, another of the eight limbs, but few are familair with the other seven. Pranayama, life force or breathing exercises, is one of the lesser-known elements of Patangali's eight limbs of yoga. Dr. Andrew Wiel, the well-know holistic MD recently stated that 4-7-8 breathing was most powerful health recomendation. Here is how to do it:

1. First, remember the numbers 4, 7 and 8. It’s not important to focus on how much time you spend in each phase of the breathing activity, but rather that you get the ratio correct.
2. Sit up straight.
3. Place the tip of your tongue up against the back of your front teeth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process. Note, this is done to connect the energetic circuits (nadis in Ayurveda or meridians in TCM) that run up the front and the back your body.
4. Breathe in silently through your nose to the count of four.
5. Hold your breath to the count of seven.
6. Exhale through your mouth to the count of eight, making an audible “woosh” sound.
7. That completes one full breath. Repeat the cycle another three times, for a total of four breaths

You can do this exercise as often over the course of a day as you want, however, it is recommended you don’t do more than four full breath cycles at a time during the first month or so of practice. Later you may work your way up to eight full breath cycles at a time.

This is a wonderful way to reduce stress. Breathing mindfully can modify and accelerate your body's inherent self-regulating physiological and bioenergetic mechanisms. These changes result because you are oxygenating your body properly and correcting your internal and energetic balance. This has a direct positive effect your nervous system. Finally, this affects your entire body and its countless cellular functions, including all of your subtle energy systems.