Breath Practice -- The Amazing Benefits of Breathing!

Breath Practice — The Amazing Benefits of Breathing!

by DrJahnke on August 11, 2016

BREATH PRACTICE — Breathing correctly is not only important for feeling better, living longer and disease prevention — it also to our mood and performing at our best. Ancient cultures were very focused on health sustainability and empowerment,. Pranayama from the Yoga and Ayurveda tradition and Qigong from tradition of traditional Chinese medicine are both very focused on the breath. Let’s look at the benefits of focused breath practice and deep breathing AND why you should make it part of your everyday living.

1. Breathing Detoxifies and Releases Toxins
Your body is designed to release 70% of its toxins through breathing. If you are not breathing effectively, you are not properly ridding your body of its toxins i.e. other systems in your body must work overtime which could eventually lead to illness. When you exhale air from your body you release carbon dioxide that has been passed through from your bloodstream into your lungs. Carbon dioxide is a natural waste of your body’s metabolism.

2. Breathing Releases Tension
Think how your body feels when you are tense, angry, scared or stressed. It constricts. Your muscles get tight and your breathing becomes shallow. When your breathing is shallow you are not getting the amount of oxygen that your body needs.

3. Breathing Relaxes the Mind/Body and Brings Clarity
Oxygenation of the brain reducing excessive anxiety levels. Paying attention to your breathing. Breathe slowly, deeply and purposefully into your body. Notice any places that are tight and breathe into them. As you relax your body, you may find that the breathing brings clarity and insights to you as well.

4. Breathing Relieves Emotional Problems
Breathing will help clear uneasy feelings out of your body.

5. Breathing Relieves Pain.
You may not realize its connection to how you think, feel and experience life. For example, what happens to your breathing when you anticipate pain? You probably hold your breath. Yet studies show that breathing into your pain helps to ease it.

6. Breathing Massages Your Organs
The movements of the diaphragm during the deep breathing exercise massages the stomach, small intestine, liver and pancreas. The upper movement of the diaphragm also massages the heart. When you inhale air your diaphragm descends and your abdomen will expand. By this action you massage vital organs and improves circulation in them. Controlled breathing also strengthens and tones your abdominal muscles.

7. Breathing Increases Muscle
Breathing is the oxygenation process to all of the cells in your body. With the supply of oxygen to the brain this increases the muscles in your body.

8. Breathing Strengthens the Immune System
Oxygen travels through your bloodstream by attaching to haemoglobin in your red blood cells. This in turn then enriches your body to metabolise nutrients and vitamins.

9. Breathing Improves Posture
Good breathing techniques over a sustained period of time will encourage good posture. Bad body posture will result of incorrect breathing so this is such an important process by getting your posture right from early on you will see great benefits.

10. Breathing Improves Quality of the Blood
Deep breathing removes all the carbon-dioxide and increases oxygen in the blood and thus increases blood quality.

11. Breathing Increases Digestion and Assimilation of food
The digestive organs such as the stomach receive more oxygen, and hence operates more efficiently. The digestion is further enhanced by the fact that the food is oxygenated more.
12. Breathing Improves the Nervous System
The brain, spinal cord and nerves receive increased oxygenation and are more nourished. This improves the health of the whole body, since the nervous system communicates to all parts of the body.

13. Breathing Strengthen the Lungs
As you breathe deeply the lung become healthy and powerful, a good insurance against respiratory problems.

14. Proper Breathing makes the Heart Stronger.
Breathing exercises reduce the workload on the heart in two ways. Firstly, deep breathing leads to more efficient lungs, which means more oxygen, is brought into contact with blood sent to the lungs by the heart. So, the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to deliver oxygen to the tissues. Secondly, deep breathing leads to a greater pressure differential in the lungs, which leads to an increase in the circulation, thus resting the heart a little.

15. Proper Breathing assists in Weight Control.
If you are overweight, the extra oxygen burns up the excess fat more efficiently. If you are underweight, the extra oxygen feeds the starving tissues and glands.
16. Breathing Boosts Energy levels and Improves Stamina

17. Breathing Improves Cellular Regeneration

18. Breathing Elevates Moods
Breathing increase pleasure-inducing neurochemicals in the brain to elevate moods and combat physical pain

http://IIQTC.org

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Your Body Has Miraculous Self-Healing Abilities

by DrJahnke on June 28, 2016

YOUR BODY, in cooperation with your mind and spirit, is marvelously blessed with miraculous self-healing abilities. The body is the temple of your life. Mind and spirit are the dwellers within the temple. Mind and spirit maintain the temple. Mind’s intelligence and spirit’s inspiration vitalize and quicken the body. The three together — body, mind and spirit — cooperate to produce the most profound medicine ever known in the history of the human race, right within you.

Any injury or illness is spontaneously cured when these naturally occurring self-healing resources are operating optimally. When you cut yourself, the wound heals automatically. When you have a sprain or bruise, it heals automatically. When you have a sprain or bruise, it heals automatically. When you have a broken bone, the physician must set the bone correctly, but then nature heals in spontaneously.

Science cannot explain much of what causes what we call healing. The “original cause” of healing, health, life itself, and the whole universe is unexplained. In ancient China this “original cause” is known as “mystery.”

With or without a physician, with or without medical intervention, the natural medicine that we produce – our healer within – is working to heal us and sustain our health.

A wondrous self-healing mechanism has been built into us by the architect of the universe from the beginning of human history. This remarkable gift belongs to every person from birth. Unfortunately, most people have not known about this gift; it has been a secret. You, however, have entered into this circle of individuals who will make this secret known. Freeing the potential of self healing in your own life and sharing it with your family and community will have marvelous effects.

When our natural healing ability does not function automatically, something is terribly wrong. Our spontaneous self-healing resources have become damaged or disordered. Formerly, we lived in a world where the only solution to this problem was thought to require physicians, hospitals, medicines, and tremendous expense.

Now we know that the best, easiest and least expensive cure is to rehabilitate the automatic healing capacity through self-healing methods. The simple practices of focusing on the breath, applying self- massage, gently moving the body, and deeply relaxing bring the natural relationship among the body, mind and spirit back into balance.

Read more –> Download FREE ebook by Dr. Roger Jahnke

Mind Body Practices for Self-Healing

IIQTC.org

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The Heart of Qigong Lies in its Essence

by DrJahnke on June 13, 2016

The heart of Qigong lies not in the form, but in its essence. The essence of Qigong is the Qigong state in which the Qi channels are open and circulating, inner resistance is at a minimum and the mechanism and spirit of your being are operating harmoniously. All the forms are maps to guide the practitioner into this state. The immense diversity and sheer numbers of forms reflects the wide array of theoretical and philosophical backgrounds along with the tastes and preferences of the people who developed them.

http://IIQTC.org

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Encouragement from Ancient Masters

by DrJahnke on June 5, 2016

The ancients assumed that the body was a reflection of the Spirit. Rather than the body having and energy, the universal energetic of the self develops a body. In this context there is not question as to whether we are eternally energetic in nature. Thus, the practice of Qigong supports us in re-associating with the eternal aspect of ourselves that is irrevocably well not matter what the body is experiencing — an aspect of the self that does not get sick and does not die.

Our best Qigong moments are when the separation between the local self and the eternal self is eliminated. To reach this experience the Qigong solution is to rest in the present moment during the practice. All of the Healer Within Practices allow for this to occur.

Lao Zi – 2500 years ago, #10 – “Cultivate body and breath to sustain the physical and emotional flexibility of a new born with no cares.”
from the Daodejing – Tao Te Ching

Zhuang Zi – 2400 years ago – “Unify your attention. Rather than listen with the ear, listen with the heart. Rather than listen with the heart, listen with the Qi.”
from the Collected Writings of Zhuang Zi – Chuang Tzu

Buddha – 2500 years ago – “Peace is inherent within. Seek it not without.”
from the Sutras of Shakyamuni Buddha

Jesus — 2000 years ago – according to Matthew – “When your insight is unified – you see with a single eye – your body will be filled with light.”
from the Gospel of Matthew

Patanjali — 2000 years ago – “The forms and breaths of Yoga not only enhance the function of the body, but also open the portal to freedom from illusion.”
from the Yoga Sutras

BASED ON ANCIENT SOURCES — BU ZHENG QIGONG

IS THE MOST ACCESSIBLE FORM OF MEDICAL QIGONG

Translated as Vitality Enhancement Qigong, Bu Zheng is a contemporary form of Qigong with ancient roots that is especially focused on healing medical challenges as well as maximizing and sustaining well-being. The roots of these practices actually go beyond history. Anthropologists claim that humans have acted like humans for as much as 3 million years. Scholars project that Qigong like practices were developed by tribes members and Shamans over 100,000 years ago.

Bu Zheng is rooted in this rich history of ancient tribal origins.

Bu means — make strong, enhance
Zheng means — the coherent interrelated functions and systems of the whole self.

Bu Zheng means maximize the integrated, interactive, holistic version of the self — the whole person, the whole self – at all levels, Spirit–Mind–Body.

For more on Mind Body Practices – Click Here to download your FREE Ebook by Dr. Roger Jahnke

IIQTC.org

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Endorphins: Qigong Is as Good as Chocolate

by DrJahnke on May 13, 2016

Emotions occur in the mind and body. Emotional states accompany the synthesis of neuropeptides, the chemicals of the emotions, sending them flowing to various parts of the body. This explains why we feel profound restfulness when the mind is contented, a queasy stomach when we are anxious, or a racing heart when we are in love.

Two factors suggest a close connection between the neuropeptides and Qi. Firstly, neuropeptides, like qi, are produced in response to state of mind and influence the health of the internal organs. Secondly, neuropeptide receptor sites are located on the immune cells. This means that, like Qi, neuropeptides form a link between consciousness and immunity, mind and body.

The best-known neuropeptides are the endorphins, morphine-like substances found naturally within the body. Endorphins account for moods of well-being or euphoria such as we experience after enjoyable aerobic workouts (the “runner’s high”), eating chocolate – scientifically shown to produce endorphins – or dynamic Qigong training. Internal martial arts training, the most active type of Qigong, also engenders feelings of well-being, both during solo exercise practice or sparring. It is not unusual to see Taiji Quan players smiling happily even while being whacked by a boxing glove! Feeling good is good for you. The endorphins are known to stimulate the immune system and reduce pain.

The sensation of being full of Qi, whether as a result of one’s own practice or of receiving external qi from a healer, corresponds to an increase in the body’s endorphins. If this is the only reason why Qigong feels good or reduces pain, then administering the endorphin blocker naloxone should prevent qi from having the usual effects. This has been experimentally tested in China. When rats were subjected to a painful electric stimulus, external Qi treatment reduced their pain significantly. Naloxone could only partially block this effect. This means that endorphins are a correlate of Qi, but that Qi is more than endorphins.

If you are seeking for the fulfillment of Qi: The IIQTC offers various workshops and training’s of Qigong and Tai Chi.

IIQTC.org

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What are we? – Primordial Energetics

by DrJahnke on May 4, 2016

What are we?

Think of it this way, we are only one part substance while we are probably, at minimum, 4 parts non-substance. This means that the senses we use to determine “what we are” and what we are experiencing are only detecting one of our 5 parts while the senses that we use to determine what we are experiencing are actually unable to detect 4 of our parts.

The aspects of our being include:

The body — detectable and objectively measureable.
Consciousness — mind, emotions, intellect — not yet quantifiably detectable except as impressions.
Local energy — ions, magnetic field — detectable but not easily, can be felt however, but not objectively measured.
Non-local subtle energy — quantum — not detectable, has no dimensionality. Are quanta able to be quantified?
Spirit — which is not detectable, physical or measurable.

In other words, only 1 of 5 aspects of our being can be detected and measured, while 4 of 5 are, for research and proof purposed, immeasurable.

The implications of this are that the only way we can know ourselves is to get comfortable with the fact that radical attentiveness; inner observation and direct experience are the superior pathways to self-knowing and healing.

This is actually, still, quite naïve. In fact those who understand these things well actually articulate that we can’t even say that there are these 5 dimensions, because ultimately there are no dimensions and nothing particular at all anywhere because there is no matter and there is no where. Nothing matters = that which matters the most is no thing or not a thing.

Nothing “matters”?
 Nothing matters = that which matters the most is”no thing” or not a thing.  No where = now here!  How do we get a “here” —when there is none?  AHHHH! The Mystery!

Primordial Energetics

You are not just matter; you are energy.

IIQTC.org

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Breathe From Your Belly

by DrJahnke on April 10, 2016

PRACTICE:

– As you inhale, imagine that your belly is a big balloon that you’re slowly filling with air.

– Place your hands on your belly while you slowly inhale.

– Watch your hands as they rise with your in-breath.

– Watch your hands fall as you slowly breathe out, letting the air out of the balloon.

– As you exhale, make sure your belly stays relaxed.

– Take at least two or three more slow and deep breaths, making sure to keep your attention on the rise and fall of your belly.

Breathing slowly and deeply into and out of your belly is a signal to your mind and body to let go of stress and improve your health and happiness.

Doing belly-breathing lowers your blood pressure, relaxes your muscles, and helps you manage your emotions. Belly-breathing creates peace in your mind as well as your body.

For more health and wellness tips sign up for the Holistic Health & Wellness Newsletter

IIQTC.org

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The Most Profound Medicine

by DrJahnke on March 6, 2016

Neurological Aspects of Immune Function

In the classic tradition of Western science it has been thought that the immune system was an autonomous self-regulating system, operating on its own. A tremendous amount of research has demonstrated that this view was incorrect. Mental emotional states have been found to effect resistance to disease and infection. (60) Immune organs including the thymus gland, spleen, lymph nodes and bone marrow are invested with nerve endings. (60) Lymphocytes and macrophages have been shown to have receptors for neurochemicals, including catacholamines, prostaglandins, serotonin and endorphin. (60) There is a definite relationship between brain and nervous system function and immune capability.

In the practice of Qigong and Yoga, as has been discussed, the hypothalamus regulates the autonomic nervous system function toward a lessening of the sympathetic activity, which is associated with the stress response. (3,57) A number of studies have demonstrated that the hypothalamus has an influence over immune function. (60) Meditation, progressive relaxation, deep breathing and slow relaxed movement all tend to move the practitioner out of the sympathetic state and induce the relaxation response. Research on the effect of relaxation and visualization sheds some light on the effect that the Qigong and Yoga states may have on immune function. Groups of elders who received relaxation training had significant increases in the activity of “natural killer cells” while control groups did not. Chinese research has corroborated the positive effect of Qigong practice on the status of the immune system. (65,69,70,71,72)

Brain Hemisphere Dominance

Thousands of years ago the oriental practitioners of self-care disciplines intuitively developed an awareness of an alternating cycle of the predominance of body activity from the right side of the body to the left side. One particular Qigong practice, Taiji, is founded on a constant, flowing of the limbs in circular motions, alternating from right to left. The side of the body that bears the weight is planted, stable, and associated with the Yin. The side that is free to move and kick is active and associated with the Yang. Constant alternations of right and left side activity are thought to balance the forces of Yin and Yang in the body. Focusing on the right and left sides alternatively activates, and reputedly balances, the right and left motor centers in the brain.

The channels or circuits that conduct the human resonating energy field, according to yogic medicine, are called nadis. Ida nadi and Pingala nadi associate with right and left brain activities. (72,73) In addition this association effects right and left nasal passage activity as well as the physiology of the right and left body. These channels alternate in their predominant activity over a 2-3 hour cycle causing the dominant nostril to be clear and the non-dominant nostril to swell and become congested. (73) This phenomenon was not noted in the Western world until 1889 when the German physician R. Kayser recorded his observation of the “nasal cycle.” (74) Much of the research on this phenomenon up through the 1980’s was motivated by the quest to develop pharmaceuticals for nasal congestion. (72)

It has been demonstrated that the nasal cycle is coupled with the alternating lateralization of cerebral hemispheric activity. (73) It was found with research subjects, that when a shift occurred in either nasal dominance or brain hemisphere dominance there was an associated shift, within moments, in the other as well. The right nasal cavity, associated with pingala nadi tends to be more open and the left more congested when the left hemisphere of the brain is more active. This is associated with the active phase of the BRAC and increased general sympathetic tone. (72) In contrast the right brain hemisphere is more active when the left nostril is open and dominant and the individual is in the resting phase of the BRAC or the parasympathetic mode.

A number of different physiological states have been found to be associated with the dominance of one or the other nostril.

Deep sleep is initiated more quickly with left nostril dominance.
Appetite and digestive ability are enhanced during right nostril dominance.
Sexual intercourse is most satisfying when the man is dominant in the right nostril and the woman in the left.
Left nostril, right brain dominance is more conducive to receiving new ideas, while right nostril, left brain dominance is an advantage during discourse.
It is possible to alter the pattern of “thought waves” by consciously alternating nasal dominance by exercising the congested nostril by forced nostril breathing. (75)

A specific Qigong and Yoga breath technique that has been practiced for centuries is the right and left singular nostril breathing. Dr. Sannahoff-Khalsa of the Salk Institute has done extensive research with this technique, originally prompted by his work with the Kundalini Yoga tradition. The studies done by him and his associates have shown that forcing the breath through the constricted nostril can increase the EEG amplitude of the contralateral hemisphere of the brain. (76) It has been demonstrated that certain psychopathologies are brain hemisphere specific. (77,78) It may be possible, therefore, that the use of single nostril breathing may be applicable as therapy in cases where lateralized dysfunction has been found.

There is a direct correlation between nasal dominance, brain dominance and the lateralized biochemical activity in the peripheral body parts. Recent studies of the nasal cycle comparing plasma catecholamine levels in the venous circulation of the right and left arms found that levels of norepinephrine alternated with the rhythm of sympathetic dominance of the nostrils. (79)

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