Wait a moment. You have one—a curriculum that truly addresses every element of an asthmatic’s life. Called CAP, or Comprehensive Asthma Prevention program, it is a novel blueprint—one that directs us to fight the odious spasm, or every possible trigger, of asthma. How? From the way you breathe, the level of vitamins and minerals in your red, and white, blood cells, to toxins in your home, office, or elsewhere.

I first thought and worked on CAP, because I was myself not able to get that much-needed relief from my long-time tryst with asthma with medications alone. For an asthmatic sufferer like me, CAP, in essence, has evolved as a pragmatic, breathe-easier, user-friendly roadmap—something that you could work at, on your own terms. This you’d do on the basis of a few elementary rules and, most importantly, with your mind-body co-operation for better results.

How to Reverse Your Asthma

To start with the program, you ought to first tell your therapist and yourself your own problems with the disorder—to find your own real you—one that is more than a question of really getting to know your own genuine you. Not just the physical, or any other, basis of the problem.

But, before you’d do that, it is only natural that a host of questions may be running through your mind:

• How to prevent an asthma attack?
• What kind of exercise is better?
• What kind of change may go on in your lungs with asthma?
• Do children outgrow asthma, or is it still a myth?
• Why asthma sprays are sometimes dangerous and/or why allergies make them vulnerable to asthma?

Each patient has his or her own unique genetic and biochemical imprint. It is like a spider’s web, woven differently each time, because each person’s biochemistry is unique. Each patient also has a special combination of hidden nutritional deficiencies, and other sensitiveness. The good news is that every patient has unique healing capacities that, when tapped, can help restore health.

CAP combines the best of conventional medicine—of what is going on at the cellular level vis-a-vis asthma, including an agreeable and informative battery of general, and sophisticated, tests—supplanting a holistic approach to health.

This is, indeed, a revolutionary program—one that is specifically designed for asthmatics. It also, in so doing, accounts, and denotes, “scores” for all possible health hazards we face in day-to-day life: drugs, medications, home, office, food, allergic potential, intestinal malfunction, immunity level, nutrition, and so on.

Medications, when properly used, are, of course, an invaluable tool. They serve as a bridge to a healthier life. But, too many asthma patients today are over-medicated, and under-treated, or they are inadequately treated.

Reducing and Eliminating Dependence on Medication

So, what is the best way out of such an impasse? Patients can make a dramatic improvement in their health by reducing their medication in the context of a programme like CAP—a schedule that eliminates life-style triggers of asthma, and bolsters the entire body with a rich lode of nutrients.

CAP does not, of course, miss the wheeze for a sneeze, and vice versa. It helps asthmatics in more ways than one, albeit one should not simply lessen one’s prescribed drugs on their own. The important thing is that this program must, without exception, be conducted under supervision. More so, because, the basic aim of CAP is to help asthmatics lead an almost drug-free life, and also encourage them to lead as healthy a life as possible, while relying on the least amount of medication necessary.

Asthma is generally a manageable problem. Reason enough why CAP combines the best in natural, non-invasive, non-toxic treatments, backed by substantial research. CAP is also more than geared to educating asthmatics about the many possible triggers that cause the inflammation and congestion in the bronchial passages leading to asthma attacks. In so doing, it spells out how healing and prevention are achieved through diet, nutritional supplementation, environmental modification, breathing exercises and, most importantly, stress reduction.

Try Complementary Therapies Too

To complement it all, the program urges both therapists and asthmatics to make use of effective alternative techniques, based on the mind/body concept of healing: meditation, self-hypnosis, visualization, biofeedback, healing through music/sound and brain synchrony, yoga, ta’i chi, acupuncture, aromatherapy, osteopathic manipulation, sleep, cognitive re-framing etc.,

This novel plan for turning-around asthma, which is explained in my book, Reversing Asthma [Warner Books, US], is, however, no quick-fix. Neither is it a do-all, or end-all, outline. In its totality, the idea could take time, to give results, yes, but it’s well worth a real, good try.

Because, CAP, in sum, for more reasons than one, is a thoroughly practical, no-nonsense approach, and full recompense for individuals who want to break that most distressing, “gung-ho” spasm — the song of every asthmatic’s burden.

Breathing Exercises to Reverse Asthma

If breath is life, and breathing properly is the mainstay of CAP, exercise is breath in action.

CAP trains patients in breathing techniques. It also propels them to establish a unique work-out: proper breathing, a simple, but profound, manoeuvre.

Let’s take a look-in at two of the most handy CAP breathing exercises, for asthmatics. You’d inculcate their usage in your daily life, for better results.

The Empty Balloon

Instruct yourself to imagine an empty balloon, most of which is held in your tight fist. Try and blow the balloon, and also tell yourself that you would only be able to inflate the neck. Now, imagine that fist as your diaphragm muscles engulfed in a spasm. If only you can open the fist into a relaxed hand, you can blow the entire balloon! This will allow you to “fill” your lungs with life-giving oxygen, and because the richest blood flow in the lungs is at the bottom (where they are the largest), you will now be flooding your body with energy.

You may also urge yourself to practice the following four-step exercise plan, otherwise called Clearing Exercises, to expel mucous plugs, yet another major asthmatic hitch.

The Four-Step Plan

Position A

Lie face down with your hips raised about 20 inches on a stack of pillows, and cough every few minutes

Position B

Lie on your left side with your hips raised 20 inches on a pile of pillows, and cough every few minutes

Position C

Lie on your back with your hips raised about 20 inches on a heap of pillows, and cough every few minutes

Position D

Lie on your right side with your hips raised about 20 inches on a mound of pillows, and cough every few minutes.

The post How to Reverse Asthma with Comprehensive Asthma Prevention Program appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

A deviated septum can obstruct breathing and is one of the commonest reason for people to visit an ENT specialist. The degree of the shift could be mild or severe—and, at times, can even deform the shape of the nose.

What causes Deviated Nasal Septum?

A person can be born with a deviated septum, which might get dislodged due to some pressure in the uterus or at the time of delivery.

In later life, it may occur due to an injury, assault or accident. It is common in people who play contact sports and hence seen more commonly in men than women.

What are the symptoms?

Although the main symptom is difficulty in breathing, symptoms can vary from being mild to severe depending upon the degree of deviation. Mild DNS, however, doesn’t lead to significant difference in appearance.

Depending on the severity of the deviation, you may have one or more of these symptoms:

• Discharge and bleeding from the nose
• Altered sense of smell
• Excessive sneezing and irritation in the nose
• Discharge from the nose, cough and change in voice
• Sinusitis and nasal polyps
• Snoring and sleep apnoea
• Chronic facial pain and headaches.

The symptoms aggravate in case of an accompanying sinus infection, nasal allergy or exposure to extreme cold environment.

How is it diagnosed?

Some tests that are used to diagnose a Deviated Nasal Septum include:

• Rhinoscopy, which is an inspection of the nose with a thin tube-like instrument that has a lens attached to its end.
• Conventional radiography such as X-ray.
• CT imaging, which is a standard diagnostic tool.
• Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy [DNE].

A simple nasal examination may not be sufficient to evaluate the type and degree of respiratory impairment caused by DNS. For that a CT scan is required.

How is Deviated Nasal Septum treated?

Since the sinuses open in the nasal cavity, a deviated nasal septum can block the outflow of discharges from them, causing mucus to collect. And this can lead to bacterial infection of the sinuses.

Persistent nasal blockage forces you to breathe through the mouth, which can cause sore throat, mouth odour and tooth decay.

In cases of sinusitis caused by deviated nasal septum, removing the obstruction and draining the sinuses is all that is necessary to facilitate ventilation.

But mostly, treatment involves managing symptoms. The aim is to prevent complications or worsening of the symptoms. Since most people suffer from mild DNS, they respond well to non-surgical forms of therapy like anti-histamine, anti-allergy, decongestant preparations, and allergy desensitisation. However, if the symptoms do not show signs of improvement, surgery could be the way out.

Surgery involves septoplasty, a procedure that is performed entirely through the nostril. The significantly deviated portions of the septum are removed or repositioned and remodelled.

The post Deviated Nasal Septum: A crooked problem appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Right now, there is no vaccine for COVID-19, although scientists and researchers are at work. But regardless of a vaccine, the best way to stay protected from the coronavirus—or any other disease-causing microbe for that matter—is to possess a strong immune system, which is nothing but your body’s intrinsic intelligence.

The good news is that you can strengthen your immune system by inculcating a few simple lifestyle habits.

5 healthy habits to build immunity

The five lifestyle habits listed below will protect you not only from disease-causing microbes such as coronavirus but will also help you reduce the risk of many other illnesses such as heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes and even cancer.

1. Hydrate (but not with colas!)

Did you know that having just two tablespoons of refined white sugar temporarily lowers your immune system? And a can of Coke contains as much as eight tablespoons of sugar. Your immune system will thank you for eliminating soft drinks from your diet.

But don’t just stop at that. You need to hydrate yourself and what better way to do that than zero-calorie water? The list of benefits of drinking water is long. Here are a few ways water helps keep your immune system in good shape:

• Water helps carry oxygen throughout the body — to organs, tissues, and blood cells. It pumps up bodily functions to full capacity making you feel and perform better physically.
• Water promotes adaptive immune response. It does so by helping your kidneys get rid of toxic foreign invaders from the body. Water also prevents toxin build-up which, in turn, boosts immune function.
• Water pushes bodily waste into the lymph nodes where lymphocytes destroy them, keeping them from impairing the immune function and causing life-threatening conditions.

So stay hydrated with water. Proactively incorporate the habit of keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day.

Three delicious drinks to improve your immunity with water

1. Lemonade: Vitamin-C helps boost immunity, fights infection and aids digestion
2. Black tea, freshly brewed: Tannins and alkylamines in tea help fight infection
3. Honey Water: Honey has antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

2. Oxygenate

About two-third of your body is oxygen. Oxygenated cells imply that your muscles and organs are working efficiently which, in turn, translates into superior immunity. Due to lack of sufficient oxygen, your lungs could be functioning sub-optimally making you more prone to infections. In fact, COVID-19 is known to affect your lungs. Your lungs bear the brunt of poor levels of oxygen, which is why respiratory infections including common cold, frequent headaches, itchy throat and symptoms of flu, are more common among young, urban professionals and people who are mostly indoors.

Here’s how fresh air keeps your immune system healthy:

• Fresh air helps your lung’s airways to dilate, releasing airborne toxins from your system
• The white blood cells that fight bacteria and other foreign invaders in your body need oxygen to function effectively; no wonder being in open spaces strengthens your immunity
• Oxygen is antiviral in nature; oxygen in blood helps reduce viral proliferation.

Easy ways to improve oxygen intake

1. Open doors: Open windows, doors and let in sunlight and fresh air as often you can
2. Take regular breaks at work: Allow yourself a few minutes of fresh air during work hours
3. Do deep diaphragmatic breathing: By helping your lungs to expand, it maximises your oxygen inhalation. It also switches off the fight/flight response and activates your body’s rest and repair mechanism for healing and recovery
4. Incorporate Pranayama in your daily schedule: It helps reduce stress and anxiety, which boosts the immune system
5. Place indoor and outdoor plants: Having plants in your home and workplace helps purify air

3. Move

“A body in motion shall keep moving longer
A body at rest shall rest in peace faster.”

Regular physical movement is key to good health. Just like healthy eating, exercise contributes to general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system.

Here are three ways how exercising can strengthen your immunity:

• Regular moderate exercise reduces the risk of infections as compared to a sedentary lifestyle
• Physical movement promotes good circulation, which allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently.
• Moderate physical activity helps flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways (beneficial for COVID-19). This may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness.

4 ways to get sufficient exercise

1. 1. Yoga: Try Surya Namaskar — it is a great way to move your entire body and has many proven health benefits
   2. Walking or Running: Walking and running are among the best forms of cardio workout
   3. Home Workout: Without stepping out of your home, you could do skipping, trampoline jumping, and Tabata
   4. Resistance: Push ups, pull ups, squats, burpees, jumping jacks are great ways to use your body weight to strengthen your muscles and your immunity.

4. Nourish

What you eat decides whether you’re feeding the virus or your immune system. Food influences as much 70% of your immune system.

Checklist of dietary changes for boosting immunity

1. Eliminate: All types of processed food including meat, refined oils and dairy. Frozen and ready-to-cook foods are a strict no-no
2. Consume moderately: Fresh meat (cooked with bone), whole eggs, fresh curd and cow milk, healthy fats like ghee, coconut oil, olive oil and other healthy cold pressed oils. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, get good quality oils and protein from vegetable sources like nuts and seeds
3. Eat more: Fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouts, lentils and other veggies
4. Vitamin D3: Check your Vitamin-D3 levels for better immunity
5. Pre & Probiotic for Gut Health: Gut health is vital for a healthy immune system. Add foods rich in probiotics: rice kanji, fermented vegetables, homemade pickles, good quality yogurt. Also include prebiotics such as garlic, banana, apple cider vinegar, apples.
6. Include immune boosting foods: Ghee, cold pressed coconut oil, turmeric and black pepper combination, amla, garlic, ginger, onions, citrus fruits, dates, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, cucumber, carrot, capsicum, celery, jowar, masoor and chana dal.
7. Eat home cooked food: Commercially prepared food contains many ingredients that can weaken your immunity

5. Sleep

Your body, and especially your brain, needs a good night’s sleep for healing and repair. Sleep is the elixir for our wellbeing because it is considered as an important modulator of our immune system.

Did you know? Sleeping less than five hours a day reduces your immunity by as much as 70%. Water, oxygen, exercise or good food are necessary but cannot compensate for the lack of sufficient sleep.

Fact: World Health Organization (WHO) regards working night shifts as a probable carcinogen (cancer causing) because it disrupts the body’s Circadian Rhythm.

Key points to remember about sleeping enough

1. Regularity: One cannot over-emphasise the importance of a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is greatly beneficial to your wellbeing
2. Sleep Hygiene: Avoid looking at screens at least two hours prior to sleep; also avoid bright lights as your sleeping time approaches—use dim yellow light instead
3. Dinner gap: Maintain a gap of two or more hours between your last meal and going to bed
4. Duration: Most people need 7 – 8 hours of sleep to be refreshed; get a minimum of six hours
5. Calm the mind: Prepare your mind to relax before sleeping; try some gratitude exercises or a sleep meditation
6. Environment: Make sure your room is cool, dark and comfortable

Remember, the best way to deal with the current crisis is to stay calm but cautious.

The post 5 healthy habits to build immunity against infections like coronavirus appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

I want to talk about these self-created obstacles to meditation. It seems to me that there are three ways to stop yourself.

• First, you stop yourself by not starting
• Second, you abandon your practice because of physical complaints
• Third, your mind comes up with mental constraints to get you to stop.

The 3 most common obstacles to meditation (and ways to overcome them)

Obstacle #1: Not starting

This is one of the most prevalent obstacles to meditation. I recommend meditation to almost all of my clients. You would be amazed by the number of excuses I’ve heard for not starting. Here’s my favourite example:

One client was the CFO of a major corporation. He was really stressed out, and had medical issues—he was overweight, he had high blood pressure, and most of his days were a misery. I suggested meditation.

He replied, “How am I ever going to find 20 more minutes in my already overfilled day?”

How can he not?! The way he’s living his life isn’t working—this is obvious just looking at him.

I have this theory: We’ve all got a little kid inside our heads that really likes being miserable. It’s the quite childish voice of all of our excuses. The little kid is also really good at defending past choices.

That’s this guy’s problem—he knows that his life is totally out of control, yet presents tons of arguments for why nothing can change. And of course, he’s right. Nothing can change—unless he changes it.

Many “not starting” excuses are weird. I have a friend who teaches meditation, but won’t meditate when she’s stressed. I find this really bizarre—she thinks that she can only meditate when everything is going great.

She upsets herself, stops meditating, ends up in a big mess, starts meditating, and feels better. You’d think she’d learn, but she has a little voice in her head that says, “Things are going much too badly to be sitting around doing nothing.”

So,

• there’s the time factor—thinking yourself too busy to set aside 20 minutes a day, and
• the stress factor—thinking you’re much too upset to meditate. And there’s
• the stubbornness factor—the little kid is jumping up and down and saying, “I shouldn’t have to do this! It’s not fair! This is a waste of time!”

The way out

I know it’s going to sound pretty simplistic, but the only way to get past the obstacle of not meditating is to meditate. Everyone, me included, can come up with reasons for not starting. I certainly know that I have avoided meditation when I have a headache, or a cold, or if I’ve decided that I’m just too busy.

But I also can be stubborn, and in this case that’s a good thing. I make the daily decision to sit, I pick a logical time, typically in the morning, and then I sit. Here’s the key: I don’t have to want to sit—I just have to sit. It’s not about wanting. It’s about doing.

Obstacle #2: Physical complaints

This is another among the most common obstacles to meditation cited by people. I know this one too. I learned to meditate back in 1968. In the process, I knew if I was going to be a “real” meditator, I’d have to sit for long periods of time in full lotus.

I tried—oh how I tried. And my knees ached. And my back ached. Pretty much everything from my navel-down ached. I’d tough it out, my feet would fall asleep, I’d get up, I’d fall down. And then I’d stop meditating for a little while—maybe a decade.

There are meditation teachers that insist that full lotus is the only way to go. They are of the “no pain, no gain” school of meditation. I don’t buy it, not in the least. The only body I have to work with is mine, and after 45 years, my knees still prefer other postures than full lotus.

Which is why there are other ways to sit. There’s Burmese style, kneeling posture [which is the way I sit] and half lotus. And as an absolute last resort, you can always sit on a straight-backed chair.

The way out

Go find a meditation teacher who will help you discover the right sitting posture for you and your body. They’re out there—just ask around.

The other thing that really helped, happened three or four years ago. We found a new meditation center, and the teacher had us do yoga stretches ahead of meditating. I’ve done yoga for some years, but had never thought of using it specifically to work on my hips and legs for sitting.

He used about five poses, and after doing them, I could sit for 45 minutes with no pain. Pretty amazing. I only had to do the stretches for a year—now I can just sit, and sit comfortably.

So, you might touch base with a yoga instructor, and ask for some poses to loosen things up.

Then, tune into your body. I still feel a small amount of discomfort as I sit, so I run a scan on my body. Almost always, I’ve slid out of proper meditation posture. I may be tipped to one side or the other, or I’m rounding my back, or I’ve tightened myself up. Because I’ve made scanning my body part of my practice, it’s pretty easy to notice when things are out of alignment.

Again, you likely need someone to check how you’re sitting. Meditation teachers are used to doing this, as finding a perfectly balanced posture initially requires a second set of eyes. When in doubt, ask.

Obstacle #3: Mental chatter

Okay, so you’re sitting there. And you’re inundated with mind chatter, and vigorous gripes about sitting. How normal!

Another major issue keeping us from continuing our practice is, “My mind just won’t shut up!” And then I hear stories about all the crazy thoughts that come up for people as they meditate.

The problem comes from a misunderstanding about what meditation is all about. Most people think that meditation is about stopping thinking. Nothing could be further from the truth. We think, all the time. You can’t “not think”. Part of our thinking process involves that little kid I mentioned before. The whiny little kid really doesn’t like sitting still, meditating. There really is a part of our brain that loves the status quo. This part has habituated itself to being miserable.

It’s almost as if this part can sense that things are going to change if you continue to meditate. So this part of our brain starts throwing up warning signals. Complaints. Gripes. On and on it natters, and we obey at our peril. And let me assure you, this part makes reasonable complaints. Nothing outlandish, just endless griping.

The way out

You listen without attaching [following the thought].

What this means is, the real point of meditating is to be with what is happening. That includes being with aches and pains, wacky thoughts, and external distractions. As a matter of fact, the real point of meditation is what I call taking meditation into the world.

The world is a noisy, messy place. We learn to be present and at peace in the real world. This process begins on the cushion. As thoughts come up, remind yourself that it’s natural to be thinking. Take a slow, deep, conscious breath, and just let the thought go. Now, realistically, you might do this 100 times in a 20 minute sit. As I said before, the issue is not “thinking”—it’s attaching to the thought.

We are trying to break the habit of starting down the thought path, noticing, and then continuing anyway.

At the junction point—when you notice that you’re in your head, telling stories—you simply invite yourself back into the present moment. Some people do this by counting breaths, others by running an inventory of their bodies, and others just quietly tune into what’s going on around them.

One of my favourite silly thoughts is trying to guess when “time’s up”. We use a meditation timer that’s on our phones and tablets, and I have done all that I can to not be continually checking the device to see how much time is left. In the early days of using those applications, I could quite easily convince myself that they were broken and that I’d been sitting way, way too long. I got past it. Now I just laugh at myself. I have a breath and I remind myself that I’m there to meditate until I’m done. It’s really that simple.

The takeaway

None of the things that get in your way are that serious. It all really comes down to making the decision to sit, and then sitting. The things that get in our way are all resolvable, if we decide.

The post Overcome the 3 most common obstacles to meditation appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

The reason for breathlessness in asthma is the over-reactiveness of the airways, which causes them to narrow and impede entrance of air. This also causes a feeling of tightness around the chest and the characteristic whistling sound from the lungs [wheezing] that is typical of asthma.

Although asthma is a genetic condition, it can be triggered by various factors, a fact which most asthmatics are painfully aware of. Still, the importance of identifying and avoiding triggers needs to be emphasised for that is the key in controlling the condition. Indeed, it is the only way for those with asthma to breathe easy and lead a normal life.

Avoiding the triggers of asthma

External irritants

Allergens in the air, either indoor or outdoor, are notorious for triggering an attack. Carpets, pet fur, damp rugs, pillows, mattresses, pollen and stuffed toys are the top contributors in the list of indoor pollutants. Ensure that they are vacuum-cleaned weekly and dried completely before use. In simple words, pollutant proof your home.

People rarely associate an attack with the fragrance of a product they use, especially if it’s a cleaning product. But try using cleaning products that are odour-free.

More pollen travel in the air in the afternoon than any other time of day. Hence, it’s best to busy yourself indoors during that time to avoid exposure to pollen.

Air conditioners help keep allergens out. So, use them whenever possible.

Fungus and moulds are arch enemies of those with asthma and house-plants are the last place people look for, for moulds. Give house-plants a good wash now and then. Also, clean the bathroom tiles on a regular basis with soap and water, they’re another favourite mould hang-out. To prevent the mould from forming, ventilate the bath area and fix leakages promptly.

Things kept outside gather dust, which is a trigger too. So keep much of your stuff in closed cabinets to avoid accumulation of dust or if outside, clean it on a regular basis.

Good ventilation is a saviour for asthmatics. So, switch on the exhaust fan when cooking and keep the storage and other areas of the home well-ventilated.

Internal irritants

Those who suffer from asthma know well that an attack is often brought on not just by external triggers but also by fear, anxiety, anger, insecurity and other strong emotions. Ironically, not just negative emotions, but laughing too much may also bring on an attack in an asthmatic.

In fact, if you’ve been having too frequent episodes of breathlessness, it’s best to avoid situations that you suspect will be high on emotions, either positive or negative, and hence difficult to manage.

Breathing techniques for asthma

Breathing exercises, if done on a regular basis, help reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms. They relax your body and mind, helping you deal effectively with internal irritants. Remember, though, that they shouldn’t be done when the attack is in progress.

Shallow breathing: Also known as the Buteyko method of breathing, this technique was developed by Dr Buteyko, a Ukrainian physician in the 1950s. According to him, asthmatics breathe in about 15 litres of air a minute as compared to the normal five litres. In the Buteyko method, you take in shallow and slow breaths, which helps normalise breathing and the oxygen-carbon dioxide ratio in the body. In this, the breathing rate is consciously reduced and the inhalations are shallow.

Diaphragmatic breathing: Place your hands on the diaphragm, with the middle fingers touching each other and shoulders relaxed. As you inhale, expand the chest and observe the diaphragm stretching. Notice how your fingers slide away from each other. Exhaling, relax the chest and the fingers move back towards each other.

Ujjayi breath: This is also known as the victorious breath. Sit with your legs crossed. Partially constrict the air passage in the throat. Inhale producing a soft hustling sound and exhale in the same manner. The breath should be long and slow and taken without straining the facial muscles. Allow the sound to come naturally and do not produce it using your vocal cords.

The post Asthma relief: Breath taking techniques appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Stress is what you make of it. In other words, how stressed you get is in your control, though you may not like to believe it. One of the ways to shrink your stress is through pranayama or yogic breathing. I invite you to try these simple, but powerful, breathing techniques to help you mitigate stress.

Breathing Exercises to Mitigate Stress

Conscious Breathing

Sit still in a comfortable position. Keep your spine erect, shoulders drawn behind [you may keep the back supported if you like]. Close your eyes. Breath in deeply, slowly and rhythmically, keeping your attention on the air entering your nostrils. Exhale even more slowly. Count to three as you inhale and five as you exhale. Aim to increase your exhalation time. While breathing, observe the minor changes in the temperature of the air you inhale and exhale—you will notice that the air that enters is cooler, while the one that exits feels warmer. Also, observe the rising and falling of your shoulders as you breathe. Do this for 10 – 15 breaths. This simple activity is an instant stress buster.

While breathing, you could also place your hands over the diaphragm [the area that separates the chest from the abdomen] with the middle fingers touching each other. As you inhale, feel your chest expanding when the air enters your lungs. Your fingers will move about half an inch apart when the chest expands.

Abdominal Breathing

Assume a comfortable position; you can even lie down. Place your palms gently on the abdomen over the navel. As you inhale, allow your abdomen to relax and expand. Your palms will be pushed away from the body as the abdominal wall moves forward. Then, as you exhale, contract and gently draw the abdominal wall inwards. At first, it might seem confusing because we are habituated to expanding the chest and the diaphragm as we breathe in. Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply. Once you master the technique, count to three as you inhale and five as you exhale. Again, aim at extending the exhalation time—ideally it should be twice the time you take for inhalation.

Single Nostril Breathing

Few people know that though we have two nostrils, we predominantly use just one to breathe. As per yogic philosophy, the right nostril signifies the sun or the heating system of our body and the left nostril signifies the moon or the cooling system. Practicing single nostril breathing helps bring an awareness of which side of your body is dominant and also to bring balance between the right and the left side.

Sit in a comfortable position, keep only the thumb and index finger of the left hand straight and curl the other fingers in. Place the thumb gently on the left nostril and inhale through the right nostril. Now, with the index finger, close the right nostril and exhale through the left. This is right nostril breathing. Repeat this five times. Then do the same with your left nostril.

Chanting with Breathing

Focusing your attention on the breath helps to instantly calm the mind and relieve stress. But keeping your mind from wandering is easier said than done. That’s where chanting helps. While doing conscious breathing, begin to chant ‘let go, let go, let go’. As you chant, you’re literally letting go of pent up tensions and anxieties. You don’t have to speak the words out aloud, just repeat them silently in your mind. You could also chant Aum, So-Hum, or any other chant that you like.

Related » Morning Mantras (Chants) to Awaken the Power Within

Visualization with Breathing

Visualization too helps rein in the wandering mind. The best time to do them is while you’re lying on your bed just preparing to drift off to sleep. Lie on your back with the hands by your side and eyes gently closed. Begin with breathing consciously, taking care to keep the inhalation and exhalation soft and effortless—no deep breathing. Start to consciously relax your body, beginning from your toes, gradually working your way up. Suggest every part of your body to relax. Imagine that your body is weightless and floating in the air or that you’re lying on a beautiful beach with the waves gently clashing on the shore in the background. You could use music to help you with this imagination. Try this with a partner if possible. Each of you could take turns to guide the other into a state of relaxation.

Fix Your Breathing

When we are experiencing stress, the muscles of the neck and shoulders get tensed and breathing becomes shallow and rapid. For a majority of us, this becomes a habit and we continue to breathe incorrectly, even when we are not stressed. Simply learning to breathe the right way can help us handle stress better, reduce anxiety, improve sleep and normalize blood pressure. Our breath [pran in Sanskrit] is our life force. Harnessing its powers can help us restore health and vitality. As the yoga guru Krishnamacharya once said: “Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.”

The post How to Fix Your Breathing to Mitigate Stress appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

The main aspects of pranayama are inhalation, exhalation and retention of breath. Pranayama always begins with inhalations and exhalations. This strengthens the lungs and balances the nervous system, preparing the body to hold the breath [retention]. Practising the different types of pranayama on a regular basis regulates energy flow to the 72 thousand nadis [channels through which consciousness flows] in our body, helping us improve our health and wellbeing.

8 TYPES OF PRANAYAMA

There are about 50 different types of pranayama described in the Vedas. In this article, we describe eight most common and significant types of pranayama:

CHANDRABHEDAN

METHOD

1. Sit in a meditative pose or in a comfortable position on the floor
2. Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed
3. Close your right nostril with the right hand thumb
4. Inhale from the left nostril
5. Close the left nostril with the right hand index and middle fingers
6. Exhale from the right nostril.

This completes one round of Chandrabhedan pranayama. You can gradually do up to 20 rounds.

BENEFIT OF CHANDRABHEDAN PRANAYAMA:

• Cools the body and cures heartburn

WHO SHOULD AVOID

Avoid this pranayama if you suffer from low blood pressure. Note: This pranayama is to be done only during summer.

SURYABHEDAN

METHOD

1. Sit in a meditative pose or in a comfortable posture
2. Close your left nostril with your index and middle finger of the right hand
3. Inhaling from your right nostril
4. Close the right nostril with your right hand thumb
5. Exhale through the left nostril.

This completes one round of Suryabhedan pranayama. You can gradually do up to 20 rounds.

BENEFITS OF SURYABHEDAN PRANAYAMA

• Increases body heat and energy levels
• Improves digestion
• Purifies blood
• Delays ageing.

WHO SHOULD AVOID

• Avoid doing this pranayama if you suffer from acidity, hypertension or heart problems
• It is to be done only during winter.

ANULOM-VILOM [Alternate Nostril Breathing]

METHOD

1. Sit in a comfortable balanced meditative pose.
2. Use the right hand thumb to close your right nostril.
3. Inhale from the left nostril.
4. Close your left nostril with your right hand’s index and middle fingers
5. Exhale from the right nostril.
6. Do the reverse: inhale with the right nostril.
7. Close your right nostril with your right hand thumb.
8. Exhale with the left nostril.

This is one round of Anulom-Vilom.

BENEFITS OF ANULOM-VILOM:

• Balancing body temperature
• Relieving stress
• Cleansing the nadis in your body
• Improving blood circulation
• Promoting longevity.

REMEMBER

While practising Anulom-Vilom, you must breathe into your lungs and not into your stomach. It can be done the year round and by every one.

BHASTRIKA

METHOD

1. Sit in a meditative pose or in a comfortable position on the floor.
2. Keep the back straight and shoulder muscles relaxed.
3. Close the right nostril with your right thumb and bring your right elbow to the level of right shoulder.
4. Close your eyes. Inhale and exhale through left nostril—first slowly, then a little faster
5. Do the above steps about 20 – 25 times.
6. Take a long breath in and retain it for as long as possible

This is one round of Bhastrika pranayama. Now, repeat this round by closing your left nostril and breathing through your right nostril.

BENEFITS OF BHASTRIKA PRANAYAMA:

• Releases toxins from the body
• Reduces excess fat
• Enhances digestion
• Regulates the nervous system
• Purifies blood.

WHO SHOULD AVOID

Avoid practising Bhastrika if you suffer from hypertension, heart/lung complications or hernia. Weak persons [people with some illness or a low stamina] should avoid doing this pranayama too often.

UJJAYI

METHOD

1. Sit erect in a comfortable posture.
2. Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils.
3. Hold your breath for as long as possible.
4. Exhale slowly with a whispering sound, contracting the air passage.

This is a single round of ujjayi pranayama. You can start by doing 2 – 3 rounds.

BENEFITS OF UJJAYI PRANAYAMA:

• Strengthens the vocal cord
• Stimulates the thyroid gland
• Improves blood circulation
• Eases diseases of the lungs, chest and throat.

WHO SHOULD AVOID

Avoid doing this pranayama if you suffer from cardiac problems.

SHEETALI

METHOD

1. Sit in a comfortable position.
2. Close your eyes and relax your whole body with normal breathing
3. Put the tongue on the lower lip and try to roll the tongue.
4. Inhale deeply from the mouth.
5. Retain your breath for as long as possible.
6. Close the mouth slowly and exhale through the nose.

This is one round of sheetali pranayama. You can start by doing 2 – 3 rounds, and gradually go up to 15 rounds.

BENEFITS OF SHEETALI PRANAYAMA:

• Cools the body
• Cures acidity and hypertension
• Relieves indigestion and disorders of the bile
• Improves health of eyes and skin
• Cures tonsillitis.

WHO SHOULD AVOID

This pranayama is not recommended during winters. People suffering from a heavy cold must avoid sheetali pranayama.

SHEETKARI

METHOD

1. Sit in a meditative pose or in a comfortable posture on the floor
2. Keep the back straight and shoulders relaxed
3. Place hands on the knees, fingers relaxed and eyes closed
4. Join lower and upper teeth
5. Fix front portion of the tongue against the front teeth and the rest of the tongue on the palate
6. Separate the lips and inhale from the mouth making a chilling sound
7. Retain your breath for as long as possible
8. Exhale through both nostrils

This is one round of Sheetkari pranayama.

BENEFITS OF SHEETKARI PRANAYAMA

• Cools the body
• Keeps teeth and gums healthy.

WHO SHOULD AVOID

Avoid this pranayama if you suffer from low blood pressure.

BHRAMARI

METHOD

1. Sit in a meditative pose or in a comfortable position on the floor.
2. Keep your back straight, shoulders muscles relaxed and eyes closed.
3. Close both your ears with the index fingers of both hands.
4. Raise your elbows to the level of your shoulders.
5. Inhale deeply.
6. Retain your breath for as long as possible.
7. Exhale slowly making a buzzing sound like that of a bee.

BENEFITS OF BHRAMARI PRANAYAMA:

• Calms the body
• Relieves stress
• Makes the voice pleasant and melodious
• Strengthens vocal cords
• Cures diseases of the throat
• Increases concentration.

REMEMBER

For best results, practice Bhramari pranayama at night or early morning.

The more you breathe consciously, the longer you will live. As such Pranayama helps you stay healthy and younger for longer.

Updated on 14 January 2019

The post 8 Types of Pranayama — Techniques and Benefits appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

The modern mind is bombarded with information not just from mainstream print and electronic media but social media as well. This creates a problem because there is no time to digest it. In the past, this was just the reverse. There was less information and more time to assimilate it – so, there were silent spaces in people’s minds. Today, our lifestyle has changed 180 degrees: much of the information remains undigested. It is as if you go on eating and stuffing your body. That which is not digested by the body will prove to be poisonous.

A really healthy person is one who takes 50 per cent of his/her time to assimilate their experiences. 50 per cent action, 50 per cent inaction – that is the right balance. 50 per cent mental activity and 50 per cent meditation is the cure for today’s men and women.

Meditation, need of the hour

Meditation is the dire need for contemporary life and also humanity.

What is meditation? It is nothing but a time when you can relax utterly into yourself, and when you close the doors of your senses to outside stimulus. You are alone in your innermost being, relaxed, at home. In these moments, all that has become accumulated is assimilated and that which is worthless is thrown out. Meditation functions like a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it assimilates all that is nourishing. On the other, it throws out all that is junk.

But, you ask, who has time to meditate? People have to manage so many things that everybody feels the day is not long enough. In these changed times the concept of meditation has taken a summersault. Now, people need meditation techniques that can be woven into their daily routine, which means they should be able to meditate while doing their job.

Sounds impossible? Not at all, if you do it the Osho way.

Osho has changed the whole structure of meditation and has created hundreds of short but effective meditation techniques for busy people. These techniques can be practised while you are working, talking, walking, or doing any kind of activity. Because, basically meditation is not an activity, it is being aware of your activity. If you are watchful of your acts at physical, emotional and mental level, you are in meditation.

Meditation techniques for the busy

Here are some delightful and effective meditation techniques by Osho—for people who have everything, but time.

Razor’s edge

This can be done while you are booting the computer, waiting for the elevator, and so on.

This is literally a one-minute meditation. Hold your watch in front of you. Look at the second hand, witness its movement and try to go on witnessing it. You will find that you can watch for 2-4 seconds – and, the witness is gone, some other thought has come. Then you will be a witness for 4-5 seconds and forget again. In completing one minute you will lose it two, four, or 10 times. If you practise it every day, the span of your attention will increase. If you can watch the second hand for 60 seconds, you will feel integrated.

Rub your ear lobes

When you are feeling sad, worried, or angry, hold your ear lobes and rub them hard; there is no need to pierce the ears. You will find a change in your state of mind.

Warm hands, cool head

Physiologists agree that if you work with the hands, you can change the energy that moves from the head. Your right hand is joined with your left brain whereas your left hand is joined with your right brain.

Try this: whenever you feel that there is too much thinking, and you cannot stop it, rub both your hands fast, make them hot by rubbing, and suddenly you will feel the thinking has stopped, the energy is moving in the hands.

This is the best medicine for people who cannot sleep—better than any tranquilliser. Just close your eyes and rub your hands, and feel them getting warmer and warmer. Support it by your imagination – see how they are getting warmer in your mind’s eye. When the hands are warm, the head becomes cool. Now, you can sleep like a baby!

Throwing the bad mood

Breathing is a powerful tool we have, and it can be used intelligently for managing our emotions. If you are in a bad mood –

• Exhale deeply; as much as you can, throw the air out. With the air, the mood will be thrown out too, because breathing carries the mood. And, then expel the breath as far as possible. Contract the belly in; don’t inhale for a few seconds.
• Then, allow the body to inhale deeply – as much as you can. Again, stop for a few seconds. The gap should be the same as when you retain the breath out. Exhale totally and inhale totally, and make a rhythm.

You will feel a change immediately coming into your whole being. The mood will disappear and a new climate will enter you.

Gibberish and silence

This is a perfect method when the mind is too stressed and you can’t think coherently. Close your eyes and begin to make nonsensical sounds. Just speak any language that you don’t know! Allow yourself to express whatever needs to be expressed within you. Let your body express the accumulated stress, too. Imagine you are emptying a garbage can. After 10 minutes, sit silently. The relaxation and silence that follow will be magical.

Talk telegraphically

For one day, talk telegraphically. Use absolutely only the necessary words, as if you are sending a text message. Use only the essential words. Your words will have more power as you will be uttering them consciously, and the impact will be deep.

Last updated on 23^rd September 2019

The post Meditation techniques for the busy appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Mantra defined

The word mantra is drawn from the words mann, meaning mind and tra, signifying “to deliver,” or “the means for.” A mantra is, thus, a combination of syllables or words, which by stilling the chatter of the mind, acts as a tool to assist us to meditate, and thus deliver us to a higher level.

Originally considered a form of yoga, namely “shabd” [word] yoga, mantras are used to enhance the results of “hatha” yoga, or the yoga of postures that we are more familiar with. Besides infusing the practice of yoga with energy, mantras are also singularly used to heighten spiritual consciousness.

The power of parts

The power of chanting mantras is supposedly derived from syllables. For instance, the three lines of the Gayatri mantra in Sanskrit—Tat Savitur Varenyam, Bhargo Devasaya Dheemahi, Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodayat—are said to be composed of 24 syllables, each denoting a particular positive quality.

These syllables are brought together to compose words, which praise a Higher Power. When the mantra is continuously repeated by a person in the right state of mind, understanding the meaning of the words, it bestows strength, possibly because the comprehension itself gives way to wisdom, a state of calm.

The strength of a mantra emanates first from the syllable itself, thereafter from the meaning of the words formed by the syllables. In the case of “Om,” or “Aum,” as it is pronounced, which is a mantra on its own, the power is largely drawn from the significance of the syllable.

The sound of being

This may sound strange [pun intended!], but this is the crux of the force of chanting mantras. Sound is what a mantra is all about. Every cell in our body vibrates, and this movement is testimony to the life force within us. When uttered correctly, a syllable produces a certain vibration in the body. The syllable “Om,” for instance, produces vibrations in the abdomen, upper thorax and head.

At the same time, mythology equates “Om” with the sound of creation, or specifically, the vibration that emanated when a Higher Power [Brahman] set in motion the wheel of creation. “Om” is considered the first or primaeval sound of our Universe that runs through and sustains all life. This Hindu inspiration resonates with the Christian concept of the Logo, or the Word, being the Seed of Life, as God converted His idea of Creation into reality by using His Power of Speech.

When we, too, use our power of speech to recite “Om,” we align our body vibes with what is prevailing in the Universe, thus exposing ourselves to a font of energy that lies beyond. “Om” presupposes harmony within – our body – and, without – in Nature, and the entire Universe. Its utterance harmonises our body’s vibes with an ocean of energy. Truly, “Om” is a mantra that can energise the body to function optimally.

So much for the physical plane we exist in. Spiritually, by connecting individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness, “Om” makes it easier to transcend the confines of our physical body.

Chanting mantras for meditation

Mantras are useful to meditate, as they help focus the mind on a single, meaningful thought. Meditation is more about entertaining one powerful thought in the mind, as opposed to sitting quietly and allowing the mind to roam. The mind, if it starts to wander, must eventually be brought back on track. This is done with the help of a mantra.

Sceptics say, “Do you really need a mantra, which involves speaking, to tune within?” The question is valid. Meditation is, after all, an internal process that carries you away from/and outside of the physical world of sensation.

Mantras are interestingly not meant to be used only verbally. They may be recited aloud, or by soft whispering incantations involving the vibration of the vocal chord but without the emergence of sound, or silently in the mind. In fact, the verbal repetition of a mantra is considered its lowest form of use – something usually resorted to by beginners. Its silent repetition is the most potent, provided the mind does not switch off, or go to sleep!

The science of chanting mantras

We have all read, or known, about the power of chanting mantras. The question is: Is this actually backed by modern research? Apparently, it is. An Italian research study, led by Dr Luciano Bernardi, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Pavia, published in The British Medical Journal, has shown the physiological and psychological benefits of the vocal recitation of a Sanskrit mantra—Om Mani Padme Om—as well as Ave Maria, a Latin prayer. Correctly chanting the two mantras aloud caused participants to have a 10-second breath cycle, resulting in six breaths a minute. This corresponds to natural rhythmic fluctuations of the human circulatory system.

The average rate is anywhere between 14 to 20 breaths per minute. So, by lengthening and slowing breathing rhythms, these recitations synchronise our breathing with cardiovascular rhythms, thus improving our heart function as well as improving oxygenation. The result is a feeling of calm and wellbeing.

Try it yourself

If this inspires you to get started, try the simple “So Hum” mantra. Sit comfortably and observe your breathing. Inhale, saying “So,” and exhale saying, “Hum.” Pause for a second between inhalation and exhalation. Feel your breath as you recite the words.

If you’re reciting “Om,” or any other mantra, do ensure you’re in a clean, positive environment. When you’re connecting without, you need to choose the right surroundings, to avoid negative energies.

Practice makes perfect. Call it deep breathing or what you may, mantras pack more than just a sound punch.

Last updated on 3^rd July 2020

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