To breathe properly is to live properly

"When the breath wanders, the mind is unsteady, but when the breath is still, so is the mind still." Ancient Yoga principle. 

Take food or water out of your life and you can live for days. Take away breath and you will die a quick death. Breathing is essential to living. Learn to breathe properly and you will not only develop the skill of changing your state of mind, you will dramatically enhance your energy levels. Good breathing practice fully oxygenates the body and charges up every one of your cells to fuel your activities and keep you in a state of high vitality. Good breathing practices will unleash the vitality that now lies inside you waiting to be released. Elite athletes do deep breathing exercises to fully relax and achieve peak performance at an important event. If you want to live longer, be happier and think stronger, learn to breathe properly and practice the following exercises regularly. 

Breath and Hold

This technique, which will dramatically increase your energy after only a couple of weeks of steady use, is simple to practice and can be done anywhere. It is also one of the best exercise to improve your concentration if you are weak in this key area. 

The essence of the exercise is to inhale to a count of two, hold your breath for a count of eight and exhale fully to count of four. To aid you in your counting, you may use walking steps: walk for two steps while inhaling fresh air deep into your lungs, hold for eight steps and exhale strongly for four more footsteps. You will soon notice the difference in your energy level and overall health levels. 

Alternate Nostril Breathing. 

This is a thousand year old technique used to boost the energy levels and to produce a wide array of lasting benefits to the mind, body and spirit. After practicing it, you will feel a mild feeling of euphoria. 

Sit in a quiet area with your feet crossed and back straight. At all times, your mouth should remain closed. Place your right thumb over your right nostril and inhale to the count of two through your left nostril. Close your eyes when you do this and imagine a giant balloon expanding in your tummy when you take the inhalation. Now hold for the standard eight count and, at the same time, cover your left nostril with your right pinky (little finger). Next, exhale to the count of four through your right nostril. Next, your inhalation will be through the right nostril, hold and exhale through the left (your thumb is now on the right nostril). Practice this alternate nostril breathing for five minutes every morning and the benefits will come fast. 

The Pump. 

This is a quick energy booster which you may use before a big presentation or meeting. Simply sit down and place your hands over your belly as if your were cupping a balloon. Now push/pump in your stomach at the belly button area and exhale strongly through your nose at the same time. Then, inhale through your nose and push the belly outward. Repeat the process twenty times, speeding up as you grow more comfortable. 

Green Fog Breathing.

This a technique developed by the world-class martial artists of the Orient to place themselves into a state of serenity and elevated calmness before competition. The first principle of good breathing practice is to breathe with all of your lungs and not just from the top portion of them. Proper breathing occurs when you are using the top and bottom of the lungs, as you do naturally when you sleep. 

Now lay down on your back in a place of quiet and shut your eyes. Repeat aloud the following phrase slowly, “I am serene, strong and focused.” Then, while you inhale, visualize the air as deep green fog entering your body through your nostrils, moving slowly into the depths of your abdomen. The green fog then moves through the limbs and throughout the body. Next, when the calming green fog has travelled through the body relaxing every muscle, exhale it along with any tensions that may have accumulated.  Keep doing this deep breathing exercise for 5 to 20 minutes daily for immediate calmness and internal peace. Deep breathing can change the state of your mind and the state of your life. 

The above breathing exercises reflect the very best breathing conditioners for the mind, body and spirit. You can take your general health to a far higher level simply by applying these techniques and you will surely reap huge gains and carry out all important tasks with improved vigor and enthusiasm. With the greater energy reserve deep breathing generates, you can do more, achieve more and transform your world from the commonplace to ideal.