Breath Deep!

The purpose of deep breathing is to increase the oxygen in the blood stream, calm the nervous system, rid the body of toxins, clear the lungs and focus the mind. 

The average person’s breathing is very shallow, causing the lungs to lose their elasticity. Shallow breathing results in toxic buildup in the blood stream, tissue and cells, resulting in the deterioration of our emotional and physical health. Learning to breathe deeply is one of the easiest ways to re-energize yourself, heal your body and clear your mind.

Proper Breathing

At birth we breathe like fish, when inhaling our stomachs and chest expand, on the exhale our stomach and chest contracts. 

When our umbilical cords are cut before all the air has gently past into our respiratory system, it causes a painful gush of air to bombard our lungs and throw our breathing off kilter. From that moment on, we associate breathing with pain and never take another deep and nourishing breathe again. 

As we grow older this traumatic experience remains in our sub-consciousness, so whenever we feel pain be it physical or emotional, we tend to hold our breath in hopes of avoiding it, depriving our bodies of life-giving oxygen.

Most people remain in this state until death, some come to understand the power of the breath and how it can be used to heal our bodies and the deep-seated emotional pains we have locked into the recesses of our minds.

Deep Breathing Raises the Consciousness

The additional oxygen that we take in as a result of deep breathing literally activates dormant neurons in our brain, giving us access to information we probably were unaware we had

This is the reason we have been told by both ancients and modern science for millennia that we use less than 10 percent of our mind power. 

Deep and proper breathing gives us access to the inactive parts of our mind as well as the story of our souls. Raising our consciousness and elevating our minds to better understand ourselves and our relation to all of creation and humanity.

About the Lungs

The lungs are the physical organ responsible for bringing life-giving oxygen to the cells of the body and expelling poisonous carbon dioxide wastes.

Through breathing, the lungs expand 10 to 20 times a minute, and can hold as much as 7 pints of oxygen; they provide us with the most essential element to human life – oxygen. While food and water are vital to life, we can live several days without water, and even longer without food, however, without oxygen we will only survive a few minutes.

Every bio-chemical process of our body requires oxygen, and while it is vitally important, the quality of it, is as equally important. The lungs determine how well the toxic blood coming to them from the heart is cleansed, if we fail to breathe deep enough to fully oxygenate the bloodstream instead of delivering a fresh supply of blood it remains toxic. The single healthiest thing we can do for our lungs is to retrain ourselves to breathe deeply to fully cleanse our blood thereby supporting and regenerating our body. 

Deep Breathing Exercise

Through deep breathing we can strengthen our lungs, clear our minds, and purify our bloodstream. The following exercise will teach you how to properly breathe, we have become very shallow breathers and our health has suffered tremendously, in order to relearn how to breathe properly, it is recommended that you practice daily.

Lung & Nasal Decongestant Therapy

This remedy will help clear mucus congestion in the sinuses and lungs, and may be taken daily until congestion is relieved. In addition, singing is a fun way to strengthen the lungs. It is very important to drink plenty of water after this treatment; otherwise the mucus will be too thick to be flushed out of the body.

What You Need:
4 Fresh Lemons (fresh, not reconstituted)
1 Tablespoon of powdered cayenne pepper
1 Glass jar with lid

What to Do:

1. Thoroughly squeeze juice from lemons (removing seeds)
2. Add Cayenne Pepper
3. Shake well

How to Use:

1. Always shake mixture thoroughly before taking.
2. Take 1 full Tablespoon of mixture every 15-minutes until it is gone.
3. Do not eat any foods during this process.
4. Wait 1-hour and drink 16oz’s of Spring water.
5. Wait an additional hour and eat fruit for the next 2-hours.
6. Your meal for the day should consist of a large raw green leafy salad, steamed fresh. vegetables.
7. Always drink lots of water at room temperature, cold water causes the mucus to thicken.
8. Repeat treatment for two consecutive days at a time.

Lung Supporting Activities

• Spending time in nature with lots of greenery helps us rebalance and recharge or nervous system by breathing in more oxygen
• Singing is a great way to have fun strengthening the lungs.

Symptoms of Poor Lung Function
Shallow breathing
Fatigue
Bronchitis
Chronic coughs
Congestion

Mucus Forming Foods That Should Be Avoided
Fast foods

Dairy products
Refined foods
Sugar
White Flour products
Wheat
Oats
Barley
Rye

Mucus Dissolving Foods to Incorporate into your diet

All Fresh Raw Fruits & Vegetables

Lotus Root – helps to dissolve excess mucus in the lungs and body, it can be found in dried form in health food stores and fresh at Asian markets. If you suffer from respiratory conditions you will get much relief, when cut crosswise it resembles the internal chamber of the lungs.

Daikon Root – daikon root looks like an over-sized whit carrot, it is in the turnip family and works wonders with dissolving mucus in the body. It can be found at most produce markets.

Turnips – turnips are also good for dissolving mucus in the body.

All three are excellent when cooked, but to get the most benefit from these very healing foods, grate a small amount and eat raw with your meal and eat it raw.

Practice the Cleansing Breath

The Cleansing Breath helps to clear and strengthen the lungs. It will take a little time and concentration to become accustomed to it and find your rhythm. 

If you find that you’re inhaling and exhaling is not synchronized with your stomach and abdominal muscles, stop the exercise, take 3 to 4 regular breaths, and begin again. 

We have become so accustomed to shallow breathing; it will take time to relearn proper breathing techniques. So be gentle with yourself.

Cleansing Breath Directions

1. Lay comfortably on your back, with a rolled towel or pillow under knees (this takes the pressure of your lower back). You may also sit in a chair or stand, whatever is most comfortable for you.
2. Breath slowly and rhythmically, concentrating on inhaling through the nose, and exhaling through the mouth, a continuous stream of air.
3. Place your hands on your stomach, to feel the expansion and contraction.
4. As you to inhale, expand your stomach area; next expand the lower lung area. Then expand to the middle portion of your lungs.
5. Continue to inhale and bring your breath into the upper portion of your lungs by expanding your upper chest and ribs, as you slightly raise your shoulders to allow air into the upper portion of your lungs.
6. Hold the breath to the count of 10 (or whatever number is comfortable for you at the time). 
7. Inhale a quick sniff of air, through the mouth. This relieves the tension and makes it easier to exhale slowly.
8. Gently and slowly exhale in the reverse order; allow the air to flow out of upper, middle and lower lungs.
9. As you exhale, slightly contract you abdominal and stomach muscles to push the air out of your lungs.
10. Contract your abdominal and stomach muscles further to ensure that all air has been released.
11. Pause for a moment and begin the cycle again.
12. Repeat a total of 5 times.

Tips to Remember:

• When inhaling EXPAND the stomach and abdominal muscles to allow more air into your system.
• When exhaling CONTRACT, the stomach and abdominal muscles to help push the air from your system.
• Because you are taking more oxygen into your body, you may find yourself getting light-headed, if this happens, pause and take several regular breaths until you feel relief, and then begin again.
• Your stomach and abdominal muscles may become sore because they are active, but as they strengthen the soreness will subside.
• Do not strain the lungs. Slowly increase the amount of time for each breath.
• If you have high blood pressure, do not hold your breath, because it allows too much pressure to build up in your head.