Perfect Breathing

Sex and Breathing (or Taking it to the Sheets)

2010-08-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have to admit that some of our posts may get a bit geeky from time to time. Information about how brain cells affect the breathing process may not appeal to your average Joe Sixpack. But fear not. Here is news you can use!

Dallas free-lancer Jenny Block wrote a great piece a while back regarding her foray into the world of yoga and how the breathing techniques she learned have provided her with new inspiration (pun intended) and pleasure with her partner.

A great observation that she made was that the simpler the solution, the more likely that people will ignore it or not take it seriously. We have definitely found this to be true with breathing techniques in general. They equate expensive and difficult with effective, but we are slowly converting people - one breather at at time!

Here are a few of Jenny's discoveries:

1) Aside from making everything function better, breathing focuses your mind and brings you into the moment and allows you to focus on your partner, instead of worrying about that report that you owe your boss. It allows you to relax and fully appreciate the experience. Matching your breath with your partners will deepen your connection.

2) You can use the pace of your breath to control the pace of your lovemaking. Fast, short breathing will get you to the top faster ("I'm going to be late for work!" See #1), while slow, deep breathing will allow you to slow things down and take your time. For extra credit, try combining the two!

3) Focusing on your breath opens you up to the creativity of the moment. I helps you to become spontaneous. It clears your mind, which is why it is so heavily used in meditation and other spiritual practices. It shuts down that voice that is always criticizing and analyzing which is why it is also used by actors, singers, musicians, and performing artists of all kinds to open themselves up to the muse.

Looking for more? Checkout our article reprint archive at Perfectbreathing.com.

You can find Jenny's full article here.

Got any tips to offer? We love to hear from you!

The New Science of Breathing

2010-07-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

It seems like hardly a week goes by that there is not some breaking news regarding new discoveries regarding the breath and the impact that it has on the different dimensions of our lives.

The world's oldest cultures did not concern themselves with the "how" behind breathing, but clearly understood the power and potential that it holds with regards to our health, performance, and emotional/spiritual well-being. Our skeptical western minds however have been busily trying to understand the "how" of breathing and its remarkable impact on nearly everything that we do.

This week there has been a new discovery. Scientists in England discovered that brain cells called astrocytes are able to "taste" arterial blood as it enter the brain and determine the relative levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The astrocytes then secrete a chemical messenger called ATP which then signals the brain to regulate the breathing process. The astrocytes are apparently able to adjust and adapt to different situations and environments.

Researchers are hopeful that this new breakthrough will lead to better understanding and treatments for respiratory malfunctions such as Sudden Infant Death syndrome and others.

The good news is that as each new piece of the puzzle falls into place, more and more people are awakening to this powerful resource that is readily available to them every minute of every day.

How to Improve Your Memory (hint: Breathe!)

2010-07-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

I have to say that for as much of a flag-waving proponent of the amazing effects of conscious breathing techniques (CBTs) as I am, I've always been a bit skeptical of some of the techniques and claims.

Alternate nostril breathing techniques fall into that category. I've never seen the kind of convincing studies that have proven many of the other claims around CBTs. But now we have the YOU docs - Drs. Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen making some pretty bold claims around improving memory using left nostril breathing in the ezine "healthzone.ca."

According to healthzone.ca "undergraduates who did left-nostril breathing before a memory test scored 16 per cent higher than those who didn't. And left-nostril breathing improved spatial memory scores in kids by 43 per cent." What is really quite fascinating is that right nostril breathing had no effect (on those tests). We'll have to wait for the sequel to find out if right nostril breathing can help me write that hit song!

You might want to read the whole article. Now where are those car keys...

Healthier Living & Better Breathing with Health Txts

2010-03-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Fred Muench over at Mobile Health Interventions just let us know about a great new service they have just recently launched called Health Txts. This handy new service allows you to have specialized messages sent to your mobile device to help you change behaviors and reach your goals more quickly. Message categories span the spectrum - everything from healthy eating and exercise, reducing drinking and drug use, gambling and smoking cessation, to stress management and dental hygiene. Health Care professionals can even create customized programs for their own clients!

This type of messaging has been shown to be a powerful way of behavior modification as it is constantly available and can help guide you through your weakest moments. Best of all, it is free during their launch.

Fred has a lot of experience in this area. He was one of the brains behind the Stress Eraser, a cool biofeedback device for triggering the body's natural relaxation response through guided breathing. He was also one of the key contributors to the Breath Pacer mobile application, which also helps to develop the habit of slow deep breathing.

These are great products that we highly recommend. If you are serious about improving your health, performance, and emotional well-being, learn to develop your most powerful asset - your breath. It can make a world of difference in every dimension of your life.

Please check out our website for more great product information.

Breathing for Pain Management

2010-03-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

The benefits of conscious breathing techniques have been demonstrated once again in a study at the University of Arizona as reported in PAIN, the refereed journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain. The study was conducted with patients who suffer from Fibromyalgia, and demonstrated that chronic pain sufferers can reduce their pain through the use of slow, deep breathing.

The study found that when painful heat pulses were administered to both healthy controls and those suffering from chronic pain, the groups that slowed their breathing to approximately 50% of the normal breathing rate (about 8-10) breaths per minute, the level of pain they experienced decreased.

It was also found that the reduction in pain was related to positive effects in mood and levels of depression, demonstrating once again the intricate tie between mind and body.

Read more in the full story at Science Daily.

For those of you keeping track at home, this is yet another example of the avalanche of research that continues to validate the thousands of years of anecdotal information that demonstrates our powerful ability to take control of our minds, bodies, and emotions and create dramatic improvements in our health & healing, mental, physical, and creative performance, as well as our emotional well-being.

It's yours for the taking, starting with your very next breath!

Breathing Your Way to Olympic Gold

2010-02-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

In our book "Perfect Breathing" we spent a lot of time writing about the many ways that top athletes and performers use breathing techniques to elicit the absolute best from their minds and bodies. This week, when it's all about the Olympics all the time, we've come across a couple of great examples from the frozen (or slushy) slopes of Whistler.

First up, Alexandre Bilodeau, the moguls champ and winner of Canada's first gold medal, was part of a Top Secret performance improvement program that taught him and other Canadian athletes how to use breathing techniques to focus their minds and identify and eliminate the anxiety and tension that were holding them back.

Bilodeau learned to identify his unique tension profile through a process called bioneuralfeedback and then learned breathing techiques that specifically addressed his tension points. "Breathing through my shoulders, breathing through my legs and breathing through my mind, it helps you to let it go and bring your focus into the present moment," he said. "The hardest thing for an athlete in any sport is to stay in the right now." Read the whole story here.

In another post from Canada's Times & Transcript, Jim Foster zeros in on the breathing techniques that Olympic biathletes and other marksmen us to put a hole in a bulls-eye from 150 meters at various times during a 20 kilometer cross-country ski race. Not only does the breath play a role in quickly calming the mind and body so that you can make any kind of shot, but the breath has to be used to actually control the shot - if your lungs are full that increases your excitement level and the shakiness or your hands (I'm guessing that's bad), while holding your breath causes fatigue and negatively affects your vision. There are several techniques, but taking the shot during the pause between the exhale and the next inhale seems to be very effective. Read the whole story here.

In every contest we've watched, it is obvious how having control over your mind, body, and emotions can be the deciding factor (except for perhaps curling) and the breath is the most powerful source of control we have over them all!

What is stealing your breath?

2009-12-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

I saw the question in Valerie Reiss' post on Belief.net. "What makes you hold your breath?" What a great question! We talk a lot about developing an awareness of your breath as a means to improved health, performance, and emotional wellbeing, but directing your focus to mentally note the things that steal your breath can be quite illuminating.

For one, notice the sheer number of times during the day and the strange things that cause us to temporarily stop breathing. My laptop is at the top of both lists. There are very few things that you can do on a computer that benefit from holding your breath. Have you ever experienced "email apnea?" I'm surprised at how often I find myself not breathing while doing almost any task that requires focus or concentration, especially when it is computer related. You know what? It doesn't help! And unfortunately, those are usually the moments when you can really benefit from being fully oxygenated and firing on all cylinders.

Secondly, once you start seeing the patterns, i.e. holding your breath before speaking at a meeting, or when dealing with bad traffic or holiday crowds, you can preemptively take a few deep breaths to break the cycle and take control.

Lastly, it allows you to ask yourself what it is about these situations that leads you to hold your breath or feel stressed. Once you shine the light of awareness on these fears and anxieties they oftentimes start shrinking or disappear altogether.

Now that we are in the thick of the holiday season, make it a point to notice the things that are stealing your breath so that they don't interfere or mask the things that take your breath away.

Happy Holidays!

New Perfect Breathing Workbook and Guided Relaxation CD NOW AVAILABLE!

2009-11-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the holidays!

If you've been enjoying Perfect Breathing: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time ($19.95), you'll want to pick up our new companion workbook, Perfect Breathing: A 28-Day Transformation to Better Living ($17.95), and our new Perfect Breathing Guided Relaxation CD ($12.95). Just head to the Products section of www.perfectbreath.com. We're now shopping-cart equipped!

Take advantage of our gift-pack specials: Get our hardbound Perfect Breathing book, the workbook and CD for only $39.95! If you already have the book, get the workbook and CD for only $24.95. Order now! Click here for all the details!

Digital downloads of our Perfect Breathing Guided RelaxationCD will also available shortly at CDBaby.com. click to www.cdbaby.com/cd/perfectbreathing

Perfect Breathing

Sex and Breathing (or Taking it to the Sheets)

The New Science of Breathing

How to Improve Your Memory (hint: Breathe!)

Healthier Living & Better Breathing with Health Txts

Breathing for Pain Management

Breathing Your Way to Olympic Gold

What is stealing your breath?

New Perfect Breathing Workbook and Guided Relaxation CD NOW AVAILABLE!

From 'Economic Times': Watch the Breath. It'll Make You Smarter

Breathing Technique Could Control Asthma

6 Lessons from a Month of Better Breathing

Joe Kita Uses the Breath for Healthier Travel

Joe Kita Gives Performance Breathing a Try - And Likes It

Mindfullness Reminders

Joe Kita Fights Road Rage with Breathing

Bareback Breathing

Breathe Yourself to Sleep

Relax and quit smoking!

Joe Kita - One Small Change

Control Your Fear of Flying with Breathing

New Breathe Break Videos

Kissing Your Way to Better Health

The Earth Breathes, Too

Jazz Artist Terrance Blanchard Lauds Breathing

Losing Sleep? Just Breathe!

Excess Belly Fat Inhibits Breathing

Breathing and Weight Loss

On Death & Dying

Eat right, breathe right

Save the Ritalin, Garth: Try Breathing Instead

Mindful Breathing Eases COPD Symptoms

Mindfullness and Breathing Ease Work Stress

Neckties & Breathing

Beat the heat with simple breathing exercises

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