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...
Showing posts with label tai chi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tai chi. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Relax and quit smoking!
It's a bit mystifying, but people still smoke cigarettes. The health risks are well known and documented, but the nasty habit persists.
To be sure it is a personal choice (except for when we have to breathe the nasty second-hand smoke). But we're certain many who still smoke would love to stop.
WebMD's "Stop Smoking Support and Tips by Gina Shaw, however, shares a few relaxation techniques that might help those who would like to quit smoking kick the habit for good," writes TestCountry.com. "The article does mention that there are no hard-hitting scientific facts and observations – not yet, anyway – to back up how effective these techniques are in helping people stop smoking, but the American Cancer Society’s Vice President for Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, Michael Thun, M.D., concurs that these approaches might be of help."
These techniques are held together by a common factor: all involve deep breathing. The reason why these might help is that smokers are generally used to breathing deeply while sucking on a cigarette, and this might be a practice that they no longer do once they try to quit. Forgetting to practice deep breathing may lead to an increase in tension levels, which leads to that “fuzzy,” “grumpy” and “out of sorts” feeling that smokers who try to quit sometimes get.
The techniques include practicing deep breathing, guided imagery, tai chi, meditation and yoga. If you're even thinking about quitting, these are worthy of investigation. Read the full article here and be sure to visit www.perfectbreath.com for more info on mindful breathing. You'll be glad you did.
To be sure it is a personal choice (except for when we have to breathe the nasty second-hand smoke). But we're certain many who still smoke would love to stop.
WebMD's "Stop Smoking Support and Tips by Gina Shaw, however, shares a few relaxation techniques that might help those who would like to quit smoking kick the habit for good," writes TestCountry.com. "The article does mention that there are no hard-hitting scientific facts and observations – not yet, anyway – to back up how effective these techniques are in helping people stop smoking, but the American Cancer Society’s Vice President for Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, Michael Thun, M.D., concurs that these approaches might be of help."
These techniques are held together by a common factor: all involve deep breathing. The reason why these might help is that smokers are generally used to breathing deeply while sucking on a cigarette, and this might be a practice that they no longer do once they try to quit. Forgetting to practice deep breathing may lead to an increase in tension levels, which leads to that “fuzzy,” “grumpy” and “out of sorts” feeling that smokers who try to quit sometimes get.
The techniques include practicing deep breathing, guided imagery, tai chi, meditation and yoga. If you're even thinking about quitting, these are worthy of investigation. Read the full article here and be sure to visit www.perfectbreath.com for more info on mindful breathing. You'll be glad you did.
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