Breathing Art

If you are in a yoga class or a meditation class, you have learned that breathing is important. Learning to work with your breathing can be as healing for you as a medication. In fact, it is likely more beneficial than most medications.

If you've never taken a yoga or meditation class, I would highly recommend that you do so, just to learn about breathing. Concentrating on breathing takes you away from your constantly busy mind and makes you present to this moment as you breathe.

Meditation

Since I spoke about acupuncture yesterday, I' thinking it's a good time to talk about meditation. Many of you probably already meditate, but there are likely some of you who really don't know what it is. Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus on a sound, an object, a visualization, the breath, a movement or the attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment. Meditation also reduces stress, promotes relaxation and enhances personal and spiritual growth.

Meditation teaches you to block out distractions, creating calmer and more powerful brain patterns. One of my favorite CDs to begin meditating is by Wayne Dyer. Clicking on Wayne Dyer will take you to the CD. The brain waves of experienced practitioners of medication show slow, focused waves similar to those seen during sleep. There is also a synchronization of the waves from different areas of the brain.

Meditation has very positive effects on blood pressure, insulin, blood sugar, and heart health. Concentration is often improved and anxiety and stress are often helped.