The world we live in today, with its ultra-fast pace, demands far more of the average person than

society did even a mere fifty years ago. The effects of this relentless drive forward are being felt everywhere, not the least of which is the health of each and every one of us. Of all the dangers our modern lifestyle exposes us to, I believe, as do many others, that the greatest risk lies in the stress that is placed on our minds and bodies. One report I have read, put out by the World Health Organization, stated that over 80% of all illness was caused by stress of some kind! Many forms of cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, insomnia, depression, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, low energy, obesity..... the list goes on and on. The effects can range from slightly annoying, like not having enough energy to get through a workout, all the way to life threatening conditions. For a person who is trying to live a healthy lifestyle, this is one of the greatest obstacles to overcome. In the twenty years that I have been a teacher and a trainer, I have unfortunately seen stress ruin the lives and health of more than a few people. One of the first things I do when assessing a new client, is to try to get some background information that will help me get a picture of the amount of stress they are currently under. If a client is looking for an intense workout, and their insides are shaking from stress, adding in the stress of a workout is not necessarily a healthy choice. Many times, I'll recommend stress relieving exercises and techniques first, to clear out accumulated tension, before moving on with a more taxing program. They'll learn these techniques with me, with the goal of implementing them throughout the day, to combat the stress before it has a chance to really take hold in their minds and bodies. Many of these techniques can be done anywhere and anytime there is a free moment, especially during work hours where most of our stress tends to arise. The workplace, for most of us, is the place we need to implement these kinds of techniques the most. The dual benefit being that stress is eliminated as it arises, and clearing out the stress will actually make us function better at work. This creates a positive feed-back loop that can really go a long way toward creating less-stress environments. When a person is free of excess stress, they tend to not only be healthier, but happier. If we can manage to be

healthy and happy at work, accessing that state at other times tends to be a whole lot easier. I normally draw from my background in Hatha Yoga and Qigong to create the stress-relieving programs for my clients. Hatha Yoga is a phenomenal tool that can be utilized for many different purposes, as is easily seen by the different approaches that are available today. The original aim of hatha yoga practice, was to remove problems and blockages in a practitioner's mind and body, so a balanced healthy state could be achieved. From there, the practices would progress to strengthening the body and mind, and finally lead the aspirant to a state far beyond their starting point. Some of the most potent tools for stress relief in the Hatha Yoga arsenal, are the yogic breathing practices, known as pranayama. The breathing process is interesting because it is one of the few processes in the body that is both an unconscious, automatic process, and can also be consciously controlled and altered. Science has proven that the process of respiration is a two-way street. Our state of mind and stress levels greatly alter our breathing rate and depth. The more stress, tension, and fear that we feel, the more shallow and rapid our breathing becomes. Because it is a two-way street though, we can alter our internal,emotional states, by consciously controlling our breathing. By working with simple, yet highly effective yogic breathing practices, we can start to control how we're feeling. Stress is an enemy that slowly, and sometimes not so slowly, robs us of the amount of control we have over our lives. We can start to regain that lost control any time we start to feel it slip away, by simply changing how we breathe. Let's look at the first three breathing techniques that I normally teach. The first breathing technique, and arguably the most important, is basic abdominal, or diaphragmatic breathing; aka- belly breathing. This breathing technique forms the basis of any good breathing program, and ironically, it's the way we are supposed to be breathing all of the time! Unfortunately, most of us don't breathe this way, and we pay the price with increased tension and a lower tolerance for stressful situations. When we don't breathe deeply

enough, as I will explain in a bit, our stress will not only linger, it will increase, causing a host of physical, emotional, and psychological problems. Before beginning though, it is important to take a second to check your posture. Proper breathing can only occur if our body is positioned the right way. Through years of stress, tension, injuries, and sometimes plain laziness, most of us have adopted less than ideal posture. Slumped shoulders and a rounded back are more than just unattractive, they're one of the biggest obstacles in the way of breathing correctly! Whether you are at the office, the gym, or relaxing at home, proper posture will go a long way toward improving breathing, and in turn, reducing stress. First and foremost is to align our spine, getting it as straight as we can manage without undue force. It's best to think about it as if we were stacking one vertebrae on top of the next, like building blocks. Our shoulders, which for the majority of us, are perpetually tense and lifted, should be dropped down and relaxed. Your hands can be placed in any position, as long as it's a position that allows the arms and shoulders to feel tension-free. The head, like the rest of the spine, should feel as if it is stacked on top of our now vertical spinal column. It helps greatly to imagine as if there is a balloon tied to the crown of our head, gently lifting up. It's important though, not to allow the head to tilt upward. Keep your chin slightly pulled back so that you are looking straight ahead. This position, which is adopted whether one is sitting in a chair, on the floor, standing, or even lying down, allows the lungs to fully expand, and gives the rest of organs the proper space they need to function. Belly breathing itself is simple: Inhaling through the nose, imagine that the breath goes down into the belly first, expanding it like a balloon. This is impossible of course, but the visualization allows your diaphragm, the trampoline-like muscle that sits under your lungs and is responsible for letting air in, to drop down fully, and help you really take a deep breath. It is important to keep your shoulders down and relaxed throughout the whole breath. Raising the shoulders with tension, causes the muscles around the lungs to contract, keeping you from accomplishing your main objective: taking a full breath.

The exhale is also simple. Allow the belly to relax, and let the breath flow smoothly out of the nose. If you are in a really stressful situation, say before a big speech or meeting, you can exhale out of the mouth, imagining as you do, that all of the anxiety and fear is being expelled from your body. This brings in the use of the mind during breathing techniques, which we will delve a little more deeply into in the third technique. This is the way that we were designed to breathe. I have two small daughters, and when I watch them breathe, this is how they do it. They haven't yet accumulated the stress and tension that interferes with proper breathing. When we don't perform deep abdominal breathing, we set up a catastrophic chain of events, as far as stress is concerned. We don't get adequate oxygen into our blood stream. This taxes our body and starts a fear reaction. This fear reaction dumps stress chemicals into out system, which causes our anxiety levels to rise, and brings tension to our muscles. The muscles most effected are the shoulder and neck muscles, which tighten and pull up, causing our lungs to get tighter, and our breathing to get even shallower. You can see that this leads to even more tension. A never ending spiral of self-destruction!!! (pic 1, pic 2) The second technique, known in Hatha Yoga as Nadi Shodhana, cleansing of the channels, builds off of deep belly breathing. Also known as alternate nostril breathing, nadi shodhana is known to be a remedy for a whole list of conditions that includes everything from stress and tension relief, to alleviation of high blood pressure, insomnia, low energy, and headaches. The way it works is through its balancing effect on the nervous system. Hatha Yoga itself, is a science of balancing all of the systems in our body, to first alleviate any problems, and then strengthen and improve our whole experience of life. Research has confirmed what the ancient yoga practitioners discovered a long time ago: the right nostril connects to the left half of our brain, and the left nostril connects to the right half of our brain. The left and right hemispheres of our brain see the world very differently. The left half is the logical, analytical side, the right half is the creative side. The practice of

alternate nostril breathing brings a balance to the brain, which transfers right over to our body. This has ramifications which extend far beyond the scope of an introduction to breathing practices. It is in fact a deep and esoteric aspect of yoga, known as Swara Yoga, the science of breath. If one can remember the last time they were sick and had a stuffy nose, a phenomenon occurs that most don't ever think about. One nostril will be more blocked than the other, and then suddenly, as if out of nowhere, it magically switches over to the other nostril. What is happening is an obvious example of what happens all the time. We don't usually breathe evenly through both of our nostrils. One nostril is dominant, and in a healthy person, the nostrils switch dominance about every 90 minutes or so. As our nostrils are intimately connected to the hemispheres of our brain, this means that brain activity also switches from one side to the other every 90 minutes. This simple fact can explain why our moods and ability to focus change throughout the course of a day. In the change over, from one nostril to the other, there is a period of about two minutes, where both nostrils flow equally. If one was aware during this time, one would notice a feeling of being relaxed, yet fully aware. The practice of Nadi Shodhana was used by the ancient yogis to artificially recreate and extend this feeling. The second effect of alternate nostril breathing, and the one that is more important to look at in terms of stress relief, is the way each nostril connects to our nervous system. Our autonomic nervous system, that runs all of our bodily processes, is divided into three main branches: the sympathetic, the parasympathetic, and the enteric. The enteric system is located in our guts, and is often referred to as our belly brain. Deep belly breathing, which we've already discussed, positively effects this aspect of the nervous system, helping us to remain centered and improving digestion as an added bonus. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for energizing our body, and getting us ready for physical acts or stressful situations. This activates what is known as the fight-or-flight mechanism. The right nostril connects to the sympathetic nervous system The parasympathetic nervous system's job is to allow are body to wind down at night, and to begin the process of healing and regeneration. The left nostril connects to the parasympathetic system.

When alternate nostril breathing is practiced, it starts to bring both of these aspects of the nervous system into balance. We energize our bodies by breathing through the right nostril, and we relax and rejuvenate by breathing through the left nostril. When working with both nostrils evenly, a calm and relaxed, yet focused and prepared state is achieved. This is a perfect recipe for success in any endeavor!! There are many variations of alternate nostril breathing. The one we will learn now, is an easy variation that I normally teach first. Once learned, the other variations of the practice are more easily accessible. We'll use the fingers of our right hand to manually block off our nostrils. Traditionally, a specific mudra, or hand position, is used. The thumb is used to block off the right nostril, and the ring and pinkie finger are used to block off the left nostril. The index and middle fingers are folded out of the way. (pic 3) Step one, is to block off the left nostril, and inhale through the right. (pic 4) Step two, block off the right and exhale out of the left. (pic 5) Now the process is reversed. Inhale through the left, and then exhale through the right. It's easy to remember if you imagine an upside-down V shape with the point between the eyebrows. Inhale up one side of the upside-down V, and then exhale out of the other side. Back and forth. The breathing can be repeated for as long as you have time. Two minutes of alternate nostril breathing can really work wonders for reducing stress! This method of alternate nostril breathing is designed to bring about a total balance. There are many other methods that build off of this basic practice, that one can learn to enhance the practice, as well as to bring about other changes to the mind and body. Some practices emphasize breathing mostly through the right nostril. This would be appropriate for a time when you really need to energize your mind and body. Other practices emphasize left

nostril breathing. This would relax the body to a greater degree, and is a perfect practice to perform at night, to wind down before bed. In all actuality, there are so many variations of this exercise, that it can actually be considered a complete yoga practice unto itself!! The final breathing technique we will discuss, utilizes everything we've learned so far, and adds in a generous use of imagination. Often known as Skin Breathing, this breathing technique is a vital part of advanced hatha yoga practice, as well as Taiji and Qigong practice. Although it is a part of advanced practice, the technique itself is relatively easy, and as long as we're willing to use our imagination and be playful, it can be an extremely effective tool for stress relief. We've already learned the basis of skin breathing: Deep Belly Breathing. That is as complicated as it goes as far as the breathing mechanics are concerned. The real secret to this breathing technique lies in our ability to engage our mind in the practice. Done correctly, and with the right intention, this breathing technique can be utilized for everything from stress relief, to increased energy, to self-healing of illness and trauma! Again, this practice is relatively easy. Simply inhale deeply with a deep belly breath, and then exhale out. Before the first inhale though, we have to take a moment to focus on the surface of our skin. Really try to feel your skin as the barrier between you and the rest of the Universe!! Step one, is to take your deep inhale, imagining that you are breathing right through the pores in your skin. Step two, is to feel that as you are inhaling, your body is expanding like a balloon. Step three, is to feel your body relaxing and deflating as you exhale out. That's it!!! Not complicated at all. This practice is extremely versatile, and is the basis of the self-healing

techniques that I teach. The only thing that changes is the intention of the practice. For instance, as you inhale, you can imagine that you're inhaling positive, healthy energy. As you exhale, you imagine that you are expelling all of your stress, tension, and anxiety. Or, as you inhale, you can imagine that you are inhaling confidence and power, and as you exhale, you are releasing any fears you may be feeling. This practice can be done seated, as in an office setting, standing, or even lying down. This last position of lying down works great as a way to prepare yourself for sleep! It can be used to combat insomnia by getting rid of all the worries of the day, and the anxiety of what's coming the next morning. These three breathing exercises are the easiest to learn of the breathing techniques that I teach, but don't be fooled by their simple nature. If practiced diligently and regularly, they can work what appear to be miracles, as far as stress and anxiety are concerned. As part of an overall approach to health and fitness in the ever-increasing pace of the world we live in, I really feel that they are indispensable!