In addition to diet, exercise and supplementing, Optimal Health Systems has always advocated regular deep breathing exercises in order to maintain optimal health.
And we have advocated this practice for well over two decades!
For your convenience, we are providing instructions for The Optimal Breathing Technique here.
INTRODUCTION • BACKGROUND
Before I explain the technique, let me remind you once more just how important it is to include this type of breathing in your total plan for health.
In fact, as a way to emphasize this crucial element in your program, let me share with you some things that recognized experts have said about oxygen intake.
Dr. Otto Warburg, who is the only person to have ever received two Nobel Prizes for Medicine and who was also nominated for a third, discovered, “The fundamental cause of all degenerative disease is hypoxia (oxygen starvation at the cellular level). Cancer and other degenerative diseases cannot survive in an oxygen-rich-environment.”
A study by J.W. Shield, M.D., entitled, Lymph, Lymph Glands and Homeostasis, revealed, “Deep diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the cleansing of the lymph system by creating a vacuum e ect which pulls the lymph through the bloodstream. This increases the rate of toxic elimination by as much as fifteen times the normal rate.”
Another oxygen proponent, Dr. Norman McVae, states, “The link between insuficient oxygen means insufi cient biological energy that can result in anything from mild fatigue to life-threatening disease.
“The evidence is overwhelming. Oxygen plays a powerful, primary role in our health and well-being. The more oxygen we have in our system, the more energy we produce.
“Understanding this is more important today than ever before, because of a general deficiency of oxygen intake.”
Dr. McVae concludes with this powerful statement: “Simply put, the best way to optimize health is to be sure that we oxygenate every cell in our body.”
With the whys said and re-said, we’re now ready to learn just how to accomplish increased oxygen delivery.
As suggested by its name, the Optimal Breathing Technique is the best way to breathe in order to increase oxygen flow to the body and derive the benefits of oxygen.
Additionally, this technique is the best way to have more rapid loss of body fat, release toxins, increase concentration and relieve stress.
The technique is described in detail here. Though it takes several paragraphs to describe, don’t worry; the technique is really quite simple.
THE OPTIMAL BREATHING TECHNIQUE
To begin, get rid of all the stale air in your lungs by steadily blowing out through your mouth. When you feel as if you can’t blow any more air out, expel one more thrusting breath to completely empty the lungs.
Close your mouth. Then, flaring the nostrils and opening the eyes wide, sharply inhale through the nose, quickly and forcibly pulling as much air into the diaphragm as possible.
Note: If you’re not making noise, you’re not doing it right!
Be sure you are filling the diaphragm with air, not the chest or the lower abdomen.
The diaphragm it located just below the sternum in the “V” formed by the rib cage. As the diaphragm fills completely, the lower abdomen should next expand slightly, followed by the chest.
After the first sharp intake, continue to steadily pull the air in as deeply as you can, completely filling the lungs.
When you feel as if you have taken in all the air you can, open your mouth and take a final gasp of air in through the mouth.
With that last breath, since your abdominal cavity is already full of air, your chest should now expand.
Hold for seven seconds.
Note: If you are doing the The Optimal Breathing Technique while exercising, you will hold your breath in as you perform the ‘easy’ part of each exercise, and as you stretch.
If exercising, at the end of the seven-second count you will relax the stretch or begin the ‘hard’ part of the exercise before exhaling.
For this part of the technique, open your mouth and (like someone socked you in the stomach) and exhale from the diaphragm with a quick, explosive breath through
the mouth.
Again, you should breathe out hard enough that you make noise as you force the air from deep inside.
Continue exhaling, completely emptying the lungs. As you blow the air out, roll the stomach in and up. This is an important step, particularly if you want to flatten your stomach and tone your abdominal muscles.
Hold the air out for seven seconds, at which time you should be done with the ‘hard’ part of the exercise, and ready to begin the ‘easy’ part.
If stretching, you are now ready to begin the next stretch.
Again, don’t be surprised if this technique sounds a little confusing at first.
Since most of us don’t breathe in this way at all, it will seem awkward in the beginning. Don’t give up.
In just a day or two, this technique will seem almost second nature.
To download and print a one-page PDF of The Optimal Breathing Technique, please click the link below:
The Optimal Breathing Technique