(By Norma Gentile)
- Reproduced from Norma Gentile's original newsletter: First published on 16 March 2011 at http://www.healingchants.com/newsletter3b-11.html)
It wasn't just an Earthquake. Nor was it just a tsunami. Nor is it even the ongoing nuclear meltdowns. The electromagnetic field of the planet shifted. It happened in the hours just before the Earthquake and for several hours after the Earthquake. And because of that, our brains and the way we think have changed.
What does that mean?
Simply put; you can't think the same thoughts this week that you thought last week. The physical shift of the Earth made more concrete within our own bodies whatever change was necessary so that our thought patterns will not regress. That is a gift to all of humanity from those now enduring hardship and loss in Japan.
There are thoughts that are very hard for us to entertain now, after the quake. These same thoughts were ones we considered normal to have before the quake. There is a deeper quality of compassion and less judgment. A deeper reflection and stillness that we either yearn for or are taking steps to find and cultivate now. Our brain's function has shifted. We have lost some of our memory. The kind of memory that tells our computer where we were the last time we opened a web browser. We can no longer access it. There is no going back. We are not who we were.
The electromagnetic field that surrounds the Earth is both generated by the Earth as well as all the living beings who are present upon and within the Earth. As my definition of living beings I'm including plants, animals, minerals and all that humanity has created. Including nuclear power plants. These power plants emit electromagnetic fields. To a lesser extent the electrical lines in my backyard that bring electricity into my house, along with my phone lines and even cable TV lines, also generate small electromagnetic fields. As a result, the larger EM field of the planet is impacted by these smaller EM fields.
My guides were suggesting I think of this like acupuncture. If the planet is the body of the patient, then the planetary electromagnetic field is the energetic body of the patient. The nuclear reactors are needles being inserted into the patient's body; in this case the Earth. If someone randomly inserts needles into someone's body, chances are they won't hit any major acupuncture points, or hit enough minor points that relate to each other in a way to disturb the flow of energy in any given meridian. Any disruption in the meridians or chi of the patient that does occur due to needles being inserted randomly the patient's own body will restore within a few hours or days, once the needles are removed.
In the case of our planet, the nuclear reactors and similarly large producers of electromagnetic fields have been plunked down upon the planet. But they are not spread out evenly. They are clustered into certain regions and in lines up and down the coasts of Japan and the east coast of the US. Where the reactors exist in these lines, it is possible that they are forming secondary energy meridians, with each reactor functioning as a potent nodal point. These secondary energy meridians exist alongside the natural energy meridians of the Earth. Where they are clustered, they are creating secondary nodal points.
My wondering goes perhaps a bit differently here than what you might expect. I wonder if Earth's energies and Gaia's consciousness feels these secondary meridians and might be incorporating them to catapult the change in human consciousness? That is to say, what humanity has built is not wrong. It is being used in a manner we didn't anticipate to help us spring more quickly into a new way of viewing and interacting with our Earth. And we may not find this comfortable. Perhaps this discomfort will motivate us to seek within ourselves that still center point. Or plant a garden. Or call a dear friend.
At about the same moment the Earth shrugged her shoulder under the island of Japan, my own body sighed deeply. Months of a tension which had slowly built up inside of my core released as I turned from my computer screen to reach some papers behind me. It was an emotional energy and a sigh and a question mark, all pulsing up and out and into the space around me.
It was also a surprise. Before I gathered my thoughts, the energy had gone from the room. And the uneasiness I had been feeling inside of my body was gone. Completely. It was not mine. It had grown so slowly that I had not even thought to ask the tension if it was mine. Like most of us who feel things going on inside of us, I assumed that the sensation was mine. But it wasn't. It was the Earth's.
Our bodies are resonant to the physical Earth. Although we may have blocked it, we have the ability to be telepathic with the Earth. Many people find it easier to be telepathic in their emotions. They know they are resonant with the grief, fear and pain they see on the television. Others are now resonant with the Earth, as she builds up tension and then releases it. Just as we are on a journey, so is Gaia, whose body is the physical Earth.
N.B. Norma Gentile, a soprano as well as a Sound Sharman, is also a recording artist of four solo musical CDs, 10 Meditation and Teaching CDs, an energy healer and channeler. She receives information for individuals in healing sessions, and written transmissions from Archangel Michael, Mary and Thoth which she shares in her news-lettters and articles. As a singer of healing music, she works with the Hathors and Hildegard. Her works can be found at the following site: http://www.healingchants.com/. At the site, you will be able to hear as background music "Three Beauties Create Sacred Space" from Norma's latest album "Songs of Spirit".
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Early To Rise - Winner Take All? The Yin and Yang of Negotiating
(By Michael Masterson)
Sid had done it. He had convinced the IRS agent to forgive the mistake my partner Joel and I had made. He had spent three weeks with the guy, working mornings, golfing with him in the afternoon, and taking him out to dinner.
If the IRS had stuck to their ridiculous position, it would have cost us $10 million. But Sid's logic and diligence and charm had persuaded one of its bulldogs to do the right thing.
A month later, Sid's bill crossed my desk. It was for $85,000. "That's odd," I thought. "I could have sworn Sid was billing us by the hour."
Had he done so, the bill would probably not have exceeded $15,000. Still, $85,000 was a small price to pay for the service he had provided. I signed the invoice and sent it on to my partner.
The next day, Joel called me into his office.
"You saw his bill."
"Yes, I signed it."
"I saw that. But you know he was supposed to bill us by the hour."
"Yes, I know. But what he did was worth a lot more than eighty-five grand."
"Maybe so, but that wasn't our deal."
I shrugged.
"We have to bring him in and negotiate his bill."
"Okay."
"But we have to plan this thing. We have to rehearse."
"Plan? Rehearse? I don't get it. You are the best negotiator I know. Everyone in the business is afraid to negotiate with you. Why do we need to plan for Sid?"
He shook his head. "You don't know Sid," he said. "He taught me to negotiate."
Three or four times over the following week, Joel and I rehearsed our lines. Joel was going to take the strong line. I was going to be the objective outsider.
When the day arrived, Joel had a small wooden stool placed in front of his desk.
"That's where he'll sit," he told me.
The only thing missing was a spotlight.
Sid, 75 years old and about 110 pounds at the time, sauntered in wearing his tennis togs. His bony knees and skinny calves almost broke my heart.
"Have a seat," Joel, said, motioning to the wooden stool.
Sid sat. And then we began our practiced pitch. First Joel. Then me. Then back to Joel again. All the while, Sid sat there like a deer caught in the headlights. His eyes were wide. His flesh was white. His hands seemed to tremble.
Surely we were killing the old man, I thought. This was the cruelest thing I had ever done. Surely I would burn in hell.
But we persisted. And Sid said nothing.
When it was all over, he just stared at us for a full 30 seconds. And then he said, "I have only one question for you, boys."
We said, "What is that?"
And he said, "Did you think $85,000 was the entire bill?!"
I swear. That's what he said.
We spent the next 45 minutes negotiating. And we settled at $115,000.
Sid taught Joel to negotiate and Joel taught me. Sid and Joel viewed negotiating as a contest of power. The object was to gain as much of an advantage as you could by using every means at your disposal.
And Then I Met Bill
I've read many books on negotiating that advocated that same approach. But it never felt comfortable to me. I didn't understood why until I became a colleague of Bill Bonner.
Bill Bonner, as you probably know, is the founder and CEO of Agora Publishing.
Agora has been my primary client now for more than 15 years. During that time, I've seen it grow from a handful of employees with revenues of $8 million to a worldwide publishing powerhouse with nearly a thousand employees and revenues in the $400 million range.
I have witnessed Bill negotiating at least two dozen times. But I have never seen him do any of the clever things Joel taught me. When you negotiate with Bill, you have one of two conversations:
Conversation One:
Bill: Well, Frank, How much do you want for it?
Frank: Oh, I figure it's worth about $X million.
Bill: Well, Frank, that seems reasonable to me.
Conversation Two:
Bill: Well, Frank, How much do you want for it?
Frank: Oh, I figure it's worth about $X million.
Bill: Gee, Frank. I'm sorry but I don't think I can pay that much.
End of conversation.
I'm not kidding.
The amazing thing about Bill's low-key approach to negotiating is how well it works. People in the industry know that (a) he will never bully them, (b) he will never cheat them, and (c) he isn't a fool.
The difference between Bill's way and Joel's way is the difference between yin and yang.
The Yin Negotiator wants to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship. He is looking for a long-term partner so he doesn't care about short-term advantages.
The Yang Negotiator is not interested in the long-term. He sees his negotiating counterpart as an opponent, and believes that success comes one victory at a time.
How Much Yin and How Much Yang?
When negotiating a deal, how hard should you push for an advantage?
Should you play the competition game and get as much as you can? Or should you take a softer approach and "take care of" the other guy, even if he isn't taking care of himself?
What should you do if you discover a benefit or cost in the deal that the other guy isn't aware of? Do you bring it up? Or figure "If he's too stupid to notice, he doesn't deserve to know."
Let's answer these questions today.
When you think of business as a war and arm yourself accordingly, you can win plenty of battles. But as the years roll by and the battlefields change along with technology, all military approaches - however clever or powerful - fail.
Yes, you can fight your way to the top of the mountain when you are young and strong. But nobody stays on top forever.
Remember that old saw: Be nice to the people you meet on the way up, because they will be the same ones you meet on the way down.
So long as you maintain an edge, you can take advantage of it. But the minute you lose ground, you will slide onto a slippery downhill slope - greased by the bitterness of the many people who secretly resent you for past transgressions.
More important, perhaps, it takes a great deal of energy and cunning to do business as a Yang Negotiator. You must work just as hard for the next deal as you did for the last. However, when you negotiate with yin principles, you create trust. And trust makes it much easier to do good deals as time goes by.
The Yang Negotiator's view of the world is based on at least two fundamentally faulty ideas. One is that power is static: He who is stronger now will be stronger in the future. Another is that wealth is a commodity: It is something limited as opposed to something organic that can grow.
Mother bakes an apple pie. She cuts it into four pieces, one for each of her children. Since Mom has not used a protractor along with her knife, the pieces are not exactly the same. "I will be better off if I get the largest piece," the Yang Negotiator thinks. So he abandons his manners and grabs for it first. He gets the biggest piece but loses the trust of his siblings.
The Yang Negotiator thinks he is smart, but actually he is half-blind.
He doesn't realize that Mom will be making lots more pies. And when she does, the other children will remember that he had the biggest piece the first time. If he is bigger and stronger than they are, he will keep "winning" for a while. But Mother Nature has a surprise in store for him. His peers are going to start to become faster than he is. And then he will get the little piece. Or he might even go hungry.
When I get into a deal, I don't want the other guy to feel as if he's been taken advantage of. I don't want that to happen for three reasons - two of them practical and one philosophical.
First of all, I believe that someone who feels he's been bested by me will quietly assign an emotional marker to my butt that says "You'll get yours one day."
Second, I believe that if I get known as a tough guy to do business with, the number of people who will bring me good deals will diminish and the pool will eventually dry up completely.
And, finally, I think that, in the great scheme of things, everything eventually balances out with interest. If I give you something today, I'll get something back from someone - plus interest - some years hence. If I take something from you now, I'll pay the price for it - with interest - in the future.
If you see things the way I do, you really, really don't want to take advantage of anyone. You'd rather be the one taken advantage of.
From what I've said, you might conclude that I discount what Joel taught me in favor of Bill's way. But the truth is that I have applied lessons from each of them. My overall strategy is definitely yin. But I do sometimes use yang tactics when I believe they will help create a fairer deal (fairer to both of us.)
For example, I never go into a negotiation unprepared. (Joel taught me that.) I always spend time thinking about what I want from the deal. But instead of simply imagining how much I can get, I think long-term. If this deal turns into a lifetime relationship, how much can I get from it?
I also spend as much time - sometimes more - thinking about what the other guy wants. I imagine what he may want in the short-term and what he could get if we had a relationship that lasted many years.
I make a mental note of all these things. Sometimes, when it is complicated, I write them down.
I also spend some time thinking about what would happen if the deal did not take place. I try to visualize it as clearly as I can. I try to imagine how I would feel.
If I sense that I will be very disappointed, I come up with a Plan B. (I've written about Plan Bs many times in the past, including last week.) By devising a Plan B, I can go into the discussion knowing that if we can't agree I won't care. Not caring is the most valuable asset one can have in negotiating. Joel taught me that.
Now back to the questions I posed before:
Question: When negotiating a deal, how hard should you push for an advantage?
Answer: Don't push at all. Make your case as clearly as you can. Show your counterpart how the deal will benefit him. But if he doesn't agree, walk away.
Question: Should you play the competition game and get as much as you can? Or should you take a softer approach and "take care of" the other guy, even if he isn't taking care of himself?
Answer: See above.
Question: What should you do if you discover a benefit or cost in the deal that the other guy isn't aware of? Do you bring it up? Or figure "If he's too stupid to notice, he doesn't deserve to know."
Answer: You are interested in a long-term relationship. Tell him about his oversight. Reap the benefit of the trust that will engender.
Some of my friends tell me that I am too "nice" when it comes to making deals. When they hear that someone I've helped get rich does something chintzy to me, they scold me and tell me to get tough.
But none of these doubters have enjoyed as much success as I've had in business. And none of them have as many longstanding positive business relationships.
There is a way to negotiate well without being a bully. And there is a way to win without seeing the world as a contest over getting the biggest piece of a pie.
By taking a long-term approach to negotiating, wealth and success will come easier and easier. That seems to me to be a smart way to do business. Don't you think?
Sid had done it. He had convinced the IRS agent to forgive the mistake my partner Joel and I had made. He had spent three weeks with the guy, working mornings, golfing with him in the afternoon, and taking him out to dinner.
If the IRS had stuck to their ridiculous position, it would have cost us $10 million. But Sid's logic and diligence and charm had persuaded one of its bulldogs to do the right thing.
A month later, Sid's bill crossed my desk. It was for $85,000. "That's odd," I thought. "I could have sworn Sid was billing us by the hour."
Had he done so, the bill would probably not have exceeded $15,000. Still, $85,000 was a small price to pay for the service he had provided. I signed the invoice and sent it on to my partner.
The next day, Joel called me into his office.
"You saw his bill."
"Yes, I signed it."
"I saw that. But you know he was supposed to bill us by the hour."
"Yes, I know. But what he did was worth a lot more than eighty-five grand."
"Maybe so, but that wasn't our deal."
I shrugged.
"We have to bring him in and negotiate his bill."
"Okay."
"But we have to plan this thing. We have to rehearse."
"Plan? Rehearse? I don't get it. You are the best negotiator I know. Everyone in the business is afraid to negotiate with you. Why do we need to plan for Sid?"
He shook his head. "You don't know Sid," he said. "He taught me to negotiate."
Three or four times over the following week, Joel and I rehearsed our lines. Joel was going to take the strong line. I was going to be the objective outsider.
When the day arrived, Joel had a small wooden stool placed in front of his desk.
"That's where he'll sit," he told me.
The only thing missing was a spotlight.
Sid, 75 years old and about 110 pounds at the time, sauntered in wearing his tennis togs. His bony knees and skinny calves almost broke my heart.
"Have a seat," Joel, said, motioning to the wooden stool.
Sid sat. And then we began our practiced pitch. First Joel. Then me. Then back to Joel again. All the while, Sid sat there like a deer caught in the headlights. His eyes were wide. His flesh was white. His hands seemed to tremble.
Surely we were killing the old man, I thought. This was the cruelest thing I had ever done. Surely I would burn in hell.
But we persisted. And Sid said nothing.
When it was all over, he just stared at us for a full 30 seconds. And then he said, "I have only one question for you, boys."
We said, "What is that?"
And he said, "Did you think $85,000 was the entire bill?!"
I swear. That's what he said.
We spent the next 45 minutes negotiating. And we settled at $115,000.
Sid taught Joel to negotiate and Joel taught me. Sid and Joel viewed negotiating as a contest of power. The object was to gain as much of an advantage as you could by using every means at your disposal.
And Then I Met Bill
I've read many books on negotiating that advocated that same approach. But it never felt comfortable to me. I didn't understood why until I became a colleague of Bill Bonner.
Bill Bonner, as you probably know, is the founder and CEO of Agora Publishing.
Agora has been my primary client now for more than 15 years. During that time, I've seen it grow from a handful of employees with revenues of $8 million to a worldwide publishing powerhouse with nearly a thousand employees and revenues in the $400 million range.
I have witnessed Bill negotiating at least two dozen times. But I have never seen him do any of the clever things Joel taught me. When you negotiate with Bill, you have one of two conversations:
Conversation One:
Bill: Well, Frank, How much do you want for it?
Frank: Oh, I figure it's worth about $X million.
Bill: Well, Frank, that seems reasonable to me.
Conversation Two:
Bill: Well, Frank, How much do you want for it?
Frank: Oh, I figure it's worth about $X million.
Bill: Gee, Frank. I'm sorry but I don't think I can pay that much.
End of conversation.
I'm not kidding.
The amazing thing about Bill's low-key approach to negotiating is how well it works. People in the industry know that (a) he will never bully them, (b) he will never cheat them, and (c) he isn't a fool.
The difference between Bill's way and Joel's way is the difference between yin and yang.
The Yin Negotiator wants to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship. He is looking for a long-term partner so he doesn't care about short-term advantages.
The Yang Negotiator is not interested in the long-term. He sees his negotiating counterpart as an opponent, and believes that success comes one victory at a time.
How Much Yin and How Much Yang?
When negotiating a deal, how hard should you push for an advantage?
Should you play the competition game and get as much as you can? Or should you take a softer approach and "take care of" the other guy, even if he isn't taking care of himself?
What should you do if you discover a benefit or cost in the deal that the other guy isn't aware of? Do you bring it up? Or figure "If he's too stupid to notice, he doesn't deserve to know."
Let's answer these questions today.
When you think of business as a war and arm yourself accordingly, you can win plenty of battles. But as the years roll by and the battlefields change along with technology, all military approaches - however clever or powerful - fail.
Yes, you can fight your way to the top of the mountain when you are young and strong. But nobody stays on top forever.
Remember that old saw: Be nice to the people you meet on the way up, because they will be the same ones you meet on the way down.
So long as you maintain an edge, you can take advantage of it. But the minute you lose ground, you will slide onto a slippery downhill slope - greased by the bitterness of the many people who secretly resent you for past transgressions.
More important, perhaps, it takes a great deal of energy and cunning to do business as a Yang Negotiator. You must work just as hard for the next deal as you did for the last. However, when you negotiate with yin principles, you create trust. And trust makes it much easier to do good deals as time goes by.
The Yang Negotiator's view of the world is based on at least two fundamentally faulty ideas. One is that power is static: He who is stronger now will be stronger in the future. Another is that wealth is a commodity: It is something limited as opposed to something organic that can grow.
Mother bakes an apple pie. She cuts it into four pieces, one for each of her children. Since Mom has not used a protractor along with her knife, the pieces are not exactly the same. "I will be better off if I get the largest piece," the Yang Negotiator thinks. So he abandons his manners and grabs for it first. He gets the biggest piece but loses the trust of his siblings.
The Yang Negotiator thinks he is smart, but actually he is half-blind.
He doesn't realize that Mom will be making lots more pies. And when she does, the other children will remember that he had the biggest piece the first time. If he is bigger and stronger than they are, he will keep "winning" for a while. But Mother Nature has a surprise in store for him. His peers are going to start to become faster than he is. And then he will get the little piece. Or he might even go hungry.
When I get into a deal, I don't want the other guy to feel as if he's been taken advantage of. I don't want that to happen for three reasons - two of them practical and one philosophical.
First of all, I believe that someone who feels he's been bested by me will quietly assign an emotional marker to my butt that says "You'll get yours one day."
Second, I believe that if I get known as a tough guy to do business with, the number of people who will bring me good deals will diminish and the pool will eventually dry up completely.
And, finally, I think that, in the great scheme of things, everything eventually balances out with interest. If I give you something today, I'll get something back from someone - plus interest - some years hence. If I take something from you now, I'll pay the price for it - with interest - in the future.
If you see things the way I do, you really, really don't want to take advantage of anyone. You'd rather be the one taken advantage of.
From what I've said, you might conclude that I discount what Joel taught me in favor of Bill's way. But the truth is that I have applied lessons from each of them. My overall strategy is definitely yin. But I do sometimes use yang tactics when I believe they will help create a fairer deal (fairer to both of us.)
For example, I never go into a negotiation unprepared. (Joel taught me that.) I always spend time thinking about what I want from the deal. But instead of simply imagining how much I can get, I think long-term. If this deal turns into a lifetime relationship, how much can I get from it?
I also spend as much time - sometimes more - thinking about what the other guy wants. I imagine what he may want in the short-term and what he could get if we had a relationship that lasted many years.
I make a mental note of all these things. Sometimes, when it is complicated, I write them down.
I also spend some time thinking about what would happen if the deal did not take place. I try to visualize it as clearly as I can. I try to imagine how I would feel.
If I sense that I will be very disappointed, I come up with a Plan B. (I've written about Plan Bs many times in the past, including last week.) By devising a Plan B, I can go into the discussion knowing that if we can't agree I won't care. Not caring is the most valuable asset one can have in negotiating. Joel taught me that.
Now back to the questions I posed before:
Question: When negotiating a deal, how hard should you push for an advantage?
Answer: Don't push at all. Make your case as clearly as you can. Show your counterpart how the deal will benefit him. But if he doesn't agree, walk away.
Question: Should you play the competition game and get as much as you can? Or should you take a softer approach and "take care of" the other guy, even if he isn't taking care of himself?
Answer: See above.
Question: What should you do if you discover a benefit or cost in the deal that the other guy isn't aware of? Do you bring it up? Or figure "If he's too stupid to notice, he doesn't deserve to know."
Answer: You are interested in a long-term relationship. Tell him about his oversight. Reap the benefit of the trust that will engender.
Some of my friends tell me that I am too "nice" when it comes to making deals. When they hear that someone I've helped get rich does something chintzy to me, they scold me and tell me to get tough.
But none of these doubters have enjoyed as much success as I've had in business. And none of them have as many longstanding positive business relationships.
There is a way to negotiate well without being a bully. And there is a way to win without seeing the world as a contest over getting the biggest piece of a pie.
By taking a long-term approach to negotiating, wealth and success will come easier and easier. That seems to me to be a smart way to do business. Don't you think?
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Medical Journals - Deep Breathing
(By the Underground Health Reporter)
Didi you know that deep breathing is the single most powerful daily practice for advancing your health and well-being?
It might seem unusual, especially to people in America and the western world to regard the simple act of breathing as being an activity that enhances health. That's because most of us think breathing is nothing more than an automatic, involuntary mechanism that our body does in order to stay alive.
Special breathing techniques, such as those practiced in in ancient cultures and certain Eastern disciplines (such as yoga), have remained largely a mystery to Western civilization. What Westerners often don't realize is that when we turn our attention to our breath -- and increase the volume of our breath -- beneficial physiological mechanisms are triggered that have a significant effect on health.
For example, when volume, rate and attention level are altered in the practice of breathing, dramatic physiological, and even emotional, changes can and do occur.
According to Roger Jahnke, O.M.D., author of The Healer Within, "The breath is a link to the most profound medicine that we carry within us. Within this nearly unconscious gesture, a breath, that we enact 1,261,440,000 (1 and 1/4 billion) times in our life span there is a simple yet profound healing capability."
Various advocates of breathwork offer different breathing techniques and practices, such as full chest and abdominal breathing or alternate nostril breathing. The one I have been using since 1997 is one called Vital Breathing. It involves inhaling, holding the breath, and exhaling in the following sequence:
If you do 10 repetitions of this breathing exercise 3 times a day (morning, evening and just before bedtime), 5 to 10 minutes a day, you will experience a noticeable shift in your energy level, your mental clarity and your body's ability to prevent and heal diseases.
One of the main reasons why this breathing exercise delivers many health benefits is because the combined action of the lungs, diaphragm and thorax serve as a 'pump' for the lymph fluid.
The lymphatic system is often referred to as the sewage system of the body. It cleans up the waste created by virtually all the other systems of the body. The human body has twice as much lymph fluid than it has blood. But unlike the circulatory system, which has the heart to keep the blood flowing, the lymphatic system does not have a 'pump' to push the lymph fluids around the body. It relies on our breathing and movement in order to perform its function of surrounding every cell in the body; protecting each one by removing dead cells, blood proteins and any other toxins; and excreting them from the body. If the movement of the lymph were to stop entirely for 24 hours, one would die as a result of the trapped toxins and proteins surrounding our cells.
The practice of Vital Breathing creates the muscular movement required by the lymphatic system to circulate the lymph fluid efficiently. A lymphatic system that is functioning properly supports every other system in the body, including the immune, digestive, detoxification and nervous systems. A sluggish lymphatic system and stagnant lymph fluid, on the other hand, makes the body susceptible to infections, diseases and health conditions ranging from cancer, AIDS, tumor growth, cysts, impaired immune system ... all the way down to cellulite.
Didi you know that deep breathing is the single most powerful daily practice for advancing your health and well-being?
It might seem unusual, especially to people in America and the western world to regard the simple act of breathing as being an activity that enhances health. That's because most of us think breathing is nothing more than an automatic, involuntary mechanism that our body does in order to stay alive.
Special breathing techniques, such as those practiced in in ancient cultures and certain Eastern disciplines (such as yoga), have remained largely a mystery to Western civilization. What Westerners often don't realize is that when we turn our attention to our breath -- and increase the volume of our breath -- beneficial physiological mechanisms are triggered that have a significant effect on health.
For example, when volume, rate and attention level are altered in the practice of breathing, dramatic physiological, and even emotional, changes can and do occur.
According to Roger Jahnke, O.M.D., author of The Healer Within, "The breath is a link to the most profound medicine that we carry within us. Within this nearly unconscious gesture, a breath, that we enact 1,261,440,000 (1 and 1/4 billion) times in our life span there is a simple yet profound healing capability."
Various advocates of breathwork offer different breathing techniques and practices, such as full chest and abdominal breathing or alternate nostril breathing. The one I have been using since 1997 is one called Vital Breathing. It involves inhaling, holding the breath, and exhaling in the following sequence:
- Inhale for 1 count
- Hold the breath for 4 counts
- Exhale for 2 counts
If you do 10 repetitions of this breathing exercise 3 times a day (morning, evening and just before bedtime), 5 to 10 minutes a day, you will experience a noticeable shift in your energy level, your mental clarity and your body's ability to prevent and heal diseases.
One of the main reasons why this breathing exercise delivers many health benefits is because the combined action of the lungs, diaphragm and thorax serve as a 'pump' for the lymph fluid.
The lymphatic system is often referred to as the sewage system of the body. It cleans up the waste created by virtually all the other systems of the body. The human body has twice as much lymph fluid than it has blood. But unlike the circulatory system, which has the heart to keep the blood flowing, the lymphatic system does not have a 'pump' to push the lymph fluids around the body. It relies on our breathing and movement in order to perform its function of surrounding every cell in the body; protecting each one by removing dead cells, blood proteins and any other toxins; and excreting them from the body. If the movement of the lymph were to stop entirely for 24 hours, one would die as a result of the trapped toxins and proteins surrounding our cells.
The practice of Vital Breathing creates the muscular movement required by the lymphatic system to circulate the lymph fluid efficiently. A lymphatic system that is functioning properly supports every other system in the body, including the immune, digestive, detoxification and nervous systems. A sluggish lymphatic system and stagnant lymph fluid, on the other hand, makes the body susceptible to infections, diseases and health conditions ranging from cancer, AIDS, tumor growth, cysts, impaired immune system ... all the way down to cellulite.
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