HOW CAN WOMEN FEEL INNER PEACE BY PRACTICING HEALING AND YOGA
Yoga is a group of mental, spiritual, and physical practices that promote physical and psychological well-being. As practiced in the United States, yoga emphasizes meditation (dyana), breathing techniques (pranayama), and physical postures (asanas).
Regular healing and yoga practice bring about physical benefits such as increased flexibility, improved respiration, and increased muscle strength, and psychological benefits such as reduced stress, improved sleep, and relief from depression and anxiety. But that is not all; yoga also helps individuals feel inner peace a. Many women find that with these benefits also comes the unexpected benefit of improved sexual health.
Below, we discuss how practicing healing and yoga can help women feel inner peace and improve their sexual health.
How Practicing Healing and Yoga Improves Women’s Sexual Health
If your time in bed with your significant other is a little lackluster, practicing healing and yoga may be what you need to breathe new life into your sex life. Here is how healing and yoga help improve women’s sexual health.
Reduce Stress and Fatigue
Feeling stressed and tired can put you “out of the mood” like nothing else can. Practicing healing and yoga reduces stress and, like other forms of exercise, gives you more energy.
Be in the Present
Healing through a Yoga practice can help improve a women’s sexual health by keeping you mindful. Mindfulness keeps you in the present. You are more fully engaged in sexual activity when your mind is present, obviously not thinking about the kids, the laundry, and the world. This is not always easy to achieve. If your thoughts do drift to other things during sex, yoga can teach you techniques to help keep you present.
Improve Your Body Image
Feeling good about and being comfortable in your body is one of the main contributors to healthy sex life.
When you practice healing and yoga, you familiarize yourself with your body on an intimate level. At the same time, you develop strength and muscle tone, so you will look better and feel better about yourself.
Increase Your Body Awareness
Yoga poses such as the child’s pose, cat pose, and happy baby require you to move your body in specific ways and teach you how to move certain parts of your body while others remain still. With time, you become more in tune with your body.
Increase Your Control, Sensitivity, and Flexibility
Most yoga poses can increase your flexibility, especially yoga poses like the happy baby. The Happy Baby pose is an excellent beginner pose. This pose can stretch the inner thighs, hamstrings, and groin. It can also release the tightness in the hips and back. These poses can help you gain more motion and, improve blood flow and circulation through the pelvis. Increased blood flow is so important to pelvic health.
Let me say this another way…
Increased blood flow to the pelvic region may help reduce sexual pain.
Some common problems that Women may experience as sexual dysfunctions include
● Pain during intercourse;
● A lack of desire for sex;
A Healing and yoga practice may significantly improve your arousal level and thus your level of lubrication. Incorporating healing and yoga into your daily routine also increase your desire for sex as you might feel more energized, and feel better about your body.
May Relieve Sexual Difficulties
Practicing more advanced specific yoga poses like the moola bandha may help relieve sexual difficulties in women and thus may improve a women’s sexual health. Moola bandha can be likened to Kegel exercises, which can help strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor.
Actually, many sex therapy centers recommend the moola bandha pose to help women become more self-aware, thus improving sexual desire and sexual experience.
— How Practicing Healing and Yoga Helps Women Feel Inner Peace
If you are looking to find inner peace, here is how practicing healing and yoga can help you:
Helps Relieve Daily Stress
A Healing and Yoga practice teaches you to pause, be honest with your body and yourself, and live in the moment. Once you start practicing healing and yoga, you do not stop encountering stressful situations, but your perception of stress changes completely.
You become more aware of how you react to stressful situations, and you begin to accept things as they are. The inner peace that healing and yoga bring helps rid the exhaustion, chaos, and frustration that commonly flood the mind.
Ridding the mind and body of stress will help you achieve inner peace and prevent you from spreading negativity to those around you.
Heightens Intuition
Yoga allows you to find answers to daily problems from within. Not only does this enhance the development of internal intuition, but it also helps you make decisions that unite your mind and heart.
In modern society, our voices and opinions can be drowned out by others’ voices and opinions. By practicing healing and yoga, you can achieve heightened intuition that can help you make decisions that are reflective of who you are, helping you achieve inner peace.
Enhances Circulation
The circulatory system is one of the most important body systems, as it helps keep your heart and blood vessels strong. Healing and yoga stretch your muscles and get your blood flowing to all parts of the body.
The more you practice healing and yoga, the more you will be able to hold poses longer (a sign of improved circulation) and feel more at peace when doing the different poses.
Provides Discipline
Most people have a negative perception of the word “discipline” and associate it with a type of punishment. Healing and yoga give the word “discipline” a new meaning.
Practicing healing and yoga naturally teaches you about commitment and enables a sort of discipline. You get a newfound will to improve on the progress you made during practice, which can only be achieved through discipline.
Discipline in healing and yoga is not forced. Instead, discipline is something that is cultivated with practice and trickles into other areas of your life, helping you become well-rounded. As a well-rounded individual, you will make better decisions that will give you inner peace.
Regulates Breathing and Attention
Healing and yoga regulate breathing and attention, lowers anxiety and stress, and regulate parasympathetic nervous activity by activating the part of the nervous system that tells your body to pause, relax, and rest.
These effects are associated with improvements in breathing and attention, and when you can breathe better and give all your attention to the tasks you want to complete, you are more likely to feel inner peace since your mind will be in a relaxed state.
Healing and yoga are practices that can be traced back to 1,500 B.C. Since then, it has been used to help people with different types of mental conditions such as depression and physical conditions such as arthritis.
But that is not all. Healing and yoga also improve women’s sexual health by countering stress and fatigue, improving body image, and heightening body awareness.
Adopt Regular Healing and Yoga Practices for a Better Life
If you are looking to feel inner peace, you can achieve this goal through regular healing and yoga practice. At the same time, if you are looking to breathe new life into your sex life, yoga may also be helpful.
Written by Jane Silverstein. Jane is the owner of Soul Source Therapeutic Devices located in Los Angeles. She is committed to women’s health issues and to helping women worldwide regain and/ or maintain their sexual health. She is passionate about helping others and has always been involved in a multitude of charitable causes.
Written by Jane Silverstein. Jane is the owner of Soul Source Therapeutic Devices located in Los Angeles. She is committed to women’s health issues and to helping women worldwide regain and/ or maintain their sexual health. She is passionate about helping others and has always been involved in a multitude of charitable causes.
BREATHING BETTER — LIVING HEALTHIER
A NOTE OF APPRECIATION!
I recently had Darren Lopez on my podcast show. He is a wonderful human being who deeply cares about helping others live their best lives.
In that interview, Darren introduced me to a nasal spray that made my husband’s life much healthier! He has been dealing with allergies for years. The first time my husband used the nasal spray he felt incredible relief and breathing became instantly easier for him! In addition to breathing better anywhere he goes, this amazing nasal spray is also helping him sleep deeper! Thank you so much, Darren!!!
— WHAT CAN BE-ONGUARD NOSE SPRAY DO?
Just like washing our hands, washing out our nose and upper airways often with Be-OnGuard Nose Spray can be vital at getting the upper airway to function at the highest level. I know from firsthand experience that keeping these passages clean has many benefits.
— UNDERSTANDING THE NOSE AND WHY YOU NEED TO KEEP THE NOSE CLEAN WITH BE-ONGUARD NASAL SPRAY
The nose and upper airway are an amazing part of your body. They are the first filter your body uses to clean the air you breathe. The nose is so good at cleaning the air that it will pick up allergens and pathogens by catching them in the mucous. This helps to protect our bodies from becoming sick from these diseases.
But like all filters, if we don’t clean them out, they will continue to build up with dirt and debris. What happens to our car’s engine when the air filter fills up with dirt and debris? It doesn’t run as well because it can’t get enough clean air. With our cars, we can just change out the air filter. We can’t do that with our nasal airways.
Would you let your car run on a dirty air filter? Of Course Not, you Replace it. You can naturally help your body function better by keeping your nose filter clean.
— NATURAL REMEDY
Be-OnGuard Nose Spray is a combination of patented mineral oxides that harnes the power of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide to naturally battle viruses, bacteria, nasal dryness, inflammation and existing viral and bacteria load. It is safe to use daily and multiple times a day. There is no age limit.
— HOW TO USE BE-ONGUARD NASAL SPRAY FOR BEST RESULTS?
First thing in the morning, insert the Nasal Spray tip into each nostril and fully pull back the trigger once or twice. Try to avoid blowing your nose for 5 to 10 minutes after you use it. Repeat as needed through the day.
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!
5 HEALTH BENEFITS OF SPENDING TIME IN NATURE DURING ADDICTION RECOVERY
The natural environment has a pure and healing quality to it.
Just imagine you are hiking across the mountains on a cool October morning.
You are sitting on the beach, watching the waves pound the sand, or just looking up at the starry night sky.
These visuals elicit strong emotions in us.
The theory behind nature therapy for depression and drug addiction is that spending time outside can help you recover more quickly. So if you're trying to overcome a drug or alcohol addiction, nature could be the perfect remedy.
Ascendant, a popular New York rehabilitation center, states the benefits of spending time in nature during addiction recovery, which is why they have included nature therapy in their treatment approach.
Why Should You Spend Time In Nature During Addiction Recovery?
Spending time in nature to recover from drug addiction can have great benefits and help you focus on healthy living and sobriety. Once you plan some activities outside, you can identify how they help you stay sober during addiction recovery:
1: Strengthens Immune System
Nature aids in strengthening our immune systems, which might be impaired as a result of addiction.
Going outside will provide your body with Vitamin D, essential for your immunity. People who don't receive enough vitamin D are more likely to get sick, develop diabetes, develop atrophic arthritis, and develop heart disease.
A person's immune system is also vulnerable to the same risks if they spend all of their time indoors.
The body cannot create a new form of reaction without experiencing the outside world and meeting new people. As a result, spending time outside and in nature will significantly aid in the development of your immunity during your addiction recovery.
2: Improves Sleep
It is prevalent for people in recovery from addiction to lose sleep.
However, because you are burning up your energy, indulging in outdoor activities in nature that make your heart pulse faster can help with sleeplessness. As a result, you're more likely to feel tired and sleepy
A good night's sleep is also essential for keeping a healthy lifestyle.
Unfortunately, almost everyone has fallen victim to a faulty sleeping system at some point in their lives.
Spending too much time indoors, in front of artificial light from TVs and computer screens might disrupt your sleeping cycles. The simplest solution is to spend more time outside. Going outside, especially in the early morning sunshine, can help you find your natural daily rhythm.
3: Manages Anxiety And Stress
Nature assists us in coping with stress and worry. Stress is processed differently in the body when you are surrounded by nature, and it becomes more bearable.
Even the scenery outside your window can help you calm your mind because seeing green instead of a screen is always a good idea to reduce stress and manage anxiety.
Nature can help us relax and think more creatively, just as it can help us relax and think more creatively.
Take your diary outside and write poetry while relaxing in nature if you enjoy reading and writing. Another advantage of the outdoors in addiction therapy is mental serenity and new coping skills.
4: Improves Focus
Staying outside and being surrounded by vegetation will also help you concentrate.
Even looking at greenery for 40 seconds, whether in an urban or natural setting, can boost our focus, which is beneficial for addiction treatment.
You can also employ mindfulness to help you focus on the sights, sounds, and smells while also generating sentiments and excitement. Additionally, because spending time outside refreshes one's mind, it can increase one's function and problem-solving abilities.
Hence, when you are in addiction recovery, you must focus on something, and spending time in nature can help you do that.
5: Encourages Exercise
We will be more likely to exercise if we stay outside. Nature gives us the freedom to move, walk, run around, or at the very least take a stroll and enjoy the landscape.
Physical activities like exercising outside can also help you get in better shape, allowing you to feel stronger, more robust, and more confident.
We can also work out outside with individuals we enjoy.
Loneliness can result from spending time alone at home. Instead, surround yourself with people, share your thoughts and ideas, and enjoy nature while distracting your mind from your addiction. Meeting new people and mingling can sometimes provide the most beneficial healing sessions.
Nature Activity Ideas
— Outdoor journaling is one of the most popular activities to do in nature. When you come out of rehab, you must have a lot of emotions piled up inside you, and if you start writing them in your journal, you will feel a lot better
— Gardening is also one of the best activities to do outside after addiction recovery. When you dig the soil, plant the seeds, water, and take care of the plants, you release the piled-up energy in a positive manner.
—Going for a hike is also a good way to spend time in nature, and it is one of the best exercises to do outside. So instead of taking a stroll around the block, head to the forest or mountains, and when you reach the top, you will feel a lot better.
—Getting creative with your artistic nature is another good suggestion to spend your day outside. You can sit in your backyard and draw the scenery you see in front of you. You can also let mother nature inspire you to write poems or song lyrics.
—Exercising in nature is indeed a good activity to adopt post-recovery. So instead of hitting the gym, do 30 minutes of exercise in nature. It will help you breathe fresh air. You can also go for a jog in the local park because staying in touch with greenery can help you commit to sobriety better.
Go Green!
Once you find out how spending time in nature helps you grow, you can recover from addiction and commit to your sobriety better.
Even if you are not undergoing recovery, spending time in nature is always a good decision.
So, if you want more information on these, reach us in the comment box. We will get back to you with an answer in no time.
WHY OWNING AN ANIMAL MAY BE THE BEST THING FOR YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
Have you ever found yourself hugging or cuddling a pet during a particularly difficult time? If so, you’re not the only one! Most pet owners find their pets’ presence comforting. An article on emotional support by SymptomFind outlines that animals provide a sense of comfort for people with anxiety or depression. And here’s some even better news: animals can help you with your physical health as well!
So, let’s look at how animals can be beneficial for both mental and physical health (as if you needed any more reasons to hug your dog or cat).
How can pets help with my mental health?
Studies on NCBI show that a dogs’ presence can reduce cortisol levels, the hormone that plays a huge role in stress. Petting a purring cat or a smiling pup is an immediate stress reliever. Also, taking time out of your day to tend to your pets can give you a much-needed= break from work, especially if you’re in a WFH situation.
Having a pet means that you’re never truly alone, a sentiment that has proven more important than ever during lockdowns when we find ourselves isolated from loved ones. Pets also help take your mind off negative thoughts associated with isolation and other situations that have arisen during the pandemic. According to studies, older people who walk their dogs on a regular basis experience fewer symptoms of loneliness compared to those who don’t have pets.
Can pets help with my physical health, too?
Of course! The most obvious way is by walking your dog. Not only do you get a few extra steps in during dog walks, but you also get to enjoy nature. In our previous post on ‘Nature’s Sophistication is Omniscient in its Simplicity’ we’re reminded that nature surrounds us and grounds us, making sure we remember to enjoy the here and now. It’s like dogs want to make sure we get our daily dose of nature and exercise every day, even if we grumble while we do it.
It might be hard to imagine how cats help us with our physical health. After all, they laze around all day, poster children for that lazy Sunday when you stay home and vegetate until Monday morning. But did you know that a cat’s purr can lower your blood pressure and calm your nervous system, according to scientific? So the next time you’re feeling a bit frazzled, take time to cuddle up to your purring cat and it will lower your blood pressure in the process. And if you need a quick mood boost, give a toy to a cat. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive: my cats go insane for the measuring cups that come with cough medicine.
Conclusion:
Pets aren’t the easiest to take care of, but they offer both mental and physical health benefits for their owners, so don’t get too angry when your cat wants to sleep directly on your face and purr the whole night. You’re getting smothered with love and health benefits!
Written by: Heather Hughes
MY VOICE
It has been told to me that when I walk into a room, my presence, alone, commands the room. Ironically, I am small in stature, so being told my presence is palpable compliments what I lack in height. It’s my birthday soon and as I reflect on my life, all the things I’ve done including those that I haven’t yet to do, the most important that stands out to me is my voice. Living more than half my life it probably took me that long to speak my voice.
Don’t get me wrong. I talk. I laugh. I cry. I sing. I scream.
You can hear my voice.
I speak.
What I struggled to do was speak my voice.
Growing up with a generation that told children to “speak when spoken to” or “children should be seen, not heard,” in congruence with a mother who stifled my ideas, my thoughts, my voice, probably because it is what she knew growing up – passing it along, at no fault of her own – I never spoke my voice.
It stayed inside my head.
I know many of you reading this are nodding your heads in agreement. Even those who didn’t experience these words as a child still struggle to speak their voice.
What is it that prevents many individuals from speaking their mind while others believe it is their right to speak their mind?
To speak their voice regardless of how it affects others.
So, how can we tell if the voice inside our heads is telling the truth or just a fountain of feelings that are temporary? When should we give ourselves permission to speak authentically? Is it acceptable to speak our voice even if it hurts, offends, or defeats others?
Both personally and professionally, speaking our voice comes with responsibilities, accountability, and, often, consequences. But there are techniques to speaking your voice effectively – to empowering others – fulfilling your dreams – to being a responsible, thoughtful speaker.
First, as you listen to the world around you and find space for speaking your voice, meditate on your self-awareness. What makes you angry? Why do you cry? What gives you hope? What are you passionate about? What is your “why?” Seek answers to these questions and speak your voice to share the responses.
What lifts you up will strengthen others.
Second, seek to look at yourself from a different perspective. Get out of “I” and look at yourself as others most likely see you. We tend to be so critical of ourselves that we start to believe the voice inside our heads.
Become omniscient. Dare to be all-knowing and watch your voice evolve.
Finally, as you become empowered by speaking your voice, remember the power of what you speak. Words and rhetoric are powerful tools to be utilized carefully.
Speaking our voice has the power to conquer feelings and destroy the emotions of others. It also has the power of divine intervention – to uplift others – to encourage – to motivate.
How do you choose to speak your voice?
Written by Dr. Anastasia Legakes
Meet Dr. Anastasia At https://languageofleaders.org/
THE AMAZING BENEFITS OF YOGA
Yoga has long been held as one of the most beloved wellness regimens globally - and for a good reason. Not only is yoga highly regarded for its physical benefits, but also its positive contributions to mental health.
For those with sleep problems, finding the right solution may be challenging, and with so many advantages, it’s understandable to wonder if yoga improves sleep as well.
What is Yoga?
On the surface, yoga may appear to be a trendy workout format, but its origins are much more intricate.
It is a spiritual discipline that focuses on creating a harmonious balance between the mind and body, though it is not associated with a particular religion. According to Dr. Ishwar V. Basavaraddi, yoga’s roots date back thousands of years in South Asia, eventually flourishing in India. The word ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Yug,’ which means ‘to unite.’
The practice of yoga incorporates breathing, concentration, and physical poses. While physical and mental health improvements can result from yoga, experts emphasize that the overarching goal is to connect with the universe.
Does Yoga Help You Sleep Better?
Research has found a link between practicing yoga and better sleep, and there are a variety of likely reasons behind this evidence.
— Yoga and Relaxation
It’s no secret that stress can cause your mind to race, making it that much harder to fall asleep. This sleep deficit will prompt many who cope with stress to seek out relaxation techniques to quiet the mind for sleep.
One of the ways yoga may improve your rest is by helping you relax. Breathing is one of the core components of yoga and is also very calming.
You can practice yoga any time of the day, but health experts suggest choosing either the Hatha or Nidra format for those specifically looking to do this before bed. Hatha focuses on body positions, while Nidra is all about breathing and restorative poses. The experts add that these are better for inducing sleep than Hot Yoga or Vinyasa, which can get the heart pumping, giving you more energy instead of calming you down.
— Improved Mood
Depression and sleep problems are closely connected, with one typically triggering the other. For example, sleep deprivation increases your chances of developing depression, while depression can lead to sleep disorders such as Insomnia.
Yoga may reduce depression symptoms by boosting your mood, which could result in better shuteye.
— Exercise and Sleep
Many folks also rely on yoga as a form of exercise, and according to sleep health experts, physical activity should help you sleep.
Exercise helps reduce stress and anxiety, both of which can prevent you from getting quality rest. Therefore, yoga, which incorporates therapeutic breathing and concentration with the physical activity of poses, packs a one-two punch against stress.
Furthermore, exercise helps promote sleepiness by tiring you out. As mentioned, Vinyasa and Hot Yoga may be too energetic at night, but they’re perfect during the day. By expending more energy, your sleep drive should increase come nighttime.
Experts add that outdoor physical activity could help you sleep since exposure to natural light could help your body’s internal sleep-wake cycle - also known as the circadian rhythm. With summer soon arriving, it may be the ideal time to consider an outdoor yoga class.
— Pain Relief
The discomfort that results from back pain or arthritis can make it challenging to have a restful slumber, but according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, yoga may alleviate both.
Yoga incorporates light stretching which is reported to minimize pain and improve mobility for lower back issues. Furthermore, yoga is recommended as an initial form of treatment for chronic lower back pain.
Yoga is a considerably more gentle form of exercise than other fitness regimens, which is why it could be helpful for arthritis patients. The Arthritis Foundation reports that yoga may increase joint flexibility, reduce joint pain, build strength, improve balance, and lower tension.
— Self-Care
The discipline of yoga empowers people to become more mindful and make healthy choices. Self-care isn’t just about spending a day at the spa but instead taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Not only can be yoga be part of your self-care routine, but it can serve as a reminder to find additional ways to take care of yourself. These might include spending time outdoors, reading a book, meditation, eating well, or cutting back on smoking or drinking. Prioritizing sleep may also be part of your self-care routine, and the good news is that leading a healthy lifestyle should help you rest better since sleep and health are closely intertwined.
Written by Jill Zwarensteyn
HARNESSING THE POWER OF BREATH
Learning to breathe properly can transform your life. This may be an odd statement considering that we all naturally breathe in and out without thinking, but there are breathing techniques that can help you sleep better and easier, but also tackle anxiety and panic attacks. The way we breathe can also impact how well we can exercise, too. But how can we harness the power of breath so that it can make living much easier and more comfortable? Read on for the reasons why proper breathing techniques can help counter anxiety, get us a better night’s sleep, and enhance our exercise routines.
How Breathing Can Help Tackle Anxiety
Anxiety can make it difficult for us to breathe, and when we find it hard to breathe, we can become more stressed and anxious. This vicious cycle can be hard to break but learning proper breathing techniques and how to utilize our diaphragm can make battling anxiety a lot easier and more effective.
The best breathing exercises include:
— Inhale slowly (and deeply) through your nose. Make the most out of this by ensuring your shoulders are relaxed and that you are sitting straight. While inhaling slowly and deeply, your abdomen will hopefully expand, helping your chest rise a little.
— Exhale slowly through your mouth. With the air you have inhaled, you should slowly dispel it through your mouth. Make sure you keep your mouth and jaw relaxed so that you do not tense up. Keep your lips pursed ever so slightly and keep the rhythm the same.
— Repeat. You will need to repeat this process for several minutes if you wish to make the most out of it. Remember that you may not feel the effects straight away.
Breathing exercises can be used as often as needed and help counter anxiety attacks that may be bubbling in the background. It can take time before it makes you feel better, and if the process starts to make you anxious, then stop for now and return to the techniques when you are feeling better.
How Breathing Can Help Us Sleep Better
Sleeping with our mouths closed can stop snoring and improve oral health. Troubles with breathing when sleeping can cause discomfort and a poor night’s sleep that can impact a person’s mental and physical wellbeing. One way to help get a good night’s sleep is by investing in mouth tape. Mouth tape is, quite simply, a piece of tape that you put across your mouth. It is painless and easy to apply and remove. It also helps stop snoring and can reduce fatigue that is felt throughout the day. If you haven’t heard about mouth tape before, you can have your mouth taping questions answered by SomniFix.
How Breathing Can Enhance our Exercising Sessions
Have you ever run or swam and found it difficult to breathe after a while? Perhaps your mouth becomes dry and there is a pain at the back of your throat? Learning how to breathe properly when exercising can improve your performance but also make the sport much more enjoyable. It is said that the best way to boost your sporting performance and improve your breathing technique is by inhaling and exhaling through your mouth and nose combined. This can help your breathing stay steady.
Harnessing the power of breath can improve your life. Not only can you counter anxiety and improve your sporting performance, but you can get a better night’s sleep. All this can make your life much more comfortable and enjoyable. However, be sure to learn the best techniques for you, and if you need help, speak to a professional who can offer proper tips and tricks.
Written by Joniel Suezo
7 REASONS BASEBALL IS GREAT FOR YOUR BODY AND MIND
It has long been known that physical activity is not only good for your body’s health, but for your mental health too. While we all know how important it is to exercise regularly, many of us struggle to find the time or motivation to do so, or wrongly believe that we need to pay for a gym membership in order to stay fit. If you are looking for alternative ways to exercise, here are some reasons why you should consider playing baseball to keep healthy.
1— It is a Social Sport
Compared to going for a run or working out at the gym, baseball is a social activity. Playing a team sport fosters a sense of belonging, something which is important for mental and emotional health, and playing baseball is fun, releasing endorphins and making you happy. Being part of a team and playing baseball regularly also gives you a reason to exercise, as well as support, meaning you are more likely to keep it up.
This is not to say that baseball cannot be practiced alone. There are many products on the market which enable you to practice and perfect your baseball skills. First Pitch is a well respected manufacturer of such items, including pitching machines to help your batting.
2— It Improves Cardiovascular Fitness
The bursts of running associated with playing baseball contribute to cardiovascular health by increasing your heart rate. Batters and outfielders in particular will regularly have to run, which not only keeps your heart healthy by making it work harder, but also increases lung capacity to keep your body provided with enough oxygen to sustain it.
3— It Builds Strength
Baseball provides a good whole-body workout, but is especially good for building strength in the arms, chest and shoulders through throwing and catching, and in the legs through running, and even squatting when playing in the position of catcher.
4— It Helps to Maintain a Healthy Weight
On average, at least 350 calories are burned an hour when playing baseball, although this can vary depending on how much you weigh, and how active you are during the game. Maintaining a healthy weight is important, as many health conditions are associated with being overweight, and it is also easier to stay fit when we are within an optimal weight range.
5— It Benefits Mental Health
Playing baseball is good for your mental health, not only because of the positives associated with physical exercise and team sports, but also because it is a powerful stress relief tool. It provides a healthy outlet for stress, takes your mind off worries, helps focus, and having to make split second decisions while playing keeps your mind sharp.
6— It Improves Coordination
Having good coordination is important to keep your body working optimally, especially as you age. Good coordination, as well as core strength, keeps your body working well, and reduces the risk of accidents. Throwing, catching, and hitting a baseball are great ways of improving hand-eye coordination.
7— It Gets You Outside
Generally, baseball is an outdoor sport, which is another benefit of the game. Being outdoors has multiple benefits, both physical and mental. Exposure to sunlight increases your intake of vitamin D, which is difficult to get from other sources. Fresh air is good for your lungs and immune system, and is known to reduce stress and improve mental cognition.
Team sports such as baseball are a fantastic way to encourage children to keep fit, as it fosters positive feelings – being more about having fun than specifically exercising. Baseball is also something that anyone can get involved in; even if they are not taking part themselves, watching baseball games can be a great way to socialize.
Written by Joniel Suezo
8 TIPS TO KEEP ASTHMA UNDER CONTROL
Asthma can have a big impact on your life. It can cause instances of wheezing or coughing. When this happens, it can be hard for you to get your breath back. At these times, many asthmatics will use a puffer or breathing exercises. At present, though, there is no cure. Because of this, the best option is to try and keep asthma under control. Let’s look at some of the ways that you’ll be able to do this.
1. Exercise Regularly
One of the best ways to keep your asthma under control is by regularly exercising. This has a few benefits. First, it boosts your immune system. Often getting colds or other diseases can cause breathing difficulties. Exercise will also help to improve the muscles that are associated with breathing.
For some people, exercising can trigger shortness of breath and asthma attacks. To prevent this, you’ll want to make sure that you are warming up and cooling down properly. This will give your body some time to adjust to the changed activity levels. If you ever feel that the exercise is too intense or an asthma attack might be coming on, you should stop. Take some time to get your breathing back under control, then try it again. If these issues continue, you might want to talk to your doctor. They will be able to create a routine that will allow you to exercise safely.
2. Be Aware Of Your Asthma Triggers
One of the most important pieces of information that you need to know is what triggers your asthma. This will allow you to avoid these things. The most common triggers can include things like dust and smoke. However, you might have things that will be specific to you. If you can’t avoid the trigger, you’ll need to come up with a plan about how to deal with it. For example, you might want to do some breathing exercises.
3. Monitor Your Mental Health
The interaction between mental and physical health can often be overlooked. But it plays a big role. For asthmatics, panic attacks or periods of high stress can occasionally trigger an attack. The best way to prevent this is by monitoring your mental health. For example, it might be a good idea to take up yoga or meditation. This can help put your mind at ease, putting you in a more positive frame of mind.
4. Monitor Pollen Levels
For many asthmatics, spring is one of the worst times of the year. Pollen is one of the most common allergens which can trigger a powerful reaction. When you’re outside, you won’t be able to control the amount of pollen in the air. However, you can monitor it and be prepared. Various websites will be able to use sensors to determine the amount of pollen in the air. They can then send this out to you. This will tell you what days you are at the highest risk of having an asthma attack. On those days, you might want to consider limiting the amount of time that you spend outdoors.
5. Keep Your House Clean
You should be able to control the environment in your home. This will allow you to create a space that has a low risk of triggering an asthmatic reaction. One of the best ways of doing this by keeping your house clean. This will ensure that dust won’t be able to build up. It’s important to vacuum frequently. When picking your vacuum cleaner, you’ll want to get one that has a HEPA filter. This will pick up the smaller dust particles, for a more thorough clean.
6. Wash Sheets Frequently
You’ll need to make sure that you’re regularly changing your sheets and pillowcase. This is because they might be able to trap dirt. They might also be able to trap in the dust mites and dead skin cells. These allergens have the potential to trigger an attack. It’s recommended that you do this at least once a week.
When picking your pillows, try to get some that you’ll be able to put through the machine. This will make them easier to clean. To keep the mattress clean, you might want to use a mattress protector. This is a thin sheet that goes over the mattress. It should be machine washable. You might also want to vacuum the mattress; this should remove any remaining allergens.
7. Use A HEPA Air Purifier
One of the best ways of preventing an asthma attack is using a HEPA air purifier. This will suck in the air, cleaning it. The HEPA filtration system will be able to catch even small particles. This system will be able to weed out things like bacteria and mold, keeping you healthy. These air purifiers will be easy to keep clean. In some cases, you’ll need to wash the filter. In other cases, you’ll need to replace it.
One of the best things about a HEPA air purifier is how small they are. This ensures that you’ll be able to have one at home and one in the office. However, for this to happen, you’ll need to know what you’re looking for. This HEPA air purifiers compilation will help you pick a good one.
8. Use A Humidifier
Cold, dry air can often present a problem for asthmatics. It might irritate the lungs, or cause their throat to become itchier. There are a few ways to deal with this. If you’re planning on going outside, you might want to wrap a scarf around your face. If you’re staying indoors, you’ll be able to use a humidifier to bring a lot of moist air into the house. During the summer months, you might want to use a dehumidifier. This will remove moisture from the air, lowering the chances that mold can grow in your home.
Conclusion
You don’t need to let the fact that you have asthma control your life. You’ll still be able to do all the activities that you like. So, use these tips to keep your asthma under control.
By Stacey Collins
BREATH HYGIENE: KEEPING THE MIND AND BODY HEALTHY
Over the past few weeks I’ve seen numerous social media posts counseling people to stay calm and stay clean. In my experience, employing good breath hygiene is the most effective way to both remain grounded and support immune and respiratory health. The breath is our greatest inner resource and with a little breath education, you too can develop the capacity to settle yourself, even when fear is gnawing at your gut! Initially, breath hygiene may feel unfamiliar or awkward (much like learning to wipe down everything you touch with disinfectant) but the more you work with it, the easier it gets. Here are five valuable tips for how you can use the breath as a powerful BFF to enhance emotional regulation, while simultaneously giving your immune system a boost:
1) Breathe Through Your Nose: I’m going to actually write that again in all caps to implore you: PLEASE, BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE. The nasal cavity is the miraculous starting point for your immune system. Your nose is designed to protect your lungs from foreign particles, including germs. Within the nasal cavity are tiny turbinates that work hard to filter out substances that are not intended to be ingested. Inside the sinus cavities you have pockets of Nitric Oxide, a potent anti-microbial gas that has been shown to have anti-viral capacities as well. With each nasal inhalation you ensure that the air you are taking into your body has passed through your natural TSA check-point, weeding out potential biological terrorists.
I suggest employing nose-breathing 24/7. For me this means taping my mouth each night before bed. Nose breathing at night supports deeper, more restful sleep. Sleep is an incredibly important factor in sustaining your health. Mouth-breathing is linked to snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia, dental decay, and poor gum-health. Mouth and chest breathing also foster anxiety and panic by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system. To employ mouth-tape at night, use hypo-allergenic paper tape, like 3M Micropore or Nexcare Paper Tape.
2) Breathe light : Although common lore says that when you feel nervous or upset that you should take a deep (implying BIG ) breath, I’m going to suggest the opposite. Here’s why:
Big breathing stimulates your sympathetic nervous system. You tend to take big sighs or gulps of air when you are stressed or physically working-out. When you are relaxed your breath is slow and soft. I routinely ask anxious clients, “How would Buddha Breathe?” Can you imagine Buddha huffing and puffing his way through meditation? If you invoke your inner-Buddha and settle the breath, you will find that the mind follows and settles in-kind. This is the key to the power behind yoga pranayama practices. When you quiet your breathing, the nervous system resets into relaxation mode. If your internal alarm system isn’t being fired off by hefty rounds of big breathing, your mind will likely cease and desist from agitating stories of impending doom.
3) Breathe slow: It’s not always easy, but the companion to a light breath is a slow, rhythmic breath.
Fast breathing correlates with a higher heart rate and the fight or flight response. It tends to give rise to shallow, chest-generated breathing. When you override the urge to breathe rapidly, you exhibit personal agency over your reactivity in the present moment. This is empowering! Regardless of the circumstances happening outside of yourself, you can choose to maintain a slow, light cadence: Inhale 4 seconds, exhale 6 seconds, pause for 2. This keeps your mind from being hi-jacked by fear while reinforcing resilience.
4) Breathe like a Jelly Fish: Imagine your diaphragm, which sits right in the center of your body expanding and contracting like a beautiful jelly-fish floating through the ocean. When you breathe in, your diaphragm flattens, expanding your rib-cage laterally. When you exhale, your diaphragm draws inward narrowing the dome into the concave space between the ribs. This action formulates the basics of functional breathing bio-mechanics.
The abdominal muscles also attach to the lower rib-cage and work synergistically with the diaphragm. You can actively engage your abdominals to amplify healthy diaphragmatic movement. To do this, span your hands around the lower side-ribs and upper belly. With each exhalation, draw the belly inward as if you were hugging your viscera and giving it a good squeeze. On inhalation, relax the belly and allow it to passively expand. Visualize the undulating movement of a jelly-fish and train your belly and diaphragm to dance with the breath, much as a jelly-fish propels itself through water. Jelly-fish breathing enhances your parasympathetic nervous system by gently pumping the vagus nerve and replacing the chest-breathing habit. It massages your heart and supports lymphatic drainage. When you jelly-fish breathe, the lower lobes of the lungs are better activated which improves ventilation and profusion with far less effort.
5) Short Breath Hold Practice - Your ER Breath Remedy: It may sound counter-intuitive, but the absolute most effective way to short-circuit the panic button is to voluntarily stop breathing.
Employing Short Breath Holds (SBH) in a repetitive fashion rebalances your oxygen and carbon-dioxide levels. This in turns, increases oxygenation to the tissues, reducing tension. The arteries dilate, airways reopen, and nervous impulses quiet down. All of these systemic responses support you feeling more in control and less likely to be emotionally de-railed.
Here’s how to employ a SBH practice:
a) Always work with the pause after exhale.
b) Take a gentle nasal breath in and out (light, slow, and low).
c) Seal your nostrils with your fingers and count gently up to 5.
d) Release your fingers and take another gentle breath in and out through the nose.
e) Take a second or third ‘recovery’ breath between breath-hold cycles as needed.
f) Repeat the short breath-hold process.
g) Gradually increase the hold to 6, 7, or 8 seconds.
h) Build gradually over several breath cycles until you feel a return to calm.
NOTE: Short breath holds are never to be done after the inhale. Only sustain the suspension of the breath to a level that feels slightly challenging, not to the point that you’re gasping for the next in-breath. Be sure that the inhalation that follows your breath-hold is nasal - through the nose. Also, feel free to adapt. If a 5 second initial hold feels too long, drop it down to 1, 2 or 3 seconds and build from there. If you feel comfortable extending the breath hold to 12 or 15 seconds, work at that level. Honor where you are with this process. As your respiratory system calms down, you’ll find it easier to volitionally suspend the breath for longer periods of time.
Why it Works: The intention of the SBH practice is to allow your CO2 levels to raise back up re-establishing homeostasis. CO2 has a sedative effect on your nervous system. It acts as a vasodilator and relaxes the smooth muscle in the body which is embedded in the airways, arteries, and organs including the brain. When you stress-breathe for a period of time, you can temporarily hyper-ventilate. This means you’re breathing too much and lowering CO2 levels below normal. The lower levels of CO2 can make you feel like you’re having a heart attack or possibly dying. SBH practice offers a safer and less-cumbersome alternative to paper-bag breathing. The paper-bag method (dramatized in movies as a response to panic attacks) is intended to restore CO2 levels, offering immediate relief.
SBH practice can also be used to stave off coughs, wheezing, or chronic congestion. I encourage my clients to sway, dance, or jog in place while practicing their breath-holds. This offers a useful and playful distraction, enabling more comfort while learning this technique. Others find accompanying SBH practice with the repetition of a silent mantra like, “Om Shanti”, or “Light, Love, Joy and Peace” to be very soothing.
To summarize, remember these salient points:
Breathe through your nose;
Breathe Light
Breathe Slow
Breathe Low (Jelly-fish breathing)
When feeling anxious, worried, or restless - reach for your innate rescue remedy: Short Breath Holds!
The brilliant thing about good breath hygiene is you can practice all day long and no wipes are required! Learning to breathe this way offers potent sustenance to embody a calm, relaxed, and responsive state of mind. May we all find our way through these turbulent times and model our commitment to health and sanity through proactive self-care like good breath hygiene.
Written by Robin Rothenberg
To learn more about Robin please visit: www.EssentialYogaTherapy.com
HOW TO BETTER MANAGE YOUR STRESS
Do you know anyone like this?
“Stress level: extreme. It's like she was a jar with the lid screwed on too tight, and inside the jar were pickles, angry pickles, and they were fermenting, and about to explode.” --Fiona Wood
It's a great visual. My brothers and I used to come home from school on hot, August afternoons when Mother was canning bread and butter pickles. They were angry pickles. The acrid odor of vinegar engulfed the entire kitchen and we'd sprint, eyes watering and throats tightening to keep from gagging, out the back door in pursuit of a breath of fresh air. The thought of being around a jar of fermented pickles ready to explode today is enough to send me running.
Imagine your stress-induced emotions as acetous pickle juice just waiting to explode from a pressure-filled jar. Maybe it's how you're feeling right now...as if you're on the brink of detonating into an eruption of anger, or find yourself jetting quickly toward an emotional melt-down. Prolonged stress can do that to the best of us. And while stress most likely won't be going away any time soon, we can learn to make choices which will help us better manage it.
The Negative Impacts of Stress
Stress is a normal part of everyday life, but if we don't learn to get a handle on it, it can wreak havoc on our mental and physical health. Based upon results of a stress study done by the American Psychological Association, 66% of people regularly experience physical symptoms of stress, and 63% experience psychological symptoms. Because our natural stress response is not designed to be continually engaged, we must find ways to shut it off. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, discovered that prolonged stress disrupts the balance in the brain, throwing off the normal cadence of brain cell communication. (https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-stress-affects-mental-health/) A study done by Columbia University Medical Center researchers found that negative impact of stress could be likened to smoking more than five cigarettes a day! (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2250106/Stress-bad-heart-smoking-cigarettes-day.html).
"Learn how to cope, sweet friend. There will always be dark days."
-- Kris Carr
Your Stress Triggers
Developing awareness around your stress triggers is a good place to start. Grab a journal, ask yourself these three questions, and note your responses:
Which situations occur on a regular basis which cause you to feel stressed?
Which people in your life could you name as sources of your stress?
Which circumstances turn routine situations into stressful situations? (For example, do you feel more stressed when you haven't eaten, or when you've overeaten? How does sleep (and a lack of) affect your stress levels? When you let your worries run rampant, do you find you're feeling more stressed?, etc.).
If you can become aware of your triggers, there's a good chance that you can avoid escalations, shifting behaviors before they turn toxic.
What are you feeling?
Do you recognize what stress feels like in your body? Those who have strong stress management skills are able to detect rising stress before it reaches a dangerous level. Physically, you may experience headaches, fatigue, or shoulder pain. Other common symptoms are stomach aches, excessive sweating, back pain, and a racing heart. Behavior-wise, you may find you are taking a habit to an extreme, like overeating or excessive smoking. You may find you're short-tempered, grinding your teeth, or driving too fast. Emotionally, you may find you are bothered by unimportant issues, getting the cry-feeling more often, or feeling depressed and dejected. Cognitively, you may have trouble thinking clearly, or struggle to translate your thoughts into clear words. You may find it hard to concentrate or find yourself more forgetful than normal.
Learning to recognize how stress rears its ugly head in your body is something you want to tune into. Next time a stressful situation arises, take a moment to notice what you're feeling and write it down.
"Everyone has the ability to increase resilience to stress. It requires hard work and dedication, but over time, you can equip yourself to handle whatever life throws your way without adverse effects to your health. Training your brain to manage stress won't just affect the quality of your life, but perhaps even the length of it." --Amy Morin
Stress Reduction Techniques
Though you may not be able to make the stressful situation or person go away, you can learn how to control your own responses. Here are some techniques you can try to reduce the feeling of stress. Which of these could you undertake, in the moments when stress arises?
Practice gratitude.
Take long, deep breaths.
Exercise.
Get some extra zzzz's.
Remind yourself that this too, shall pass.
Rediscover your sense of humor and laugh.
Listen to relaxing music.
Spend some time in nature.
Meditate.
Become a realistic optimist and focus on positive outcomes of the current situation.
Have a good cry.
Forgive...yourself and others.
Eat healthy food and resist junk food/stress eating.
Do something you find to be fun.
Slow down.
Practice boundaries (learn to say no when needed)
Forgive others' poor behavior.
Refuse to let irrational ideas and thoughts swim around in your head.
Visualize yourself in a peaceful place.
Pray or other spiritual practices.
Quit procrastinating and tackle some items on your to-do list.
Call a friend who is able to put you at ease.
Fill in the blank (what works for you?)
