super-brain breathing exercises
exercise no. 1 -- cleansing breath
this is your basic super-brain breathing exercise.
stand erect ... feet about 18 inches apart ... hands and arms relaxed at
sides.
raise the hands overhead. now bend forward as far as possible ...
keeping the knees bent ... at the same time exhaling through the mouth.
compress the chest and push upward with the diaphragm and abdominal
muscles to expel every bit of carbon dioxide from your lungs.
now slowly inhale through nose and mouth ... pushing downward with your
diaphragm and expanding your chest at front and sides to draw in the air
to the full capacity of your lungs ... as you return to the original
standing position. as you do this, bring your arms upward in a
half-circle to the overhead position.
(note: all super-brain breathing exercises begin in this way.)
to complete the cleansing breath exercise:
as your hands reach the overhead position ... tighten your diaphragm and
hold your breath for 4 or 5 seconds (mentally counting "one thousand and
one ..." etc.) while pulling your abdominal muscles back to "pin your
stomach to your backbone."
then exhale, bending forward as at the beginning ... and inhale as you
return to the starting position. do this exercise 5 times.
exercise no. 2 -- the super-brain breath
start by exhaling and inhaling as at the beginning of exercise no. 1.
when your hands reach the overhead position ... hold your breath and bend
forward from the waist, knees bent ... dropping your head as far forward
as you can. continue to hold your breath to the count of 10 (mentally
counting "one thousand and one ..." etc.) ... the purpose being to allow
the oxygen-filled blood to suffuse the pituitary gland and reach and
refresh every part of your brain, as well as cleanse the skull cavities
(sinuses, ears, nose, mouth).
still holding your breath, return to standing position ... then bend
forward, exhaling vigorously through the mouth. slowly inhale as you
return to starting position.
do this exercise 5 times at the start ... and gradually increase to 10 times.
note: as previously mentioned, you may not be able to hold your breath
for the full count at first. if you feel dizzy, exhale, return to
standing position, drop arms to sides and relax for a minute or two
before continuing the exercise. you will gradually build your oxygen
tolerance to the full count.
exercise no. 3 -- super-kidney breath
locate your kidneys on the lower back, just below the end of your rib
cage near the waistline. get the "feel" of them by placing your palms
over this area, fingers and thumbs pointed downward ... as this is the
position you will take during the breath-holding part of this exercise.
start by exhaling and inhaling as at the beginning of exercise no. 1.
as your hands reach the overhead position ... tighten your diaphragm and
"pin your stomach to your backbone" with your abdominal muscles ... while
holding your breath. now, still holding your breath, place palms over
kidneys and bend forward ... exerting a light pressure on the kidneys for a
silent count of 10 ("one thousand and one ..." etc.)
still holding your breath, return to standing position ... then bend
forward, exhaling vigorously through the mouth. slowly inhale as you
return to starting postion.
do this exercise 5 times at the start ... gradually increasing to 10.
(use same precaution in breath-holding count as given previously.)
exercise no. 4 -- blowing the bowel
this exercise should be done in the bathroom on arising each morning ...
and several times within an hour after eating. if you will make this a
habit, you will soon find that you will get a bowel movement within an
hour after eating. this is as it should be ... outgo should equal intake.
start by exhaling and inhaling as at the beginning of exercise no. 1.
now, holding your breath, drop hands to sides in relaxed position ... and
slowly go into a squatting position ... then strain for a bowel movement
for the silent count of several seconds.
return to standing position and complete exercise by exhaling and
inhaling as in previous exercises.
exercise no. 5 -- apex of lungs
this exercise is to get oxygen into the little used air sacs at the apex
of the lungs, down near your waistline.
exhale and inhale as at the start of exercise no. 1 ... but, instead of
returning arms to overhead position, drop them relaxed at sides ... and
bring feet together, toes and heels touching.
holding your breath, bend to the right and try to touch the floor with
the fingers of your right hand ... at the same time bringing the left
hand up to touch under the left armpit. hold position for a silent count
of 10.
return to starting position ... exhale and inhale as before ... then
repeat breath-holding position on the left side, reaching toward the
floor with the left hand, and touching the right hand under the right
armpit ... for a count of 10.
return to starting position ... exhale and inhale as before.
do this exercise 5 to 10 times, alternating from side to side.
exercise no. 6 -- the liver breath
start by exhaling and inhaling as at the beginning of exhaling no. 1.
now bring the feet together and clasp the fingers overhead, palms upward.
keep legs stiff from the hips down ... and holding the breath, bend
slowly to the right side with as much stretch as possible ... then to the
left with a good stretch ... alternating these bends to right and left 5
times each ... while holding the breath.
return to starting position with feet apart ... exhale and inhale with
the usual forward bend.
do this exercise 5 times.
exercise no. 7 -- heart strengthener
the purpose of this exercise is to expand the aorta, the main trunk of
the arterial system which carries the blood from the heart after it has
been oxygenized by super-brain breathing. it stimulates the circulation
of the blood in the heart, as well as throughout the rest of the body,
helping to increase the power of the entire cardiovascular respiratory
function. this exercise may give relief to those who suffer from angina
pectoris, commonly called "choking in the chest", with feeling of
suffocation and apprehension.
this exercise starts with the same exhaling and inhaling as in the
beginning of exercise no. 1 ... except that the arms are held forward at
shoulder height (not overhead).
when you return to the standing position, holding your breath ... clasp
your nose tightly with thumb and index finger so that no air can escape
... and pretend you are blowing your nose. you should feel some air
pressure in your ears.
now, with knees bent, bend over from the waist ... getting your head
as near to the floor as possible ... and continue to hold your breath for
a silent count of 10.
return to starting position and exhale and inhale in the usual
super-brain breathing manner.
do this exercise 5 times.
faithfulness counts
every person who is interested in super-health ... and who isn't? ...
should take time each morning to do these super-brain breathing
exercises. make it a daily habit. make it as much a part of your life
as dressing and brushing your teeth. the wonderful results you will
obtain from faithfully following these exercises will repay your effort
many times over in abundant health!
take your present physical condition into consideration when you start on
this program. go slowly at first. a large part of your lungs has
probably been dormant for a long time. it will take a while to open up
these tissues.
man is composed of such elements as vital breath,
deeds, thought, and the senses...
--the upanishads
early morning is the best time for super-brain breathing exercises
i recommend a 10-to-15-minute period early in the morning for your
super-brain breathing exercises. after you have awakened your body with
a few preliminary stretching exercises ... sip a glass of water
(preferably steam distilled) or fresh fruit or vegetable juice ... then
get ready to start your day with a peak supply of energy by super-brain
breathing.
the early morning hours are especially important for these exercises if
you are a city-dweller ... because the air is less polluted at this time
of day than any other. breathe that fresh air with its life-giving
oxygen into your lungs before it becomes contaminated with poisonous
fumes from the day's traffic and industrial operations. you will start
your day with a glowing sense of wellbeing ... and a store of energy to
carry you through whatever work you have to do and problems you may meet.
think of this period with pleasant anticipation ... a time to build
vitality, energy, strength and all the good things that come to a healthy
body. what you put into this system of health building, you will get out
of it. go into it with all your heart and soul.
he who cannot find time for exercise,
will have to find time for illness.
-lord derby
fresh air and warmth necessary
be sure that fresh air is circulating in your room ... but don't try to do
these exercises in too cold a room. i want you to get full benefit of
this wonderful stimulation and to enjoy every minute of it.
if the room is cool when you get out of bed, put on something that is
loose and warm. i use what is know in the athletic world as sweat shirt
and sweat drawers ... which you can find at any sporting goods store.
as you start doing your exercises, you will feel a wonderful glow coming
over your entire body ... and the more you breathe, the warmer you'll
get. as soon as you feel warm enough ... peel off the sweat clothes and
get right down to your naked body. give yourself an outside as well as
inside air bath. let the 96 million pores of your skin also breathe
in the breath of life. yes, indeed ... you breathe through your skin,
too! it's an important organ of respiration ... your "third lung".
those pores of your body will welcome a plunge into real fresh air. they
are going to be wrapped up in clothes all day ... and probably at night,
too, unless you sleep in the raw as i do. a daily air bath does wonders
for your skin ... no creams or lotions can give you that "skin you love
to touch" that fresh air does.
this will also greatly help your skin in its primary function as the
thermostatic control of your body temperature. you will help condition
it to meet hot and cold weather perfectly. it is a faithful thermostat
when you give it a chance. but if you keep your body over-clothed and
over-heated all the time, your skin becomes like a hot-house flower,
unable to withstand drastic changes of temperature. when you allow your
entire body to breathe freely in the nude, your thermostat will always
work for you in either hot or cold.
breathe through the mouth and the nose
let me make it clear that in normal breathing, one should breathe through
the nose. nature has equipped this air passage with hair filters to
strain out dust and soot ... temperature regulating chambers (sinuses) to
warm or cool the air before it enters the lungs ... moist mucus to trap
particles which pass through the hair filters and must be expelled
through nose or mouth.
but nature has also equipped the human body with a larger, secondary air
entrance (the mouth) for use when a greater amount of oxygen is needed
... as in strenuous exercise such as swimming, running.
since the purpose of super-brain breathing is to take into the lungs as
much oxygen as possible, we use both the nose and the mouth to breathe it
in. _pucker_the_lips_into_a_small_opening_, so as to inhale slowly and
strongly with a hissing sound.
proceed with caution
oxygen is a powerful stimulant. if your body has been on a starvation
diet ... as is the case with most humans ... you can knock yourself out
if you go about these super-brain breathing exercises too fast.
_proceed_slowly_. if you feel yourself getting dizzy ... stop right
then. after a few normal breaths you may feel like continuing ... but it
would probably be wise not to try to hold your breath to the full count
of 10. start with 5 if you wish ... or with whatever number you are
comfortable ... and gradually increase to the full 10 count. after you
start working on these exercises, you will be able to guage just how much
oxygen stimulation you can take.
_a_note_on_counting_: the "count" for holding your breath signifies the
number of seconds. for correct timing, count "one thousand and one ...
one thousand and two ..." and so on, so that one second should elapse
with each count. and, of course, the counting should be done mentally --
not vocally! remember, you're holding your breath while you count -- not
expelling it.
mental attitude important
i have already spoken about starting these exercises with pleasant
anticipation ... knowing that the result will be improvement in health
and figure, and enjoyment in living a fuller, longer, more youthful
life. remember, your mind must be the boss of your body ... and a
positive mental attitude will bring you greater benefits sooner.
_as_you_exhale_, think to yourself, "i am expelling all poisons from my
body ... physical, mental and emotional. i am expelling sickness and
fatigue, fear and hatred, envy and grief." name whatever state of body,
mind, emotions you want to get rid of, and feel that you are breathing it
_out_ of your system.
_as_you_inhale_, think to yourself, "i am breathing _in_ health and
strength ... courage and self-confidence ... love and peace of mind."
concentrate on the qualities you want to acquire, and feel that you are
drawing these in with the fresh air and oxygen.
after you do this faithfully every day for several months, you will be
amazed at how well it works. your whole attitude toward life will
improve. you will feel confident and happy ... you will get along much
better with your family and with other people, both friends and
strangers. petty annoyances will no longer bother you. your worries and
troubles will fall into proper perspective ... you will be able to face
your problems realistically and solve them with courage and ingenuity.
let your mind and body work together in these super-brain breathing
exercises ... and living will become a glorious adventure!
..
...
typed by bodhi
from
_super_brain_breathing_for_super_health_&_high_energy_
by paul & patricia bragg, n.d., ph.d.
|
