ComputerHunter.org

 

Meditate with Mindful Breathing


Breathing in, I calm my body.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is a wonderful moment!

Do you live a life of action while maintaining a life of peace? The two do not seem to coexist and we often find ourselves striving to achieve one or the other. Do you relate to being determined and yet patient as you move through your life? We plan and organize for the next moment, week or year then forget the actual intention for the planning in the first place. We are much better at doing than being.

There is an abundance of happiness available to us. Clarity is waiting to be seen. Inner peace is free for the taking. It is all available to us if we are willing to make a modest investment. The benefits are priceless and dividends continue to multiply over time. It is within reach, here and now, and it can be applied to everything you think, say and do.

Throughout our Western culture we are suffering the effects of stress and paying the price in the loss of health and well being. The constant bombardment to the autonomic nervous system keeps us from letting down and allowing our bodies to fully rest. The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, emanating from the spinal cord, control involuntary, unconscious actions of smooth muscles, cardiac muscles and glands. The sympathetic system and the nerves controlling it are found in the thoracic and lumbar segments of the spinal cord. This system primarily uses neurotransmitters adrenaline and noradrenalin to mobilize the organism in "fight or flight" reaction in emergencies. The parasympathetic system is located in the cranial and sacral segments of the spinal cord. It uses the transmitter acetylcholine to relax the body. These nerves, working together, control involuntary functions such as breathing and heartbeat.

Neurophysiologist Candice Pert states that there is a wealth of data showing that changes in the rate and depth of breathing produce changes in the kind and quantity of peptides that are released from the brain stem. By consciously altering the breath by holding it or by breathing fast, you cause the peptides to diffuse rapidly throughout the cerebral spinal fluid, in an attempt to restore homeostasis. Many of these peptides are endorphins, the body's natural opiates, as well as other kinds of pain relieving substances. The peptide ? respiratory link is well established. This peptide substrate may provide the scientific rationale for the powerful healing effects of conscious connected breathing.

The key to combating the constant stress activation of our fast paced world is to cultivate its opposite - stillness. One of the best ways to do this is mindful breathing. The simple act of focusing the attention on the breath for a short time every day calms the body and the mind. When practicing simple breath meditations,* you enter the mind body conversation without judgments or opinions, releasing peptide messenger molecules from the brain to regulate breathing while unifying all systems. The physical benefits are increased oxygen supplied to the body and relaxation of the nervous system creating balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The rewards are expanded awareness, increased clarity and a deepening inner peace. Breathe!

Carol A. Lampman
http://www.IntegrationConepts.net







Google News - Top Stories

Washington Post

Obama cites faith as key to change
Boston Globe - 2 hours ago
Barack Obama called "active faith" an obligation of religious Americans and a chief agent of societal change in a speech yesterday at the national meeting of a black church group.
Veterans Hit the Battlegrounds Washington Post
Veep best bets are DC insiders Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
New York Times - FOXNews - The State - Washington Times
all 1,163 news articles


2000 firefighters make a stand in Big Sur
San Francisco Chronicle - 2 hours ago
Nearly 2000 firefighters made a stand Saturday on Highway 1, near famous inns and spas bereft of tourists on this holiday weekend, as crews sought to beat back the out-of-control Basin Complex wildfire in Big Sur in advance of a heat wave expected to ...
Video: Calif. Wildfires Strain State's Resources AssociatedPress
California wildfires strain state's resources The Associated Press
San Jose Mercury News - Lake County News - WLOS - Voice of America
all 4,532 news articles


BBC News

Betancourt returning to Colombia 'in a few days' to write play
AFP - 1 hour ago
PARIS (AFP) - Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt said in an interview Sunday she would return to Colombia "in a few days" to write a play about her experience after being held in the jungle for six years.
Analysis: Colombia's Uribe rides high after rescue The Associated Press
Released Former Colombian presidential candidate arrives in France Xinhua
Los Angeles Times - International Herald Tribune - Times Online - Reuters
all 5,195 news articles


Malaysia Star

Climate report: a way forward?
The Ann Arbor News - MLive.com - 2 hours ago
BY JOHN MULCAHY University of Michigan Professor Andrew J. Hoffman served as an adviser on a recent report titled "Breaking the Climate Deadlock: A Global Deal for Our Low Carbon Future.
G8 to pledge to take lead in halving gas emissions: report AFP
Vogel: We must respect Russia, engage China The Daily Yomiuri
Monsters and Critics.com - Voice of America - San Francisco Chronicle - WTTE
all 556 news articles


CBC.ca

Jesse Helms dies at 86; NC senator opposed equal rights
Detroit Free Press - 2 hours ago
Conservative icon Jesse Helms, the former Republican senator from North Carolina, died Friday. He was 86. Helms, who served 30 years in the Senate, died of natural causes in Raleigh, NC, an aide said.
Video: A Look Back At Jesse Helms CBS
Helms never changed on civil rights opposition The Associated Press
Washington Post - Wall Street Journal - Boston Globe - San Jose Mercury News
all 2,333 news articles

Google
 

Copyright © 2006 Computer Hunter - A Division of Arthur´s Job Base