Spa & Wellness MexiCaribe 40, Winter 2020-21

BREATH
James Nestor, Best-Selling Author of Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art shared
the finding of his research into respiration. Poor breathing is known to lead to many
chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, depression, ADHD,
allergies and chronic sinusitis. Our ability to take in free and easy breaths has
declined. Our mouths have become so small that our teeth have become crooked,
our ancestors never had this problem - they all had perfectly straight teeth! This
also affects our ability to breathe through our noses and blocks our airways, we are
the only species of the animal kingdom to suffer from this. This means many of us
end up breathing through our mouths, this is extremely unhealthy and affects the
way our bodies function, causing bad posture, receding chin and tired eyes.
Within a couple of hours of being restricted to mouth breathing, the blood pressure
shoots up, snoring increases dramatically, and sleep apnea occurs. When the
opposite is tested and nose breathing is encouraged, snoring decreases and
disappears within days, sleep apnea disappears and blood pressure normalizes
also within days. Effective habits include breathing through the nose, breathe slowly
and steadily - rosary prayer and yoga mantras encourage this type of breathing,
leading the body into a state of coherence. Breathe less - when you reduce the
number of breaths per minute you increase the efficiency, and breathing awareness
- we can take conscious control of our breathing and impact the body. Breathing
can increase heat in the extremities by 17%, allowing monks to spend time in the
Himalayas wearing only their robes. For example, Wim Hof has used breath to heat
his body to fight off infection. Inhale for five second and exhale for five seconds,
always through the nose. Bear in mind, habitual breathing is different from specific
breathing exercises where you may follow different patterns and breathe also
through the mouth.
Dr. Marc Cohen, Extreme Wellness Institute, Australia spoke with Wim Hof, The
Iceman, The Netherlands and James Nestor, Author, asking, “How should we
breathe?” Habitually, for the majority of the day, breathing should be slow, steady,
and through the nose. However, breathing exercises for short periods of time can
of course differ from this. Balance the body via breathwork and short exercises and
the body will benefit the rest of the day, boosting the immune system, calming the
nervous system, and benefitting overall health in many ways. Breathing has the
ability to change our biochemistry, reducing the heart rate, increasing blood flow to
the brain, and helping the body restore and repair. The correct breathing technique
encourages alkalinity in the body, helping to prevent disease. Wim led us through
his simple breathing exercise as a group, 30 deep breaths in, followed by a breathhold,
repeat this cycle three times and you will likely be amazed that you can hold
your breath for around two minutes by the last cycle.
SLEEP
Dr. Michael Breus, The Sleep Doctor, taught us
how to be better in bed! The required eight hours
of sleep is a myth; it is different for everyone based
on the length of their sleep cycle, and five rounds
of sleep. Sleep is a window into your health and
can be a predictor of future conditions, such as
Parkinson's in the case of one patient. If you are
not sleeping well there is either a physical issue
or a mental or emotional issue. Dr. Michael has
created the 'Chrono Quiz', a few basic questions
can identify your type and the lifestyle that fits you
best. You are a Lion (15-20% of the population)
early birds who optimistic go-getters who prioritize
health and fitness, a Bear, (55% - the majority of the
population), a Wolf, (15-20%) the night owl, creative
risk-takers who don't typically follow patterns, or a
Dolphin (10%) with erratic sleep schedules, and can
be OCD and insomniacs.
Five steps to better sleep:
Wake up at the same time
Stop caffeine by 2 pm
Limit alcohol 3 hours before bedtime
Limit exercise 4 hours before bedtime
Get 15 minutes of sunlight every day
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