Just Breathe! the ezine of The International Breath Institute (IBI), is sent to you from Dr. Tom Goode. IBI shows you how to be fully alive and in optimal health through lifestyle management—learning to live in alignment with your holistic nature. We provide shortcuts from science, tips for your health, and reminders about your breathing.

Content
IBI's web site focuses on Full Wave Breathing because it is the single most important exercise for your health. Use it to become fully alive--get well, be well and do well.

Healthcare
You either take care of your health or you don't. If you don't, you become a participant in what is known as "Healthcare," a system predicated upon the study of sick people and focusing on how to "fix" them. It addresses symptoms rather than causes and treats disease as an enemy to be eradicated.

Self-Responsible Self Care
If illness was not your enemy, and instead was a message concerning stressors in your mind and body, how would you treat it? Likely you would cooperate with the body using principles based upon natural health. The first place you might start is with the most basic foundation of life, your breath.

Your mind and body work pretty well until you start storing stressors in your breathing muscles. Then you become a shallow breather, creating chronic tension that wears down your immune system. Your blood becomes toxic. Lacking oxygen and energy, your body is unable to defend itself against environmental stressors. The result is disease.

Holistic Practices
The foundation of all holistic health practices is deeper, effective breathing, which affects your respiration, circulation, vitality, digestion, assimilation, and more. Breathing affects your entire system. Master your breathing and you master the ability to stimulate your healing resources.

Have high blood pressure? Use your breathing to promote the unimpeded flow of consciousness through every cell in your body. Healing takes place on all levels. Your breathing determines your physical vitality, your emotional calmness, your mental focus and your spiritual awareness. New, simplified instructions appear in this issue at the top of the Exercise column. Use it for 30 days, see what happens.

Today's Health Challenges
The real challenge is separating fact from fiction. Years ago we were told that we should shift from butter (bad!) to margarine (good) for our health. Now we find the reverse since most margarine is loaded with deadly transfat.

Yesterday’s normal is today’s disease state as witnessed by the changed view of health levels of blood cholesterol. Healthy, normal cholesterol a couple of years ago was a total reading of 300 or less. Then it was decided that anyone over 200 was at risk and needed statin drugs.

There are even practitioners who predict that the “new” healthy norm will be pegged at 100. This would make virtually everyone a prospect for the new drugs—despite the fact they have not been shown to prevent heart disease and come with a host of side effects, some of which are life-threatening. Plus a total cholesterol level that low may be the signal of a disease state according to some researchers.

Remember when soy was supposed to be good for your health—and now its not? Not only does eating soy-based foods have minimal impact on cholesterol and other heart-disease risk factors, it may undermine rather than support overall health due to its processing as outlined in my books. A tip from my new book, Fully Alive!, is to only eat fermented soy products if healthy eating is your goal..

It is up to you, the consumer, the operator of the body--the soul--to gather the information you need for your health and to apply it as it suits your individual lifestyle, culture, ethnicity and genetic pattern. Big medicine and Big Pharma urge you to use the next “new cure” even when it has not proven itself.

Instead, rely upon the “tried and true” healthy lifestyle approach:
• Avoid toxic substances, people, places and things
• Feed your body the best quality food you can find
• Exercise daily in a manner suitable for your body type
• Practice Full Wave Breathing exercises as part of your daily routine

The Duh Factor
New research indicates that people eat more if given larger containers and that smaller packagers usually have fewer calories.

Your Healthy Heart
Heart disease is a catch-all term for a large variety of conditions affecting cardiovascular health as cancer is an umbrella term for over 200 diseases. The cause of all is the same—excessive stress which depletes the immune system..

Excessive means that it exceeds the mindbody system’s limits which differs for each and every person. I usually refer to this condition as “pollution.”

Of the four types of stress, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, when the next stressor cannot be integrated into your system, overload results. A cascade of deterioration begins depending upon your genetics and strongly influenced by your lifestyle.

It is easier to prevent the landslide of symptoms than it is to reverse them. With appropriate care, the mindbody system’s self renewal is efficient and effective.

Heart Healthcare
Dr. Julian Whitaker (www.Drwhitaker.com) reporting a study on statin drugs, noted that out of 100 high-risk, heart attack patients taking one statin drug, 99 would receive no benefit and would experience unhealthy side effects. Another way to look at it is 99% of people with increased risk of heart attack are better off without statin drugs.

Developing An Attitude
Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who go slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: Today my best friend slapped me in the face.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: Today my best friend saved my life.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?” The other friend replied, “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where the winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it. --Anonymous author

Product Update--It’s Finally Here!

You can now easily tune-up your entire mindbody system using breath, music and imagery. The Cosmic Waltz Inner Harmony program is a powerful, easy-to-use adventure into your Self. An 11th data CD provides you with a complete instruction manual that you can print for your personal use and share with family members and clients.

Stress is growing. Yet the mindbody can expand its limits to embrace and thrive on even more stress. All you need is a holistic tune-up.

Here is the link to the description of this amazing product for your health and well being.

Easing Off to Sleep
Many people have difficulty getting a good night’s rest. Here’s a way you can use your breathing to improve your sleep through Full Wave Breathing, the steps of which are listed below for your convenience.

Breathing through the nostrils, slowly take ten step-1 breaths; then ten step-2 breaths; next, ten step-3 breaths. Connect all of the breathing like you would normally do when practicing Full Wave Breathing. At the end of the 30 breaths, allow your inhale to become progressively quieter as you drift off into a deeply relaxed state.

Also use this method if you awaken during the night. It outperforms counting sheep!

Behind the Curtain
Originally I used Full Wave Breathing to assist medical practitioners and therapists to deal with their stress. Later I worked with individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress symptoms. In both cases their health improved.

Thinking that it was the breathing that was the cause of the improvement, the International Breath Institute was launched to help people take the first step in boosting their health. After working with hundreds of people and noting that it was their consciousness that first changed and then their health, I dug deeper. What I discovered was that as consciousness shifted out of states of fear to a state of love, everything in life improved.

Future columns will speak about your consciousness and how to naturally awaken to higher states. One method is to practice present or “now-moment awareness.

To live in the now requires that we be present—distracted neither by the past or the future. Nothing works better to bring you into present awareness than Full Wave Breathing. Living as a soul, observing life as it comes to you and responding from your heart requires practice. Make the practice easier by daily sessions with your breathing.

Temporarily forget about all of the wonderful health benefits that come from Full Wave Breathing and use it for the next month with an intention of living in the flow. Most of us struggle, trying to swim upstream. Instead get into the flow, ease and joy of your Full Wave Breathing sessions and see if life doesn’t automatically improve for you. Please write me at tom@internationalbreathinstitute.com and tell me of your results.

Healthcare Update
Transfat is worse than we thought according to research from Wake Forest University. Dr. Lawrence Rudel, in a news release said, “Diets rich in trans fat cause a redistribution of fat tissue into the abdomen and lead to a higher body weight even when the total dietary calories are controlled."

Transfat is found in most fried fast foods, vegetable shortenings, snack foods and most manufactured baked goods. Avoid them as you are able and if it were my body, I’d offset their deleterious effect by increasing my antioxidant intake and essential fatty acids.

Transfats have been linked to heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular disease. This month a watchdog group brought a law suit against KFC for using transfats in its chicken in all 5400 restaurant locations, first targeting the Washington, D. C. area.

Earlier I reported that the government requires the amount of transfat in products be listed on its wrapper. The rule does not apply to restaurants.

The recommended daily maximum amount of transfat for a 2,000 calorie diet is 2 grams. Extra crispy KFC chicken has 15 grams; a pot pie, 14.

Is This It?
Life Extension.com has announced a new supplement to suppress appetite without caffeine or any other stimulant activity. The new “Natural Appetite Control helps a body digest fats and sends a feeling of fullness to the brain. Check it out at www.LifeExtension.com

Natural Sexual Stimulants
• The AARP magazine reports that inhaling the scent of doughnuts increases blood flow to men’s genitals; banana bread worked for women; and black licorice worked for both genders.
• Non-sexual touch like handholding prompts oxytocin release to increase arousal, relaxation and sensitivity to touch.
• Regular aerobic exercise helps both genders with arousal and satisfaction.
• Improve your performance with Full Wave Breathing to increase oxygen flow to the lower body. Combine it with Kegel exercises, tightening the perineum during the inhale and relaxing upon exhale. Several sets a day produce the greatest result—thus providing another reason to Just Breathe!

Product Recall
Remember those infomercials with hunk Tony Little smiling and gliding along on his Gazelle exerciser? The Consumer Product Safety Commissions (CPSC) has recalled over 150,000 of the machines because they can break and cause falls.

You Can Lose Weight Naturally & Holistically
Prevent disease and avoid unnecessary doctor visits with The Holistic Guide to Weight Loss, Anti-aging and Fat Prevention.

From The Internet
What's sooooo surprising about this-- our health care has been in trouble for years!!!!
Two patients limp into two different American Medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement.

The first patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.

The second sees the family doctor after waiting a week for an appointment, then waits eighteen weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn't reviewed for another month and finally has his surgery scheduled for 6 months from then.

Why the different treatment for the two patients?

The first is a Golden Retriever.....

The second is a Senior Citizen.

Ever Cautious
In its reserved way, WebMD reports that breathing exercises may help asthma sufferers. Should I have put this item in the Duh Factor column?

Toward a Healthier Future

Keep breathing!
Tom

EXERCISE CORNER:

Full Wave Breathing is a natural, drug-free, and dramatically effective way to experience health, joy and aliveness that mobilizes and supports your progression toward balance and wholeness. It is a method which accelerates and complements modern healthcare and treatment practices. Use it to inspire yourself so you can inspire others!

The Single Most Important Exercise is Full Wave Breathing

There are 3 Steps, simple as A B C: Abdomen, Belly, and Chest. First, breathe into the lower abdomen and keep your focus there until you can comfortably fill and relax that area of the body. Use your muscles to expand your lower abdomen, beginning at the top or your pubic bone. Second, after filling the abdomen (A) shift your focus to your entire belly (B) or midsection, stretching and distending your diaphragm and ribs as you inhale. Relax everything as you exhale. Use your muscles to push out the lower abdomen, then expand the area just above.

Third, filling A & B, shift your focus to your chest (C) and above. Having expanded the lower portions of the body, stretch up into the chest and back. Make all of your physical movements gentle and slow. All the movement to become very subtle and gentle as you alternately inhale and exhale without pause.

You may find it more comfortable to begin with distinct movements of your body. Allow the process to become like a dance of movement from bottom to top, top to bottom. Later, allow your body to remain completely relaxed as you visualize the movement of energy through you. Repeat often for the most dramatic results. For more detailed instruction, read below:

Step One of Full Wave Breathing

Place one hand on the abdomen below the navel and the other on the chest. As you inhale, hold the chest still; allowing the abdomen to expand as if you is filling a balloon. Stretch and extend the lower belly. Relax completely into an inhale at the point where the abdomen is distended fully and the lungs are filled. After exhaling, inhale immediately. The chest does not move at all.

Continue breathing with no pause between inhales and exhale. All of the emphasis is upon your inhale. The exhale is a release of the tension created during your inhale. So you will Inhale and relax...inhale...and relax. Continue as you read this instruction to see how simple it is to perform. Breathe through your nose or mouth as you desire. You increase oxygenation by over 50% when you breathe through your mouth because of the normal restriction in nostril breathing.

Close your eyes as you are breathing and then relax for a few minutes when you are done. Allow your breathing to normalize before continuing with your activities. You may perform this exercise while sitting at the computer, riding in the car, or even watching television. Start practicing this exercise today and you'll be pleased with your result!

To help you stay focused on your breathing, place a book or weighted bag on your lower abdomen when lying down and performing the exercise. If you are sitting, to keep your spine erect, imagine that a rope is attached to the middle of your head. The rope rises into the air. In your imagination, allow the rope to gently lift you up until your spine is erect. Sit straight, be open, and breathe.

Step Two of Full Wave Breathing

Continue breathing with no pause between inhales and exhale. Inhale and Relax...Inhale...and Relax.

Count 1 as you inhale and expand your lower abdomen in Step One. Count 2 as you lengthen your inhale and push out the middle of your torso at the solar plexus. Release tension and allow the body to exhale and repeat. Perform this exercise anytime to relax. Do not perform connected breathing when driving or operating machinery.

When lying down, place a pillow under your knees, not under your neck. When sitting, allow yourself to stretch and open your spine as you sit and breathe.

Close your eyes as you breathe and then relax for a few minutes when you are done. Allow your breathing to normalize and return to your tasks.

Step Three of Full Wave Breathing

Continue breathing with no pause between inhales and exhale. Inhale and relax...Inhale...and relax.

Count 1 as you inhale and push out your lower abdomen. Count 2 as you raise the breath and energetic focus to your solar plexus. Count 3 as you move your breath and muscular focus up into your chest, stretching your intercostal muscles, shoulders and back of the neck. Relax completely when you exhale, allowing the muscles to soften. There is no effort or tension involved in your exhale.

Close your eyes as you breathe and then relax for a few minutes when you are done. Allow your breathing to normalize before continuing with your activities. Perform this exercise anytime you are sitting passively to provide a quick and effective energy boost and relaxation.

Keep your spine straight if sitting and allow to your body to move as you breathe and relax. Feel the wave of inhale as air enters your body and the wave of exhale as it leaves. Increase the volume of air and pace of breathing and feel how it affects your experience.

Since resolving stress at the cellular level is below our awareness, there are times when the breathing is accompanied by laughing or crying as old chemistry breaks up. Simply keep breathing! Allow your body any movement that arises and remember to relax fully when you exhale, softening all your muscles. Continue breathing at your own pace, deeply and fully.

Maintain your own pace and be willing to experiment. Your pace will normally change from day to day and during a session of Full Wave Breathing. Playing music as you breathe helps keep you focused in a gentle rhythm. The Cosmic Waltz, offered by Inspired Living, is the best I know of for this purpose. It focuses on the heart center and expands relaxation throughout the body.

All material in this ezine is presented as information only and should not be constructed as medical advice or instruction. Readers should consult with appropriate licensed health care providers on any matter relating to their health. The information provided is believed to be accurate and based on the best judgment of the author. None of the statements in this ezine have been approved by the FDA.

"How things look on the outside of us depends on how things are on the inside of us."