Less Stress And a Long Life: Just Breathe

The hurried holiday season is the perfect time to remember to breathe. A full schedule of holiday parties, gift shopping, family time, and traveling can make your head spin! You can relax amid the holiday busy-ness and decrease stress in your everyday life with one simple habit: take a five-minute breathing break every day.

This is the twelfth and final habit in the 2011 Longevity Program, a yearlong plan of monthly activities that come from the habits of centenarians from around the world. The idea of this program is that by choosing a simple activity and doing it every day, you will gradually develop 12 new healthy habits by the end of the year. To do the whole program, look at my previous Yahoo! Blog “The Longevity Resolution: Live to 100”.

If you are interested in a more formal longevity program, check out my book Secrets of Longevity 8-Week Program, a journal that will transform your health and lengthen your years.

December's habit: Do a simple five-minute breathing exercise every day.

Here’s why: In many cultures that have a thriving population of centenarians, it is a custom to practice mediation and other special breathing methods every day. Breathing correctly is important for many reasons, including releasing stress and dispelling the toxins and wastes from your body. It is estimated that we expel only about 30 percent of toxins in our bodies through defecation, urination, and perspiration—the rest is all respiratory. And yet, many of us have forgotten how to breathe! We take shallow breaths from the top of the lungs, contributing to our stress level and accumulation of toxins and wastes in the body.

Practice breathing for five minutes every day.

Here’s how:  Simply sit with your back straight in a chair or cross-legged position, close your eyes, and begin breathing from your nostrils. Focus your mind on the breath entering your nostrils and filling your body. Practice deep, slow, rhythmic breathing, and try to keep your inhalation and exhalation the same length of time. If your mind wanders, bring your attention gently back to the breath. After five minutes, you should feel peaceful.

If you are enjoying the experience, gradually extend your breathing exercise to longer periods of time. Maybe this will be your springboard into a daily meditation practice, which is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress, protect your heart, and lengthen your years. Find a meditation practice that works for you and begin with 5 to 10 minutes a day. For a guided practice designed to help you live to 100, click here.

Stay on track.

Ask yourself these questions each day and consider keeping a written record of your answers. This will help you stick to the plan and may give you helpful and inspiring insights.

• Think of a reward for yourself if you follow the longevity habit nearly every day, and write it down. You will be more likely to follow through with your goal when there is a bonus at the end.

• Have you been practicing the breathing exercise for at least five minutes every day? What has the experience been like?

• How do you feel today compared to the previous day? How about to one week ago? You may feel more calm in the midst of a busy day.

• What obstacles are keeping you from practicing this habit every day? What can you do to get around these?

Make it happen! An answer for every excuse.

Miss a day? If you go a few days without practicing the breathing exercise, it does not make you a failure! Let it go. What can you do differently for more successful results? Recommit, make adjustments, and continue where you left off. Don’t ever give up!

I forget to breathe. You can easily set a reminder for yourself—whether it’s a post it note or a reminder that pops up digitally in your mail. The easiest way to make this a successful habit is to choose one time of day that you do it consistently: in the morning, just before bed, or right at your lunch break—when you need it most!

It’s too unproductive/boring. Most of us are so used to constantly multi-tasking that just sitting still and noticing the breath can seem unproductive or even boring. However, the opposite is true. When you take a break, you will come back to your duties refreshed and more organized in your mind, qualities that will surely fuel your productivity. As for boring: when you take away all the devices that are constantly commanding your attention, you get a moment to just be with yourself and notice the kind of thoughts that are in your mind. What could be more interesting? Give it a try!

On the last day of the month: If you have been doing the breathing exercise for at least five minutes every day, it is likely that you have created new longevity habit. Congratulations to you for dedicating yourself to healthy habits in 2011!

You can find more ways to live a long and healthy life in Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100, which is now available on Kindle. In addition, The Natural Health Dictionary makes a great companion to your quest for longevity. It is a comprehensive guide that answers all your questions about natural remedies, healing herbs, longevity foods, vitamins, and supplements.

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I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

—Dr. Mao

This blog is meant to educate, but it should not be used as a substitute for personal medical advice. The reader should consult his or her physician or clinician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field is ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.

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