10 reasons to breathe deeply

10 reasons to breathe deeply

10 Reasons to Breathe Deeply

The human body is designed to take in 75% of its energy requirement through breathing; oxygen is the most fundamental unit of fuel that we take into our body. Further, we also eliminate 70% of our toxins via the breath; Did you know that the human body is designed to take in 75% of its energy requirements through breathing.   oxygen also cleanses the cells by oxidation and enables waste products to be carried back to the lungs via the bloodstream. Given these basic facts it is easy to see why learning to breathe correctly is one of the most fundamental things we can do to support and maintain our health and wellbeing.

The Daoist have always know the secret that breathing deeply is important for not only for your body’s health but it’s also a key factor emotional wellbeing. Let’s face it during this cold and dark time of the year keeping the SAD (seasonal affective disorder) away so you keep smiling through winter is essential.

The results of poor breathing practices are:

  • Under-oxygenation and low energy levels,
  • toxicity build-up,
  • high stress and stagnant emotional states.

It is well accepted that long-term emotional stagnation eventually leads to physical and emotional disorders.

By becoming a conscious breather we can re-take control of our lives by fully oxygenating our system and maintaining a lucid state of emotional freedom.

Since most of us  are not educated to become conscious of this fundamental metabolic process, over 90% of us are using less than 50% of our breathing capacity here are 10 reasons why you should add it to your everyday routine.

  1. Breathing Detoxifies and Releases Toxins
    Your body is designed to release 70% of its toxins through breathing. If you are not breathing effectively, you are not properly ridding your body of its toxins i.e. other systems in your body must work overtime which could eventually lead to illness. When you exhale air from your body you release carbon dioxide that has been passed through from your bloodstream into your lungs. Carbon dioxide is a natural waste of your body’s metabolism.2. Breathing Releases Tension and StressDeep breathing helps decrease your heart beat and relax your muscles there by lowering blood pressure to reduce stress
  1. Breathing Relaxes the Mind/Body and Brings Clarity
    Oxygenation of the brain reducing excessive anxiety levels. Paying attention to your breathing. Breathe slowly, deeply and purposefully into your body. Notice any places that are tight and breathe into them. As you relax your body, you may find that the breathing brings clarity and insights to you as well.
  2. Breathing Relieves Emotional Problems
    Breathing will help clear uneasy feelings out of your body.
  3. Breathing Relieves PainYou may not realize its connection to how you think, feel and experience life. For example, what happens to your breathing when you anticipate pain? You probably hold your breath. Yet studies show that breathing into your pain helps to ease it.6. Breathing Massages Your Organs
    The movements of the diaphragm during the deep breathing exercise massages the stomach, small intestine, liver and pancreas. The upper movement of the diaphragm also massages the heart. When you inhale air your diaphragm descends and your abdomen will expand. By this action you massage vital organs and improves circulation in them. Controlled breathing also strengthens and tones your abdominal muscles.7. Breathing Increases Muscle
    Breathing is the oxygenation process to all of the cells in your body. With the supply of oxygen to the brain this increases the muscles in your body.8. Breathing Strengthens the Immune System
    Oxygen travels through your bloodstream by attaching to haemoglobin in your red blood cells. This in turn then enriches your body to metabolise nutrients and vitamins.9. Breathing Improves Posture
    Good breathing techniques over a sustained period of time will encourage good posture. Bad body posture will result of incorrect breathing so this is such an important process by getting your posture right from early on you will see great benefits.10. Breathing Improves Quality of the Blood
    Deep breathing removes all the carbon-dioxide and increases oxygen in the blood and thus increases blood quality.

 

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Exam Stress Tai Chi

Exam Stress Tai Chi

How doing Taichi helps exam stress and anxiety

Let’s face it—being a student is stressful. You not only need to prepare for each class you take, you also have to take care of your social life, bills, and anything else that needs attention. Having to study for an exam only adds to this stress.

Fortunately, there is a way to fight back. That method is Tai Chi. Before you roll your eyes and assume that Tai Chi is only for ‘older’ folks who’ve recently retired and have time to move slowly in the grass for hours on end, hear us out.

What is Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese health ‘technology’ and practice that involves slow, sometimes odd circular movements of the body—in particular the arms and legs. It helps keep the body healthy and strong and can be practiced by virtually anyone, regardless of their current physical condition. It is among the gentlest martial arts practiced, and has gained serious popularity over the past several decades.

How it Helps with Exam Stress

The number one benefit of Tai Chi is relaxation. Exam stress is unfortunately linked to lower test scores and a dissatisfaction in life. You don’t have to suffer these consequences, however. Tai Chi can help you physically relax, slow down, and enjoy each moment.

Research proves that Tai Chi can physically relax the body, the nervous system, and promote mental relaxation. Because it requires heightened awareness of your senses and your body, Tai Chi puts you in the here and now and removes the chatter of the mind. This increases concentration and can actually improve your test scores!

Benefits of Tai Chi

Calming the nervous system, re-focusing the mind, and relaxing the mind and body enable you to stay calm on exam day. When our bodies have built up anxiety and tension, it is difficult to concentrate and feel positive. With regular practice, Tai Chi can eliminate negative thoughts and tension in the body and help you maintain a positive outlook no matter what subject you’re testing for.

Consider doing Tai Chi if you suffer from serious exam anxiety, and discover its many benefits beyond just alleviating exam stress.

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Daoist Diet

Daoist Diet

The latest medical studies confirm what the Lishi diet has taught for thousands of years.


Taoist Vegetables

A massive collaboration between Cornell University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, the China Study is the most comprehensive study of diet, lifestyle and disease that has ever been conducted in the history of biomedical research.

Over the course of the intensive study, researchers surveyed a wide range of diseases and diet and lifestyle factors across rural China and Taiwan, and eventually produced more than 8,000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease.

So, What does it tell us?  Basically, what the Taoists have been telling us for years.  Avoid eating meat as your source of protein and eat vegetable protein and grains instead.

Chang Ming Diet Guidelines

The study also showed that even relatively small intakes of animal-based foods were associated with adverse effects. And what’s more, the study revealed that the source of animal protein didn’t matter. Whether it came from a lean pork chop, egg whites, or a glass of whole milk, the results were all the same.

In the Basic Chang Ming Cookbook, there is a list of foods that Chee Soo taught students of the Daoist Arts of Lishi to avoid eating.  This list includes:

– Meat such as pork, beef, mutton and lamb.

– Salmon, mackerel, shark, swordfish, tuna and whale.

– Concentrated meat extracts, soups and gravies.

– Milk, cheese, butter, dairy yoghurt, boiled or fried eggs.

– Lard or dripping that comes from animal fats.

– Any bird or fish that has a lot of fat tissue.

 He also advises on a number of foods that can be eaten and these include:

– All locally grown vegetables that are in season, especially root vegetables

– Eggs, if scrambled or in omelettes; better still, eat only the yolks.

Chang Ming Diet Guidelines Vegetables

Once again, the ancient wisdom of the Daoists is still cutting edge and modern research is only just catching up with what they have taught for thousands of years.

What it really comes down to is that eating animals is a significantly different nutritional experience from eating plants. On top of the aforementioned, plant-based foods have substantially more antioxidants, fiber and minerals than animal-based foods and significantly less cholesterol and saturated fat. Plant-based foods also tend to be alkaline forming, which can help your body combat inflammation, reduce stress and protect bone health.

To find out more about the Chang Ming Healthy living guidelines, ask your Lishi teacher, find a class near you or get yourself a copy of The Basic Chang Ming Cookbook from amazon.

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Strength of Character

Abbot Zhao from the White Cloud Temple in Beijing has long been a friend of Lishi and on his latest visit to Leeds he presented our teacher, the President of Lishi International and the International Daoist Society, with some very special caligraphy.
The characters pictured say “Lishi Daoist Tai Chi” and were painted by Huang Xing Yang the Deputy President of the Chinese Daoist Association.
The presentation of these prescious caligraphy scrolls further strengthens the relationship between Lishi International and the White Cloud Temple.
Additional paintings were also gifted by Ren Fa Rong the President of the Chinese Daoist Association.
These paintings from esteemed Daoist Masters will feature in our teacher’s forthcoming book “Moving As Water” which will be published later this year.

Historic Footage of Our Teacher’s Teacher

 
Video footage from the 1970’s of Grandmaster Chee Soo has recently been posted on the internet and you can watch the interview and demonstration on our facebook page.
 
In the interview, Chee Soo talks about the history of Lishi and demonstrates some Daoist principles to the amazement of the interviewer.
 
Watching this wonderful footage will give you a good feel for what Lishi is about.

Why does Bill look so happy?

Because he has just made history by graduating from Leeds Trinity University at the age of 90!

The foundation degree in Coaching Lishi Movement is the first degree of its kind, equipping students with the skills and knowledge to teach Tai Chi, Yoga and all the arts of Lishi as movement and exercise professionals.

Huge congratulations to Bill and Iain on completing their Lishi coaching degree.

Pictured with Dr Ian Kenvyn, Willoughby Hart, Iain Keegan and Dr Alex Boyd.

New  Class in Beijing

 In September, Laoba will lead a group of twenty students of Lishi on the annual Daoist Trail trip to China.  He will also be teaching at the newly opened class that runs weekly in Beijing.
 

If you are in Beijing and would like to attend the weekly class then please get in touch and we will send you all the details.

Looking ahead to June 2016

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Learn more and register your interest at lishi.org/festival

     

© Lishi International 2015

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