The 411 on Abdominal Breathing Exercises

A lot of people do not really think much of how they breathe since it is a non-issue for them. They take in air by the mouth or nose then breathe out and it is as simple as that. However, it is a bit more complicated than that in the sense that there is a better way to breathe that brings a ton of benefits to the body and the mind. It is called the abdominal breathing exercise technique and learning how to do it will really change the way you look at, and go about, breathing.

What is abdominal breathing?

It might sound somewhat daunting and something that can be more than a little bit intimidating but it is actually very easy for most people. You see, abdominal breathing is breathing in such a way that that you contract the diaphragm, a muscle that is located horizontally between the stomach cavity and the chest cavity. When you breathe this way, the belly expands as air enters from the lungs.

Try to take a look at the way you are breathing now and it is most likely your chest that is expanding and not your belly. There is nothing wrong with that but you might want to try abdominal breathing since many consider it a healthier way of breathing and is even used in complementary and alternative treatments.

Try it out

There are many different techniques you can try to learn how to breathe this way and one way to do it is to sit back or lay down in an environment where you can relax. Place one hand on your belly just above the belt line and another hand on your chest. This way, you can feel which body parts and muscles move when you breathe. Breathe in through the nose and feel your chest and abdomen. You do not want to feel movement in your chest and you want to feel your belly expand as you do this. It will prove to be somewhat challenging at first but the more you do it the easier it will become and pretty soon you will be breathing like that even without conscious effort.

What are the benefits?

It is easy to think this is some sort of gimmick designed to make you work harder; but, fact of the matter is that abdominal breathing has some very real benefits for the body. For one, this type of breathing gives your insides a kind of gentle massage which proves to be very relaxing. In fact, it is so relaxing that this type of breathing is usually taught to people who suffer from anxiety attacks or those that work in highly stressful environments.

People who take up yoga or tai chi will find that this type of breathing is often taught and encouraged in their classes since it brings about the best benefits for the body. Try out some abdominal breathing exercise guides and see how they work out for you.

Dahn Yoga

Dahn yoga is a Korean form of physical exercise developed by Ilchi Lee in 1985. The practice was originally established under the name, Dahnhak wherein “dahn” means vital energy, while “hak” means study of a particular philosophy. 

The Dahn yoga exercise is focused on the development of a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.  It is composed of three unique characteristics, including the following:

1.    Enhancing the brain
2.    The mastery of the use of energy
3.    Self-managed holistic health care

Dahn yoga’s practices are based on the traditional concept of chi, which is often associated with terminologies such as life-force, energy, breathing, medicine, and martial arts.  A Dahn yoga exercise regularly starts with a method of exercise known as Meridian Stretching, which is believed to regulate the energy in the body, followed by a series of poses that look almost like regular yoga.

Dahn yoga, however, is not to be confused with regular yoga postures.  Unlike most other types of common yoga, Dahn yoga is focused on awakening the brain.  The postures performed in the classes are geared towards the development of the brain’s creative potential.  Their maxim is that, when a person becomes one with the natural flow of energy, wisdom will be unleashed, thereby gaining a higher understanding of reality.

Dahn yoga’s mind-body training programs are also founded on Korean healing philosophies and South East Asian energy boosting principles. Dahn yoga ascertains that their healing exercises can contribute positive effect to the person’s well-being as well as inject a positive effect in the practitioner’s community.

Practitioners assert that as they practice Dahn yoga, they begin to understand how the energy in their body works. Because of this, they supposedly begin to become mindful of their surroundings and start applying the energy principles of the yoga into their everyday life.  Continuous practice of the exercises means that injecting the principles daily then becomes second nature to them.

Dahn yoga’s benefits quickly spread like wild fire in the different regions of South Korea.  From its first center in downtown Seoul, South Korea; Dahn yoga, is now being practiced in fifty locations in South Korea.  The practice’s benefits also became known in the United States.

By 1991, Dahn yoga, entered the shores of Lady Liberty, and established its first US based Dahn yoga center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Six years after, the Sedona Ilchi Meditation Center was founded in Sedona, Arizona.  Here, members got to enjoy specialized wellness programs for a fee.

Presently, Dahn yoga has its roots embedded in over sixteen locations in the United States, with branches in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, New Mexico, Georgia, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas.

With people catching on to Dahn yoga’s benefits, a foundation was established in 2006.  Simply named Dahn Yoga Foundation, the foundation helped increase attention to the practice through classes done at community centers, churches, public parks, offices, schools, hospitals, and centers for the aged.  The classes would sometimes be offered free of charge or at discounted rates.

Understanding Shoulder Flexibility Test and Some Pointers on Enhancing Shoulder Flexibility

Have you ever seen people who can do various movements by using their shoulders? This only means one thing, and that is their shoulders are flexible enough. Does this statement ring the bell? If you want to know how flexible your shoulders are, then you should consider undergoing the shoulder flexibility test.

This particular test is done in order to measure the mobility and flexibility of the joints of the shoulders. It is crucial for the shoulders to have pertinent range of motion, in order to avoid injuries, and to ensure the efficiency of athletic performance. If you love doing sports that requires great amount of shoulder mobility, such as tennis, swimming, racquetball, lacrosse, or sports that require catching and throwing, then there’s a need for you to under this flexibility test.

Due to the tightness that the upper back experiences, shoulders, as well as the neck typically suffer from stiffness and pain. The flexibility test for the shoulders may be used to ascertain an individual’s risk to suffer from injury and pain. For several years, physiologists, as well as physical therapists utilize shoulder flexibility test to determine the baseline flexibility, especially before a rehab or exercise scheme starts.

This test is repetitively done after numerous weeks, in order to ascertain the progress of the person. When it comes to athletes, tennis players and swimmers undergo this test, for the purpose of enhancing their flexibility, to do well during play.

How Shoulder Flexibility Test is being done:

• In order to test the flexibility of the left shoulder, simply stand up and then raise the right arm, straightly over the head.
• Bow your right elbow, and then let your right palm to rest at the back of your neck. After which, slide it down to the back, particularly between the shoulder blades.
• Reach it behind using your left hand. The back of your hand should rest on the center of your back.
• Slide the right hand down; left hand up, in order to touch each and every finger.
• The minimum distance between the right and left hands’ fingertips must be measured. If there are any overlaps, make sure to document it.
• Do the test to the opposite shoulder.  
• Test results of Shoulder Flexibility Test
• Excellent- This means the fingers overlap
• Good- This implies success in reaching the fingers
• Average- This means the fingers are 2 inches short apart
• Poor- The fingers are beyond 2 inches apart

Ways to Enhance the Flexibility of the Shoulders

There are myriad of shoulder stretching exercises that can be done, in order to enhance the shoulder flexibility. Even the simplest ones can make a huge difference. Below are some exercises that could stretch every muscle in the shoulder:

Deltoid Stretches

•    Doorway Front Deltoid Stretch
•    Reach Across the Chest
     Trapezius Muscle Stretches
•    Ear-to-Shoulder Stretch
•    Forward Reach
     Range of Motion Exercises and Flexibility Exercises
•    Shoulder Shrug and Release
•    Shoulder Circles
•    Pendulum Exercise

Search how these exercises are done and start enhancing the flexibility of your shoulders. Consider also taking the shoulder flexibility test.

Dahn Yoga Closed Reviews: No Wonder Why Dahn Yoga is One of the Most Sought-After Practices

There are a lot of Dahn Yoga closed reviews and suffice to say that it is because of its detractors. There are people who say that Dahn Yoga is a form of a cult, and should not be followed. However, the fact remains that Dahn Yoga helped and is continuing to help several people. If you scout the World Wide Web, you’ll see that several people believe in the cleansing and meditational power of Dahn Yoga.

There are tons of Dahn Yoga enthusiasts, as well as experts who claim that Dahn Yoga is different from other kinds of yoga practices. As mentioned in the official website of Dahn Yoga, this practice is more on leveraging the energy of a person. According to Dahn Yoga gurus, a person could change his or her life if he or she is able to improve his or her energy. Dahn Yoga followers consider energy as the source of everything.

Those who do Dahn Yoga earn better understanding of the body and mind. The different energy building and awareness exercises are their keys in order to achieve this goal. If you want to have true mastership over your body, as well as mind, Dahn Yoga is perfect for you. Through its variety of practices, you’ll learn how to manage your energy appropriately.

The fact that Dahn Yoga came from the nation of Korea makes it different from other yoga practices. As highly cognizable, the nation of Korea is enriched with mind-body and holistic healing practices. Dahn Yoga uses the Korean Taoist philosophy, also, the holistic principles of the tradition of Korean Oriental Medicine.

For Dahn Yoga participants, a healthy individual features a healthy body, mind, as well as spirit. So what is important in this health concept? It is qi or the life energy. Dahn Yoga is also about awakening of the brain. Dahn Yoga gives importance to the brain, thus, the practices involved mean to enhance the functions and the power of the brain.

Through Dahn Yoga, people could improve their focus, as well as develop the brain’s so-called creative potential.  This can be attained by enhancing the key element- the energy. By enhancing the power to feel your energy, you’ll be able to have a quiet mind, you could improve your focus, you could rejuvenate the sleeping part of your brain, and most of all, and you could be part of the energy’s natural flow. Thus, it’ll be easier for you to unleash better insights, as well as exercise natural wisdom.

Once you succeeded on how your energy works, and once you feel the energy’s transformative power, you will become more naturally mindful. Also, you will be encouraged to practice the energy principles every day. Dahn Yoga closed reviews can’t kill the greatness, helpfulness of this one of a kind meditation practice.