Dr. Darcy Oikawa DC

The Power of Conscious Breathing Our physical and emotional responses are tied to our breath, which helps oxygenate and give life to every cell, tissue, and org...an in our body. Breathing helps to facilitate movement on a systemic and intracellular level. It helps support the detoxification of our bodies by facilitating metabolic exchange. With each inhale and exhale, we are fueling all of our body’s functions. When we practice conscious breathing, we move into the driver's seat and take the wheel. By taking control of our breathing we take some control over our mental and physical health and wellbeing. IHH massage therapist Ell Parker, CMT, recommends an approach she calls Take 5. That can mean taking a short break for five conscious deep breaths or a five-minute break for dedicated conscious breathing. As self care this a something you can do as often as you need it. Whatever feels doable is the place the start. It is possible that you will need to set an alarm to remind you to take a break and take five. We can be so focused on work, with tension and pain quietly building in our bodies, that we need a reminder to breathe. You can use the alert function on your cell phone, watch or computer. Take a look at your day you might want a break every 30 minutes or every hour. You could also set aside time to use an app designed for meditation; many of them feature conscious breathing. You don't have to make your practice a breathing workout. It is fine to just be aware of a pattern of breathing. There are several basic patterns: inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth; inhaling and exhaling through the nose; or inhaling and exhaling through the mouth. You can experiment to find the one that works best for you.

Aging Well is not about perfection, it's about consistency

I often hear patients say a good workout relieves excess stress. That’s because exercise reduces cortisol the stress hormone. Too much cortisol and you ...become insulin resistant and store belly fat. Too much cortisol also makes you crave sugar and carbs and seek comfort food. Let’s consider some of the other reasons why exercise is important: BETTER INSULIN SENSITIVITY: Exercise makes your cells and muscles more sensitive to insulin so you don’t need as much. Less insulin means less belly fat. LESS STRESS: I often hear patients say a good workout relieves excess stress. That’s because exercise reduces cortisol the stress hormone. Too much cortisol and you become insulin resistant and store belly fat. Too much cortisol also makes you crave sugar and carbs and seek comfort food. BETTER BRAIN HEALTH: Your brain on exercise performs so much better. Exercise improves memory, learning, and concentration. Vigorous exercise is a better antidepressant than Prozac. Exercise creates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDMF), which is basically miracle grow for your brain. When you exercise, your brain becomes more elastic. Exercise also helps to improve your mood, boost your energy, and reduce overall stress in your body and mind. REDUCED RISK FOR CHRONIC DISEASE: Exercise does this through several mechanisms. It protects your heart and reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke. It reduces inflammation (the cause of almost every disease of aging). And it balances hormones, therefore reducing breast and other common cancers. ENHANCED DETOXIFICATION: Intense exercise allows your body to release toxins through your skin. It boosts detoxification of environmental chemicals. Vigorous exercise will help you work up a sweat, but gentle exercise keeps your circulation going and flushes out all the toxic fluids that build up in your lymphatic system. IMPROVED SEXUAL FUNCTION: Increased circulation and more energy are two of many reasons that consistent exercise can spark up your sex life. See more

IHH integrative psychotherapist Holly Anton, PhD shares a mindfulness practice for eating that removes tension and hurry from an experience that can be calm and... pleasurable. Eating is something we commit time and energy to, often without thinking. It can be a way of relaxing, enjoying and finding our way back to the present. See more