Take a deep breath

I recently attended a specialist course for yoga teachers running classes for ME and Chronic Fatigue. I also teach meditation and I am a Trager Practitioner (tinyurl.com/ydzrw93) I was interested that researchers 20 years ago found that the average resting breathing rate was 8 to 12 breaths. When the research was repeated the average rate was 27 breaths.
This led them to conclude that most people now live in a state of hyper-stimulation and have forgotten how to relax. Shallow fast breathing is related to feeling stressed and this underlies many serious health conditions. So if you are blackberrying, texting , phoning, emailing, i podding, rushing round the gym, surviving on coffee, sugar and alcohol you might be hyper stimulated. Take time each day to rest in silence, put your hand on your belly and breathe slowly feeling the expansion in your ribs. If you can make the out breath longer than the in breath even better. Feel how your mind slows down and your body relaxes. Know that simply doing nothing and focusing on your breath could be one of the most powerful things you can do for your health.