Last week we began with the Part 1: Ten Commitments for Perfect Health – PMA combining Mind, Body and Spirit and this week of the ten part series is about the need for optimum oxygen to feed and fuel our being.

In the previous article we opened with the power of our positive mental attitude to determine our outcomes and now it is essential to understand how optimum oxygen is the key to living life to the fullest and peak performance. Long term happiness, health and harmony are easier to experience being aware and then applying the Part 2: Ten Commitments for Perfect Health – Optimum Oxygen.

While is sounds so obvious that we need optimum oxygen to fuel our body most people are surprised that this is a much bigger issue today than they realize. In fact even though many people say that of course they know how to breathe in fact many people are not in tune with their body and due to many factors have become shallow breathers.

Due to our hectic pace, sedentary lifestyle and stress many people are actually oxygen deprived as a result of shallow breathing.

Take A Deep Breath, Now

How do you know when you are receiving less oxygen than is optimal? There are several obvious signals to observe when you are tuned in to your body and breathing in order to determine your level of oxygenation. Several key factors that indicate you may be receiving less oxygen than is optimal.

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  1. Yawning indicates the body is low on oxygen and is an attempt to take a big breath.
  2. Low energy often results from low oxygen levels in the blood which are required to create energy in the mitochondria of the red blood cells.
  3. Minimal chest movement is another indicator that if you are not breathing properly it will usually lead to an oxygen deficiency.
  4. Poor posture where your head, neck or shoulders are slouched forward out of alignment impedes the breathing process.
  5. A large belly and stomach and overeating causes upward pressure on the abdomen which puts pressure on the diaphragm and lungs thus reducing the ability to breathe fully.
  6. Sleep issues such as apnea result in breathing abnormalities that contribute to poor breathing during sleep.
  7. Feeling tired during the day and waking up tired may be signs of low oxygen levels.
  8. Feeling out of breath when walking up a flight of stairs is an indicator the body is out of shape since the muscles and lungs are inefficient at a coordinated effort to breathe and walk which results in low oxygen levels.
  9. Breathing that takes places mostly in the upper chest and shoulders is high lung breathing and this results in less efficient oxygen absorption since the lung surface area is much smaller and therefore less optimal.
  10. Due to less oxygen in the air we breathe and more particles, pollution and poor air quality we are receiving less access to oxygen.
  11. Many people suffer from allergies, anemia, asthma, bronchial issues, emphysema, sinus infections and other conditions which reduces the lungs capacity to extract the optimal level of oxygen needed for perfect health.

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Increasing Body’s Oxygen

Yoga Breathing

Practicing Deep Diaphragm Breathing

With all these challenges being so prevalent it is obvious why many people are not receiving the optimal levels of oxygen their body needs for perfect health and peak performance. Therefore the key is to begin with awareness of the connections between air quality, breathing, eating, exercise, health, posture, stress and much more in order to focus your intentions on correcting the issues. What are some simple solutions to create optimal oxygen levels in your cells and tissues? Glad you asked, here are ten.

  1. Regular aerobic and anaerobic exercise goes a long way toward improving the muscle efficiency and strengthening the diaphragm and breathing process.
  2. Good alignment and posture while sitting and standing will help the body be able to operate more effectively and efficiently which results with better breathing mechanics.
  3. Practicing awareness, mediation and yoga helps you focus on your breathing and reduce stress at the same time which can greatly improve breathing and oxygen levels.
  4. Eating healthy foods goes a long way toward keeping the body fit and healthy which greatly contributes to breathing ability.
  5. Avoid excess talking while eating.
  6. Grow plants in your home such as ivy to improve air quality.
  7. Investing the time to engage in deep diaphragm breathing at least 2 to 3 times a day is another way to remind the body of the power of your breath and the benefits of proper breathing techniques.
  8. Ensuring adequate hydration is also important for oxygen absorption since the nasal and lung tissues must be moist in order to be efficient and the body may inhibit activity such as breathing if it senses that the body is dehydrated in order to conserve water.
  9. One of the best things you can do is to go for a walk in the early morning or evening in a place with fresh, ionized and oxygen enriched air. Find a beach, desert, field of flowers, forest, green belt, mountains, nature park or organic food fields and enjoy some quality time breathing and walking in a beautiful and healthy environment to really energize and oxygenate your body, mind and spirit.
  10. Simply laughing and singing are other great ways to focus on breathing.

Remember your long term happiness, health and harmony are easier to experience when you have optimum oxygen. Being aware and then applying the Ten Commitments for Perfect Health (Part 2) Optimum Oxygen strategies will help insure you have more than adequate supplies of this essential element for perfect health..

Mastery Action Plans

  • Discover the magic of a walking meditation and the power of breath walking. Walking meditation is being fully aware and present as you notice the things around you while focusing on deep breathing.
  • Breath walking is a combination of breathing awareness using mantras (sounds) and mudras (acupressure touch points) to fully activate your breathing and energy meridians.
  • Another option is to do three minutes of deep diaphragm before each meal and bedtime to relax and reenergize with more oxygen.

Our next blog post will share: Part 3: Ten Commitments for Perfect Health – Reduce Stress