Who has time to meditate?

05 Friday Feb 2021

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

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breathe through your nose, breathing, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, focus, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, meditate, meditation, relax, Yale University

You do! Because all you need is 16 SECONDS a day to alter your brain! Yale University researchers found meditation decreases activity in the brain area responsible for negative thoughts, and a wandering mind – which is typically linked to ruminating, worrying about the past and future, and being less happy. But meditation keeps you focused in the present. It also physically changes the brain. It increases brain cell volume in the hippocampus, which regulates emotions. And decreases it in the amygdala, which is responsible for fear, anxiety, and stress.

And all you need is 16 SECONDS a day – as long as you’re consistent! So breathe in for a count of 4… hold it for 4… exhale for 4 seconds… and pause for 4. Done.

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You don’t need to practice yoga to center yourself and be mindful.

24 Wednesday Jun 2020

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

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bike ride, breathe, breathing, center yourself, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, mindful, mindfulness, prevent injuries, rowing, run, running, workout, Yoga

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Try this mindfulness technique, no matter what type of exercise you enjoy. It comes from trainer Nora St. John: Every 5 minutes during your run, bike ride, or rowing session – take out your earbuds or pause your workout playlist, and tune into your breathing and body movement. Make sure nothing feels off or awkward, and correct it if it does. St. John says that will help you become a more efficient exerciser and help prevent injuries.

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Take a deep breath!

08 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

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breathe, breathing, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, de-stress, destress, exhale, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, relax, relaxing, stress relief, take a deep breath

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When it comes to relieving stress, people say, “Take a deep breath.” But a deep EXHALE may be more crucial than a deep INHALE. Physical therapist Dr. Emily Kiberd says most people think deep breathing should be about taking IN more oxygen. But the stress-relieving oxygen doesn’t reach our bloodstream until we breathe OUT. So, try this: Inhale through your nose for a count of 4… Hold it for another 4 seconds… Exhale for 8 seconds. That’s in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 8. That’ll calm your nervous system, relaxing you.

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Why are you tired?

14 Friday Sep 2018

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

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breathe, breathing, cell, cell phone, cellphone, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, deep breathing, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lungs, smartphone, tired

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Blame your smartphone. Not because the blue light it emits is keeping you awake… it’s because it makes you breathe less deeply! Scientists found that people who used their phones for more than 4 hours a day had lung function that was over 30% lower than those who used their phones less. And just so you know, the average teenager is on their phone 6 hours a day, so 4 hours isn’t a crazy amount!
So why would phone use lead to poor lung function? Because we hunch our shoulders and bend our necks when using our phones. So our airway is restricted and we’re not fully expanding our lungs. As a result, we breathe more shallowly.

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Need to chill out fast?

24 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

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bach, Beethoven, breathe, breathing, calm, chill, chill out, classical music, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, heart rate, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, relax

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Load these two classical pieces on your phone: Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and “Air on a G String” by Bach. Both are about 70 beats per minute – which mimics your resting heart rate. So listening to them can slow your breathing, and heart rate, to a calmer pace.

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Breathing hazards at the gym!

25 Thursday Aug 2016

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air pollution, breathe, breathing, cancer, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, contaminants, fitness, gym, illness, indoor air pollution, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, medicine ball, Pilates, pollutants, rubber mats, V-O-C, VOC, volatile organic compounds, weights, workout, Yoga

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It’s not the stinky locker room you need to worry about at the gym – it’s the indoor air pollution! University of Lisbon research shows the air in weight rooms and studio spaces can be teeming with illness-causing pollutants. In fact, researchers found that 82% of the fitness centers tested had high levels of volatile organic compounds – or V‑O‑Cs. Which are released from the rubber mats, medicine balls, plastic-coated barbells, yoga blocks, and foam pilates noodles. They’re compounds that can irritate your airways, and even cause cancer. And since most of us breathe heavily at the gym, we’re more likely to breathe IN those contaminants.

Not in the mood for that run?

04 Thursday Aug 2016

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brain, breathe, breathing, calm, calming, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, feeling tired, focus, in the mood, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, mood, motivate, motivation, run, running, tired, willpower, workout

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If you plan on going for a run – but you’re struggling to get in the mood for it – you’ll end up running a lot more slowly. That’s according to sports psychology professor Dr. Chris Englert. The reason? Because you end up using all your willpower to force yourself to put on your shoes, and get out the door. Which means, you won’t have as much willpower left to keep going when you start to feel tired. So, here’s how to restore your drive to exercise: Sit quietly and focus on your breathing for 5 minutes. Your brain will feel calmer – and you’ll be much more motivated to have a good workout. It sounds simple, but it works.

Feeling stuffed after a big meal?

24 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

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blood sugar, blood sugar levels, breathe, breathe deeply, breathing, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, heart rate, insulin, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife

Change the way you breathe. New research shows that breathing deeply for 40 minutes after eating a huge meal lowers heart damaging blood sugar levels.
How? By reducing your heart rate, which triggers the release of extra insulin.

Reasons you should sit up straight.

22 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

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breathing, circulation, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, energy, hunching over, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, lungs, more energy, posture, sit up straight, uncross your legs

Hunching over takes 5 times more energy than sitting up straight, because it restricts your lung capacity and breathing! Also, uncross your legs and plant them flat on the floor. You’ll have better circulation and more energy.

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~ Intelligence for Your Life

Tag Archives: breathing

Who has time to meditate?

You don’t need to practice yoga to center yourself and be mindful.

Take a deep breath!

Why are you tired?

Need to chill out fast?

Breathing hazards at the gym!

Not in the mood for that run?

Feeling stuffed after a big meal?

Reasons you should sit up straight.