Let's Hear From You

From time to time I include questions and comments I receive via email, fax or
letter.

I apologize in advance, but I receive so many emails each week that I am not
able to respond to each in person. But I will try to include those that are
representative of the questions I get.

First off, some comments from a daily tips member and customer who has
tried the deep breathing exercises I teach and recommend:

Dear Karen:
I was at first very annoyed at your "Feel good. Have a great attitude" approach,
until I tried the deep breathing exercises last night after I went to bed. It works!
I'm not even sure I did it right, but I had no coughing spells and felt like,
"Wow. I'm kicking butt here with strengthening the lower part of my lungs"...

Thanks Karen for what you do!! I can laugh at myself now --- but I have been
coughing and hacking and throwing up and feeling like crap wheezing when
walking up little hills. I was very irritated at first with your e-mails. Now I am
so grateful for them.

Nancy

KVN: I commend Nancy for taking the action to try something, even though she
wasn't sure it would work. That's the beauty of a lot of what I teach and share --
you don't necessarily have to believe in it at first for it to benefit you. Glad
you're feeling better, and keep up the good work.

Karen,
I went through 'rebirthing' about 20 years ago, still employ its methods.
Rebirthing is a concept of Leonard Orr's. Are you familiar with this or vivacious
breath work, Bobby Birdsall's way of rebirthing...just wondering, because it
seems to connected.

Thanks,
Dana

KVN: Yes, Dana, I am familiar with rebirthing, although I have never gone
through it myself. For those that aren't familiar with it, a very simple description
of rebirthing (with apologies to Dana!) is that a trained counselor teaches you
a continuous breathing technique (no hesitation between the inhalation and
exhalation). The counselor then prompts you to leverage the deep breathing to
feel whatever you experience in your body.

Proponents say the technique helps people to resurface, identify and process
suppressed emotions or memories, even from as far back as birth, that may have
been holding them back all their lives.

I think that most, if not all, breathing techniques and methods have as one
of their core tenets the teaching of more full, complete breathing for
enhancement of health. This in turn leads naturally to greater self awareness,
whether you consciously set out to achieve it or not.

My approach is not as metaphysical as are rebirthing and similar methods. In fact,
I began my own research and experimentation when I was dealing with what was
a very debilitating case of asthma.

After flailing away and getting increasingly unhealthy, I had one of those "duh!"
moments, and realized that the breathing and focusing methods I had learned in
my martial arts and qi gong training were an important key to overcoming asthma.

As I continued to research, learn and do, I also discovered that breathing was
much more heavily emphasized as an important part of physical development
in the past than it has been in more modern times. For example, the
physical culturalists and strongmen of the late 1800's and early 1900's put
heavy emphasis on breathing in their training.

At any rate, I think it's vitally important to tie the physical in with the mental.
Deep breathing and exercising dynamically help you do this. I integrate deep
breathing into everything I do and teach, from writing to working out to
dealing with stress, chronic health conditions or pain, and so forth.

Hi Karen,
Many thanks for all your letters. What do you suggest, my husband and I are
allergic to wheat - we still eat bread with wheat in so as not to be hungry. Can
you suggest something to take its place?

Many thanks,
Auriel

KVN: Wheat, or more specifically, the gluten in wheat, is one of the top 10
food allergens. A lot of people are allergic or have sensitivities to wheat and don't
even realize it. Fortunately you have identified it as a food you need to avoid.

Two good recommendations for bread: try Ezekiel bread and Essene bread.
Each of these is a live food made from sprouted wheat (which destroys the
gluten). If you have sensitivity to wheat glutens, this can take the place of bread
for you.

I also recommend you eat more rice in place of bread. Brown and wild rice
and rice mixes are the healthiest, and you shouldn't have a problem with them.
You can also eat oatmeal and cereals made from whole grain oats, like
Cheerios. Just check the labels: some foods advertised as oat or bran
contain wheat flour.

Well, that's it for today. Thanks for being a daily tips member, and keep those
emails coming!

You Can Do It!

Best,
Karen Van Ness
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. Put the power of deep, dynamic breathing to work for you. Get your
copy of the Dynamic Energy Special. This package includes the two "Secret
Power of Dynamic Energy" Programs at a special savings. Click here for
more information.

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc.

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Consult a physician before starting this or any exercise or nutrition program, especially if you are pregnant, nursing or have a preexisting medical condition.