The "BEST BREATHING EXERCISES" Health, Fitness & Personal Power Blog

The Big Picture and How To Reduce Stress

What kind of approach do you take when it comes
to stress in your life.

Last week, I asked (somewhat in jest) whether we
are becoming too wimpy. Do we lack the toughness
our ancestors had. Do we succumb too quickly and
easily to the excess stress, or perceived stress,
that seems so much a part of modern life.

I agree that modern life comes with a lot more
complexity, including a faster rate of change and
a more intertwined social and economic fabric
across the globe.

Not to mention, people feel like they are working
harder and doing more, with fewer resources. And
this is no longer the exception. It has become the
standard in the corporate world.

Yes, increased complexity and demands can cause you
to feel out of control and even powerless when it
comes to certain areas of your life.

But I don't think it has to be that way.

For one thing, you can take a look at your perception
of these changes and demands in your life.

You can also consider how you respond to them.

When you take a step back, are the things that you
find most stressful really such a huge deal.

And even for the stuff that is or seems important,
are you reacting too negatively to it. Versus
seeing it as a game, and responding to the
challenge.

When it comes to what really matters in life, one
of the most helpful things you can do is to look
at the big picture.

First, take a step back. Literally. Give yourself
a little time and space to think about this, and
tap into your inner wisdom and intuition.

Take a minute or so to focus on your breathing.
Gradually lengthen the cycles of your breathing.
Calm down. Chill for a moment. 

Notice how your feelings change, and how the built
up tension in your body begins to dissipate.

One of the side benefits to breathing consciously,
in this way, is that it forces you to "be in the
moment", at least for a few minutes or so.

You stop thinking about what happened in the past, and
you stop fretting about what may happen in the future,
or what you need to get done by x hour or date.

You simply are.

Now, introduce into this the "Big Picture". What is
the big picture of your life. What truly matters.

For a wonderful, but unfortunate, example of doing
this, consider the people in California who had
to flee from their homes because of those crazy
wildfires.

To a person, the people who were interviewed in
shelters, who did not know whether or not their homes
had survived the fires, expressed tremendous
gratitude that they and their families had made
it out without harm.

And they also expressed appreciation for the firefighters,
who valiantly battled the blazes.

Talk about focusing on the big picture. At that 
moment, in the midst of their own personal and
family tragedy, the most important thing to them
was that they were OK. They were alive, they were
healthy. And they will rebuild.

Hopefully, you don't have, or won't have, such a
tragic event in your own life. But you can still
take the attitude of these families in California,
not just once in awhile, but every day.

An easy way to do this is to take a problem, stressor
or irritation you are currently grappling with, and
think about whether this will even register in your
brain or in your life a month from now...or a year
from now...or five years from now.

If you do this honestly and objectively, you'll
soon find that most of the stressors in your life
are things that you won't even remember or think
about a few months from now.

Let alone five years from now.

So erase these from your stress list. Promise 
yourself that you will no longer stress about -
or at least put a limit on your stressing about -
these challenges.

This leaves you with a considerably smaller list
of things that, hopefully, are far more critical
to the things that matter most: your health,
your family and friends, your ability to make
a contribution, and your ability to achieve
satisfaction and happiness in your life.

The first step to doing this is to give yourself 
the luxury of a moment and a few deep breaths.

Use your breathing to get yourself into "Big Picture"
mode often, even if it's only for a few minutes.

With time, you'll find the "Big Picture" you gets
a lot less stressed and irritated over the little
stuff...and gets a lot more of the important stuff
done, more easily and effortlessly than before.

You Can Do It!

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

P.S. Learn more about how to use your breathing to
put you in a state of effortless flow and power with
the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course,
Volume I. The movements coupled with complete breathing
will invigorate, rejuvenate and relax your body, mind
and spirit. Pick up your own program CD's at
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy1.html

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

Are We All A Bunch of Wimps?

I saw a report on NBC about rising levels of stress
in the U.S.

In a nationwide survey, 32 percent of people said
they were feeling extreme levels of stress.

Another 48 percent said their stress level had
increased considerably in the past five years.

This means that 80 percent of Americans are
feeling really stressed.

Whats going on.

Have we become a nation of wimps. Are we stressing
out because we can't handle modern life.

I don't think so. But I do think we need to better
focus ourselves, so stress does not begin to rule
our lives.

People attribute most of their increased stress
to economic worries: worrying about losing their
job, or being able to make their mortgage payments.

The stress is so bad for so many people,that
they are losing sleep. It's interfering with
their productivity at work. And it's taking a
toll on their personal relationships.

Let me just say, stress in and of itself is not
bad. In fact, it is a good thing. It makes you
grow, and it pushes you to do better and smarter.

And stress is a reality. When you stop feeling
any stress at all - it means you're dead.

Some of the symptoms of stress include
fatigue, usually chronic; headaches; upset
stomach or other digestive complaints; and
changes in eating and sleeping habits.

Longer term effects can be even more serious.

Excess stress has been tied to cardiovascular
disease, stroke, and depression. It is also
one of the most important - yet frequently
overlooked - reasons for the weight gain
that seems so inevitable as you get older.

If you have gained weight around your
midsection, that's a clear sign that you have
too much stress in your life...or that you
don't have good coping skills.

Here's the deal with stress: it's not gonna
go away. There may be some changes in your
life you can make to mitigate it. But I
think most people need to accept that aspiring
to a stress-free life is a pipe dream.

What you really should focus on is your
reaction to stress.

Most people who report high levels of stress
also report that they feel out of control.

If you feel like you can't control your life
and the primary stressors in it, then you
probably will feel the stress and begin
to succumb.

So, turn this around. Acknowledge stress.
Not just as a part of life...but as a part
of any active, striving, achieving person's
life.

Next, focus on the things you can control.

And the most important thing you can control
is your reaction to stress.

I have been training myself to think in terms of
"transforming" stress in my own life.

In other words, accept and appreciate that
certain forms and levels of stress -  like the
stress of exercising, or the stress of learning,
or the stress associated with a challenging
project or deadline - are good for me.

And to accept the "bad" types of stress, or
distress, as part of the world, as part of my life.

Then I think about what action (or inaction) I
can take to transform the distress into something
more helpful.

I've found in my own life that the majority of the
distress I feel is usually due to the way I am
approaching life and thinking about things.

If I am ignoring something now, that I know could
raise up and bite me in the you-know-what later,
I feel stress.

I may not consciously recognize that this issue
I am ignoring is causing me to feel stressed. I
may not even realize I am stressed.

But when I do my breathing and energy
exercises....the truth comes out.

I can tell from my constricted breathing, and
from how long it takes for me to feel the effects
of the exercise, that something is weighing on me.

So, being as truthful with yourself as you can
possibly be, about the circumstances, events and -
most importantly - people in your life, is a good
initial step toward feeling more in control and
beginning to transform stress.

Regularly performing your breathing exercises - like
the ones in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy
Exercise Course, Volume I -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy1.html -
can help you face the truth of how you really feel.

And the truth shall set you free.

You Can Do It!

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

P.S. Stop stress in its tracks and relieve tension
naturally and easily with the exercises in the Secret
Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume I. The
first CD of the program guides you through a series of
deceptively easy, gentle movements combined with
proper, complete breathing and visualization.This
powerhouse combination allows you to literally
breathe your way through stress, tension, and worries. 

For more information, or to pick up your own program CDs,
go to http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy1.html

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

This Packs A Powerful Punch

Protein has power. Lots of it.

If you're trying to lose weight, or if you're
trying to gain weight by adding lean muscle mass
(as opposed to bodyfat), you can't go wrong by
placing an emphasis on high quality protein in
your diet.

I discuss protein in the nutrition section of the
"Fire Up Your Metabolism" Program -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html.

Most people obsess about the amount of carbohydrates
or fat in their diet. They have fallen victim to two
of the most wide spread fallacies passed off on us
by the diet industry.

The first is that a low fat diet is the healthiest
diet, and the best way to lose and keep off weight.

Low fat diets that are essentially vegetarian diets
are indeed good for people with specific health
conditions, such as heart disease and atherosclerosis.

But this type of diet should only be used as a
therapeutic diet.

Not, I said low fat vegetarian diet. If you are a
vegetarian, you can obviously maintain a healthy
diet. But make sure you are getting as much protein
as possible, as well as adequate levels of
healthy fats.

Very low carbohydate diets have been very popular too.
Again, they can be useful in the short term. And their
nixing of highly processed and refined carbs and sugars
gets an "A" in my book.

However, extremely low carb eating is not healthy
over the long term. Plus it's boring, no matter what
the Atkins people say!

So, be smart and focus on your protein intake, as well
as healthy fats and water-rich foods. Make these the
majority of your diet, and you will feel and look
better in no time. 

Focusing on protein intake is the simplest way to go.
Life is complicated enough. I always look for the
simple, direct way to adapt into my life.

I have found that when you focus on getting enough
high quality protein into your diet, everything
else seems to fall into place. The portion of
carbs and fats in your diet takes care of itself.

Here are just a few reasons why protein is so
important:

Getting adequate protein builds muscle and helps
maintain a strong immune system. It also stabilizes
insulin levels.

Eating too many carbohydrates stimulates your appetite
and elevates insulin levels, which causes increased
fat storage and decreased fat burning. (Not to mention
wild swings in energy levels and mood.) Pairing carbs
with protein helps to reduce the insulin effect.

For most people, a higher protein diet – 30% protein –
helps you lose weight faster. You consume fewer calories
per day, because protein provides greater satiety and
can suppress appetite in ways that carbohydrates, and
even fat, can not.

It takes three times the calories to digest protein
as it does to digest carbohydrate. Protein goes into
the body gradually, so you feel full longer. And it
helps ensure stable energy levels.

Another reason protein helps you feel more satiated is
due to a hormone in protein called PYY. This hormone
helps reduce hunger.

Eating protein also causes the release of another
hormone, called glucagon. This hormone has the opposite
effect of insulin. One of the actions of glucagon
is to take energy out of the fat cells in your body
and use it for the body's energy requirements.

If you want a lean midsection, eating protein at every
meal is the key.

This helps balance your blood sugar levels and reduce
the amount of insulin, which has a fat-storing effect -
especially around the midsection.

The best sources of protein include: lean animal protein;
fish; eggs (the whole egg); cottage cheese, yogurt and milk.
Nuts and legumes are also healthy sources.

Supplementing with whey protein powders and shakes is
a great way to keep your protein intake high without
adding unnecessary calories. Try to avoid the protein
bars, except for the organic versions or the ones that
don't contain lots of sugar.

You Can Do It!

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

P.S. Learn more simple, easy strategies for increasing
your metabolism, melting away fat and accelerating your
weight loss efforts with the "Fire Up Your Metabolism"
Program. This is a comprehensive program that will quickly
have you looking better and feeling more energetic. Go to
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html
for more information or to get your copy today.

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

One Simple Change That Guarantees Weight Loss Results

Protein is your friend when it comes to losing weight.

It's also your friend if you are trying to increase
muscle mass...which most people could use.

In working with clients, here is the one single
nutritional recommendation I have made that has
made the biggest difference and helped them
successfully lose weight and attain their ideal
physique:

Instead focusing on what you can't have - as so
many of the popular diets out there would have you
do - instead, focus on what you can have. And make
your primary focus getting more quality protein into
your diet.

When you do this, everything else just seems to
fall into place.

Dear Karen,
I wanted to write you and let you know that I truly
appreciate the information you provide in the "Fire
Up Your Metabolism" book. I originally bought it for
the exercises, which I love by the way. I do them in
the mornings three or four times a week.

Exercising like this gave me the enouragement to do
more exercising in general. Following your advice, I
started off with using some weights my husband keeps
in the garage. Now I have joined a gym and I love it!

I think the most helpful thing you have given me in
the book is to get away from the fad diets and plans
that make you drop certain types of food, cut calories
like crazy, and basically deprive myself. I was always
trying a new diet but it would never stick. I had always
focused on the carbs. When I focused on how much protein,
like you recommend, I began to eat better.

Now I feel like I am eating like a "normal" person and
have the energy I need to do my best and still work out
and lose weight. For the first time in as long as I can
remember, I actually love my body. I can't tell you how
much this means to me.

Thank you so much!
Evelyn B.

Evelyn, that's wonderful news! Congratulations on taking
action to improve your physical condition and fitness.
You are past the hard part now, because you have made
exercising and eating well a part of your daily routine.

Evelyn's focus on a simple but effective plan of exercise
and nutrition, which you'll discover in the "Fire Up Your
Metabolism" Program -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html -
has enabled her to finally make the steady progress and
get the results that had eluded her.

So what's the big deal about protein? I'll talk about
that more in tomorrow's tip.

You Can Do It!

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

P.S. Receive powerful, effective, and easy-to-follow
nutrition recommendations in each monthly issue of the
Dynamic Fitness & Health Letter. I'll help you reach
your fitness, weight and health goals. And your first
issue is on me! To learn more, click over to
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/NLInfo.html .

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

How To Infuse Everything You Do With Spirit

Here's another way to do less with more, and
begin to make better gains with - seemingly -
less effort and hard work.

The trick is to inspire yourself with inspiration.

Yes, you can literally "breathe into" enhanced
performance, no matter what the project or
activity you are about to commence.

Breathing has been used as preparation to
important activities or events for thousands
of years.

From the ancient Greece pankration warrior or
Japanese samurai...to the author trying to
write her best book yet...to the modern
executive about to give aq critical
presentation...taking the time to prepare
is critical to proper mindset and good
performance.

Sitting or standing quietly and breathing
calms your mind and helps you concentrate and
focus on what is ahead of you.

Start your day with some deep breathing and
energy exercises - like the ones I teach you
in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise
Course, Volume II -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com - and
you will enjoy higher levels of energy and
enthusiam, feel more focused, and be more
productive throughout the day.

Before sitting down to work on a challenging
project, take a few moments to breathe and
focus.

When you do this, you stir your own internal
sources of ideas and inspiration.

The work will go much more smoothly, with
a higher level of quality, than if you
jump in and start with no preparation.

Same thing goes for your physical training.

Try some deep breathing and gentle movements
prior to exercise. While you are warming up,
think about your session. What exercises
are you going to do. What kind of tempo do
you want to maintain. What do you want to
get done.

Not only does this type of preparation enhance
your physical stamina, so you can train at
a higher level - AND enjoy your session even
more. It also enhances the mind-body connection,
and infuses a higher level of energy and
purpose into your training.

In fact, there is almost a spiritual element
to your training when you approach it this
way.

Here's something you might find interesting:
In traditional Okinawan Karate (as well as
certain other traditional martial practices),
the group begins each class in seiza,
meditation and deep breathing.

Then we clap twice and bow to the shrine at
the front of the class. After that we bow
to the instructor, stand up and begin our
training.

The clapping is to wake up the spirits,in
an effort to get them to bless and enjoy the
hard work and enthusiasm with which we will
train.

The entire ceremony is very brief. But I
always found that it focused me and
motivated me to take my training seriously.

So, approach every training session you do
with this same spirit. Prepare yourself
mentally and physically.

Then train with abandon as you nurture and
develop the wonderful temple God gave you.

You Can Do It!

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

P.S. If you are looking for a positive addition
to your daily health habits and exercise routine,
you should check out the Secret Power of Dynamic
Energy Exercise Course, Volume II. The exercises
are accessible to all, regardless of your present
condition. And they are self-reinforcing - they
"grow" with you as your condition and health
improve. For more information, or to get your
own copy of the program manual and DVD, visit
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html .

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

Do Less and Get More

You know, there is a way to do less and get more.

Especially when it comes to improving your fitness
and health.

As opposed to working harder and longer...you
can actually get by with doing less and not
killing yourself.

There are actually two "tricks" to this.

The first is what I have been talking about
these past few days: consistency.

When you consistently train on a regular basis,
you can get by with shorter workouts. And you
don't have to kill yourself in each workout.

In fact, training regularly, for even a short
period of time, every day or every other
day - getting into that virtuous pattern of
action - enables you to make as good or better
progress than if you try to do a couple of
marathon workouts during the week, or on
the weekends.

This is one reason I keep my programs fairly
short. In each of my programs or courses, I
teach you series of exercises that can be
completed in 15 minutes or less.

This goes for the deceptively simple but
powerful exercises in the Secret Power of
Dynamic Energy Exercise Course - both volumes -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html .

And it goes for the metabolism and energy-boosting
exercise routine I give you in the Fire Up Your
Metabolism Program -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html .

I know, I know, 15 minutes has become a cliche.

But I know how I operate. And it's the same
way most people operate.

If I'm a little tired or pressed for time, I
may find the thought of a two hour workout quite
daunting. So I blow it off.

On the other hand, if I tell myself that I will
just do something - some deep breathing, some
stretching, some calisthenics or dynamic
tension movements, etc. - for 10 or 15 minutes,
just to take the edge off and relax...well,
before you know it, 15 minutes has become 20
has become 30, and so on.

I end up getting in a great session. And I
feel better psychologically to boot.

Why?

Because following through on a daily dose of
physical activity - even if it's only a short
one - gives you a sense of control and discipline.

No matter how haywire your day is going,or
has gone, you can always take those few moments
for yourself to get centered and enjoy the
refuge of some focused, healthy physical exertion.

Listen, I'm all for longer workouts. They can
be fun and challenging, and are certainly
the key to accelerating results.

But you should use them judiciously. And they
simply aren't practical for everyone on a
daily basis. There are too many demands on our
time.

Interspersing longer, more complex training
sessions with shorter, to-the-point sessions - 
and varying the intensity of each - is a
great way to get the best benefits of each.

It allows you to take advantage of those days
when you are full of energy and have the time.
Yet stick with your habit of daily activity
when you are not so energetic, or are pressed
for time.

At the top of today's tip, I said there was
another trick to doing less and getting more.

We'll talk about that one in your next tip.

You Can Do It!

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

P.S. The Dynamic Fitness & Health Letter is a
members-only newsletter,published monthly and
delivered straight to your door. Each issue is
jam-packed full of information, insights and
perspectives to help you achieve a robust level
of health, fitness and energy.

It's definitely not the same ol' same old you see
in the fitness and health magazines or books. What I
have to teach you is much more compelling, practical
and fun!

There's special offer available to new members
who signup today. For more information, go to
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/NLInfo.html.

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

Throwin' Me A Curve

In your last tip, I talked about the importance
of consistency in your efforts to improve your
health and fitness.

Actually, consistency can make the difference
in just about every area of your life.

One of the recommendations you'll often hear
is to schedule your training for the same time
every day.

This way, your body and brain get programmed
into "expecting" the physical exertion. In fact,
once you've been on a good routine for just
a few weeks, you will find your body is
actually craving the daily training.

And when you don't get it, you feel out of
sorts.

But what happens if you can't exercise at
your regularly scheduled time. What do you
do if all goes to h-e-you-know-where.

This is top of mind for me today. As you can
see, I am writing you this tip later in the
day than I usually do.

I also haven't exercised yet today.

Just one of those days, I guess. Phones on
the fritz. Problems with the wireless connection.
People dropping in to chat. Lots to do.

A day of technical difficulties, to say the
least. And we are a technology based society -
it truly permeates our lives.

At any rate, I would say today was an example
of inconsistency, if you look at how the major
part of my day went.

On the other hand, I am staying consistent
with the things that are important.

For example, I'm sending you this tip,even
though it's later than usual.

And right after this, I'm going to exercise.
I'll probably do some breathing and energy
exercises, a la the Dynamic Energy Routine
from the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise
Course, Volume II -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html 

Then I'll shake and shimmy off all the stress and
strain of the day with some dynamic and static
stretching, a la Dynamic Flexibility: The Secret
To Healthy, Pain-Free Joints, Limber Muscles and
Maximum Mobility -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_flex.html

My body is already looking forward to it!

If and when you face a day during which everything
goes to pot, be sure to fit in some kind of
physical activity. Even if it's just 10 to 15
minutes of breathing and stretching, you'll still
get a good workout.

And you will be reinforcing one of the most
important habits you can ever develop: the habit 
of daily physical activity for optimal fitness
and robust health.

You Can Do It!

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

P.S. The Dynamic Fitness & Health Letter is a
members-only newsletter,published monthly and
delivered straight to your door. Each issue is
jam-packed full of information, insights and
perspectives to help you achieve a robust level
of health, fitness and energy.

It's definitely not the same ol' same old you see
in the fitness and health magazines or books. What I
have to teach you is much more compelling, practical
and fun!

I encourage you to become a Member and give the Letter
a test drive. Sign up today at
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/NLInfo.html.

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

Consistency Is King

You can't overestimate the importance of regular
exercise on your health.

The benefits of regular exercise and activity are
well known. You don't need me to recite the list
to you here.

One of the most important approaches you can take
to exercise is to be consistent about it.

Consistency is king for several major reasons.

First off, establishing a routine allows your body
to become conditioned to the act of exercising. This
helps with the adaptation process you go through,
especially if you are just starting an exercise
program, or have had a lay off.

Your body comes to expect your daily or every other
day workout. It is better able to assimilate gains
in fitness, as well as recover from each workout.

By the way, this is one of the reasons that regular
exercise over the course of the week reduces your
chance of injury.

The weekend warrior approach leaves your body more
vulnerable to strains, sprains and so forth...not
to mention increased muscle and joint pain.

Another reason for consistency that is not as well
appreciated as it should be, is the fact that exercise
can have a dramatic influence on your mood and energy
levels.

This is one of the reasons why I always do my deep
breathing and dynamic exercises in the morning.

When I do my routine - such as the Dynamic Energy
Routine in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise
Course, Volume II -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html -
after as little as 10 to 15 minutes, I shake off the
fog, enjoy a high level of energy,and feel more
and enthusiastic and confident about the day ahead.

Exercise can help with depression and low mood. It
activates naturally occuring hormones and
neurotransmitters in your body.

And it appears that the more consistently you exercise,
the more benefits you receive from these natural and
way more powerful versions of Prozac.

Here's one more reason to stay, or become, consistent
with your physical activity: it helps boost your
metabolism.

When you exercise every day, your body interprets
this as meaning that you are a vital being who
requires plenty of energy to make it through each
day.

Your body responds by revving up your metabolism,
so you burn hotter throughout the day.

Your body also changes the way it metabolizes the
nutrients and calories from the food you eat.

If you exercise haphazardly, infrequently, or not
at all, your body is predisposed to store food as
fat.

On the other hand, when you make demands (healthy
demands) on your body on a consistent basis, it
metabolizes more of the energy from food into
glycogen, to be stored in your muscles and liver.

Becoming a consistent exerciser may seem daunting
to you. Maybe you think your schedule makes it
impossible, or you simply don't have the energy.
Or perhaps you are unclear where to start.

Let me help you with this.

Become a member of the Dynamic Fitness & Health Letter,
and every month I will send you cutting edge
information, ideas and inspiration on exercise,
nutrition, breathing and more...all for a paltry sum
compared to what you would pay a personal trainer.

My approach is unique because I integrate a number
of different modes and approaches to promote
physical activity and better health.

From breathing, to exercise, to eating,to
developing optimal mental and spiritual habits,
I help you achieve results - AND enjoy the process.

For more informationon becoming a member of the
Dynamic Fitness & Health Letter, visit
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/NLInfo.html.

You Can Do It!

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

P.S. The Dynamic Fitness & Health Letter is a
members-only newsletter,published monthly and
delivered straight to your door. Each issue is
jam-packed full of information, insights and
perspectives to help you achieve a robust level
of health, fitness and energy.

It's definitely not the same ol' same old you see
in the fitness and health magazines or books. What I
have to teach you is much more compelling, practical
and fun!

I encourage you to become a Member and give the Letter
a test drive. Sign up today at
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/NLInfo.html.

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

The Benefits of Regularly Recharging

Well, another weekend just passed, and Monday is
upon us.

Do you feel rejuvenated, rested and enthusiastic
about the coming week.

Or were you so busy getting things done over the
weekend- getting caught up, running errands, and
so forth - that you felt even more tired this
morning.

If so, you are like a lot of people...perhaps the
majority of people.

I also use the weekend, or part of it, to get
caught up on some things.But I make sure to take
a good chunk of it just for me and the family.

For example, yesterday my son Miguel and I went
to one of the local fall festivals with my best
friend and her two kids.

It was really meant more for the kids than us
moms. But we got into the spirit as well.

Nothing like eating popsicles and kettle corn,
and jumping and climbing on giant stacks of
hay bales, to release your inner child.

In addition to making sure we always do at
least one fun thing each weekend, I also try
to stick with a "no housework or chores" day,
usually on Sunday.

I'm not always successful. But when I take
Sunday off, I can really feel a difference on
Monday morning.

I feel recharged and rarin' to go.

Why is this so important.

Well, even the most dedicated of us needs to
take a break once in awhile from all the demands
on us.

When you take a look at your life, you will
realize that you may not even be aware of
how much your work,family, friends and
other responsibilities take out of you.

When you are constantly giving to the world,
you end up depleting your own energy.

Yes, I know that a lot of our energy comes
from being in the world and the interactions
we have with others...as well as the good
feelings we get when we are accomplishing
our goals or helping others.

But the truth is, the most powerful source
of your own personal energy is from within.

And you've got to recharge your battery
once in awhile.

Your own personal requirements for recharging
are unique. But generally, anytime you are
feeling stressed out or letting little
things bug you, you probably need some
time for yourself.

For most people, this means some type of
repose. Solitude, meditation, reading
something meaningful. Listening to good
music. Taking a walk in nature.

One of the best ways to recharge within
minutes is through your breathing.

In fact, some conscious breathing or energy
exercises, like the ones I share with you
in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy
Exercise Course, Volume I -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy1.html -
can set the stage for deeper levels of
relaxation and rejuvenation...no matter
what your chosen activity may be.

There are many ways to recharge. And I
encourage you to do this daily, and not
just think of recharging as something you
try to do when on vacation.

When you consider some of the great leaders
of history, you see how important repose,
meditation, and recharging was for so
many of them.

Jesus famously spent 40 days in the desert,
fasting and meditating.

Yet he also took abundant time throughout
his ministry to get away from the crowds
following him to take time for himself.

Muhammed meditated in a cave. Buddha also
spent a long time in contemplation.

In more recent history, one of our greatest
American presidents, Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, took frequent mini-vacations at
Warm Springs. The springs helped alleviate
some of the pain he suffered from polio.

BUt he also did lots of thinking and
writing while he was there.

His partner in saving the free world, Winston
Churchill, also took frequent breaks from
his duties as prime minister.

He often visited his country home, Chartwell,
and spent time painting, laying bricks and
supervising projects, and writing.

Oh yes, and drinking a lot of champagne.

Champagne is optional for your own type of
repose.

Contemplation, meditation, and deep breathing
are like an oasis in the desert. The time you
spend being in the world is the mechanism
for delivering the water to the people who
are important to you.

But once your reservoir is depleted, you
need to return regularly to your oasis for
replenishment.

Taking some time just for yourself allows
you to do even more,and be of greater service,
during your time in the world.

You Can Do It!

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

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**

The Art of the Incremental

The proper way to grow and develop is by releasing
growth.

The worst way is to push growth.

This goes for just about any activity or
self-development effort you might undertake,
from improving your health and fitness, to
starting and building a family, to growing a
new business.

Healthy growth can not be imposed from without.
It comes from some understanding of your own best
pace and tempo.

Each of us has our own natural rate of growth. If
we do not reach and maintain this rate - in other
words, if we do not push ourselves to reach our
potential - then we will probably be unsuccessful.

On the other hand, if we exceed our natural rate
of growth, we may struggle to keep pace. We may,
sooner or later, crash and burn.

I was reminded of this the other day when I was
speaking with a friend who was complaining about
an injury she had sustained.

She was all gung-ho about exercising again, and
had started what seemed to be a good, rational
program.

But she pushed too much. She did too much, too
soon, before her body could handle it.

Now she is sidelined and will have to recuperate,
then start all over.

Of course, I gave her some deep breathing and
stretching exercises she can do in the meantime,
so she doesn't go absolutely bonkers from
inactivity.

She's doing a combination of the Dynamic Energy
Routine in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy
Exercise Course, Volume II -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html -
as well as many of the flexibility exercises from
the Dynamic Flexibility Program -
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_flex.html .

She tells me she is recuperating faster than her
doctor thought she would. She feels great.

And her body will be even better prepared and
resilient when she resumes her training program.

OK, back to my main point.

My mom and dad are avid gardeners. In each house
they have lived in, they have always prioritized
the yard and landscaping. By acclamation of
neighbors, visitors and friends, their yard has
always been deemed the most beautiful.

(We moved a lot growing up, so my folks have
worked their magic on many a home.)

Mom and dad are fond of pointing out that plants
have their own natural growth rates and
requirements.

You must be patient to be a good gardener. If
you push your plants to grow too fast, they will
be unhealthy.

Of course, if the plants are growing too slowly,
they are't healthy either.

As you engage in your own efforts to improve
yourself and improve the quality of your life,
think of yourself as an oak tree.

An oak takes time to grow. But it develops into
one of the most solid and beautiful trees. And
it can live practically forever.

When it comes to your health and fitness,
begin at a measured pace. Build your foundation.
Do enough to push yourself. But don't increase
the volume and intensity so rapidly that you
cause an injury or burn out.

Consider the training you are doing as something
you will want to do for the rest of your life.

Take your time. Enjoy the process. Do the right
things today so you can be around for awhile, like
that beautiful old oak tree in my neighbor's yard.

You Can Do It!

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

Copyright, KVN Enterprises, Inc. 2007

**The contents of this daily email are not to be considered
as medical advice. Always consult a physician before
beginning or changing any health or fitness regimen.**