Stress impacts the flow of breath, restricting and distorting it–and breath effects one’s overall health and well being. Stress is directly linked to numerous medical conditions and diseases, including hypertension, asthma, chronic pain, anxiety attacks, and other health problems. Managing stress is absolutely essential for optimum health and optimum on-the-job performance.

One of the first things that happens when a person experiences stress is a change in breath. And when we are exposed to stress over a long period of time the body can literally forget how to relax and how to breathe. The stage is then set for a habitual stress response which keeps us tense whether we have reason to be or not. Unchecked, irregular breath can have a direct effect upon the sympathetic nervous system. Habitual improper breathing--such as breathing high into the chest, breathing too fast, and breathing shallowly-- are epidemic today, and there is strong scientific evidence linking cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and high blood pressure to these incorrect breath patterns.

Improper breathing patterns can be "unlearned" and stress can be rapidly alleviated through conscious breath work techniques–thereby quickly relieving anxiety, balancing emotional states, regulating mental states, lowering blood pressure, correcting irregular heartbeats, and offering myriad other health benefits. Breath is a prerequest to stress management and meditation –it is the key to health management and the doorway to consciousness. Not incidentally, breath work can also be a primary means of raising spiritual awareness. Yes, the power of breath is ours to control.