I'd like to share some resources that inspired me. I hope they act as an inspiration for you as well.
Inspiration Corner
Kahuna Healing
by Serge Kahili King
I saw the title of this book in the bibliography of a class I took some 20 years ago. There must have been 40 or so books on the list but this title drew me in like no other. Funny thing, the title was incorrect in the bibliography and it took me months to finally find the book. Once I got the book, I basically inhaled it in no time. It resonated with my own beliefs like nothing else until that point. It felt like I already knew everything Serge was saying and could've written the book myself if I had the right words. I don't remember how I found the number to Aloha International, but I did and called while still reading the book. I talked to a friendly woman, who later became a dear friend, and found out that Serge was going to teach the last class on the East Coast, and it would be on Cape Cod. What?! I had just moved to Massachusetts and was an hour away from the Cape. I registered right away. A while later in a dream, someone's head literally popped in the middle of the dream and said "Go teach" and popped right back out. Sure enough the head belonged to Serge. I mentioned it to him during the class and he just smiled mysteriously. Teaching was the furthest thing from my interests, but here we are. I am teaching Huna as a part of my work with clients.
The importance of breathing cannot be overstated. We all know what happens with the breath when we get anxious or angry, or in pain. I have always talked to my clients about the importance of proper breathing and the emotional wellbeing, but when I came across this book I was actually shocked to find out all the breath is responsible for in our bodies and how it actually works. For example, have you ever heard that "the respiratory center (in the brain) does its work based on the acid/alkaline balance of the blood"? I sure didn't! More reason to eat a healthy alkaline food, but that's another subject. Another interesting point is that any stress, whether physical, emotional or otherwise, produces more carbon dioxide which increases acidity of the blood, in response, the respiratory center automatically increases the breath rate to expel the acid. On the other hand, when the body is relaxed, the breath rate automatically slows down. In any rate, the information in the book is priceless, so check it out. I would not recommend doing the actual exercises as they are best done with someone familiar with the process.
The Tao of Natural Breathing
by Dennis Lewis
The Healing Power of the Breath
by Dr. Richard Brown
I took a week-long course with Dr. Brown and Dr. Gerbarg called "Coherent Breathing". They are both psychiatrists who help people heal through breathing and movement. This book talks about how proper breathing impacts the brain and the body, and includes research on the subject and introduces the Coherent Breathing technique. I teach the technique to all my clients because it is quite difficult, if not impossible to achieve emotional stability without proper breathing.
It could be said that the practice of Yoga has created the foundation for my work and professional beliefs about mind, body and spiritual health and healing as it was my introduction to Holistic Wellness as a teenager. Through the years of practice I have experienced greater clarity, focus and calmness. Many of my clients who chose to practice yoga report similar results. The following blogs from Dr. Mercola and from Harvard Health Showcase the modern usage of Yoga in mental health practices...
Yoga — a form of moving meditation that demands focused attention on your body — has many physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual benefits that can be helpful for those struggling with pain- and/or stress-related health problems. As you learn new ways of moving and responding to your body, your mind and emotions tend to shift and change as well.......
Yoga
Natural Anxiety Relief
Available reviews of a wide range of yoga practices suggest they can reduce the impact of exaggerated stress responses and may be helpful for both anxiety and depression. In this respect, yoga functions like other self-soothing techniques, such as meditation, relaxation, exercise, or even socializing with friends.
By reducing perceived stress and anxiety, yoga appears to modulate stress response systems. This, in turn, decreases physiological arousal — for example, reducing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and easing respiration. There is also evidence that yoga practices help increase heart rate variability, an indicator of the body's ability to respond to stress more flexibility ...
Nutrition is an integral part of my practice. Attention to nutrition can be a tremendous advantage in creating a healthy mind, body and spirit and conversely a poor diet can create significant roadblocks to overall health and wellness. I love how it's laid out in this Harvard Blog post by Dr. Eve Shelhub:
Think about it. Your brain is always “on.” It takes care of your thoughts and movements, your breathing and heartbeat, your senses — it works hard 24/7, even while you’re asleep. This means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. That “fuel” comes from the foods you eat — and what’s in that fuel makes all the difference. Put simply, what you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood........