Balance October 2017 - 52

H E A LT H Y G U T

the heart rate indicates calm or agitation.
In the 1920s, anatomy texts cited that the
average adult took about eight to 10 breaths
per minute, but today even the most relaxed
of us takes around 12 breaths per minute and
that range rises to 25 for the highly strung
corporate raider.
Essentially, our breathing is faster and our
nervous systems are in a heightened state of
low-grade fight-or-flight. It's no wonder that
anxiety, insomnia and gut-related illnesses are
on the increase. So, what do we do about it?

THE BREATH OF LIFE
In search of an answer, I lay on a yoga mat
being led into a meditative state by Ben
Wolff, a yoga nidra teacher at the Life Centre
in London. Ben walks around with a tiny
machine that looks like a Bluetooth earpiece
attached to his shirt collar.
It emits a beep, which prompts Ben and
his class to breathe in and, five seconds later,
another beep to tell them to breathe out. It's
called Coherent Breathing, and was pioneered
by Dr Richard Brown and Dr Patricia Gerbarg.
We follow the beep, breathing together at six
breaths per minute

WHY ARE FOODS ONCE
DEEMED INNOCUOUS
NOW SEEMINGLY
TOXIC? MAYBE IT ISN'T
JUST THE FOOD...
- five seconds in, five seconds out. First time, I
find it initially a bit of a strain, then fall asleep,
and finally wake to follow the beeps easily.
After 45 minutes, I wipe a rather fetching bit
of drool from the corner of my mouth, and rise
from the floor and out into the night. 
I later meet a friend for a drink and am told
I'm positively glowing. I'm given a slightly
suspicious look and am asked what I've been
up to. My nervous system has powered-down:
I've been in rest-and-digest mode.
I've experienced what Harvard Medical
doctor Herbert Benson termed the 'Relaxation
Response' - the complex and rather delicious
neuro-physiologial effects of being in a
meditative state.

October 2017 BA LA N CE

55



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance October 2017

Balance October 2017 - 1
Balance October 2017 - 2
Balance October 2017 - 3
Balance October 2017 - 4
Balance October 2017 - 5
Balance October 2017 - 6
Balance October 2017 - 7
Balance October 2017 - 8
Balance October 2017 - 9
Balance October 2017 - 10
Balance October 2017 - 11
Balance October 2017 - 12
Balance October 2017 - 13
Balance October 2017 - 14
Balance October 2017 - 15
Balance October 2017 - 16
Balance October 2017 - 17
Balance October 2017 - 18
Balance October 2017 - 19
Balance October 2017 - 20
Balance October 2017 - 21
Balance October 2017 - 22
Balance October 2017 - 23
Balance October 2017 - 24
Balance October 2017 - 25
Balance October 2017 - 26
Balance October 2017 - 27
Balance October 2017 - 28
Balance October 2017 - 29
Balance October 2017 - 29
Balance October 2017 - 30
Balance October 2017 - 31
Balance October 2017 - 32
Balance October 2017 - 33
Balance October 2017 - 35
Balance October 2017 - 34
Balance October 2017 - 37
Balance October 2017 - 35
Balance October 2017 - 36
Balance October 2017 - 37
Balance October 2017 - 38
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Balance October 2017 - 40
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Balance October 2017 - 45
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Balance October 2017 - 47
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Balance October 2017 - 50
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Balance October 2017 - 52
Balance October 2017 - 53
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Balance October 2017 - 76
Balance October 2017 - 77
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