Chest breathing can be extremely beneficially if done correctly but can also cause problems if done in a way that overstimulates the nervous system. Many people teach and practice to inhale into the chest, and to exhale from the lower abdomen, but clinical research using Real Time Ultrasound (RTU) has shown that about 90% of the average adult population cannot really breathe …
Mallakhamb: What I learnt from Practicing Yoga Postures on Poles and Ropes in India
by Simon Borg-Olivier Many people in Australia and around the world are now practicing postures and movements, similar to those seen in hatha yoga, on poles in ‘Pole dance’ studios and on hanging circus silks and rope inversion swings. I was fortunate enough to learn how to do yoga on poles and ropes two decades ago in India in the …
Kundalini, Chakras, Prana and Two Real Intertwining Snakes
by Simon Borg-Olivier In this blog I want to discuss some points about Kundalini energy and Chakras. Much of the information available on the subject of Kundalini is esoteric and so not easy to justify with rational conventional science. I think the best explanation of the science of kundalini comes from Jana Dixon and her excellent book ‘The Biology of Kundalini”. …
Accessible Spinal Movements for Internal Health, External Energy and a Pain Free Back
Basic Spinal Movements In this blog I will be examining a sequence of postures done from a simple standing posture that in its simplest form involves moving the trunk and spine into its 8 main ‘pure’ positions. This is one of the most effective and accessible practices for anyone and can give tremendous release of back and other pain as …
Breathing (Part 1): How to breathe to help your spine, internal organs and energy levels
In this blog I will be discussing the the physical and physiological effects of breathing. There are two main reasons we breathe. The main reason is the physiological reason of getting oxygen into our cells. Perhaps surprisingly to many people the best way to achieve this is to safely breathe as little as possible (hypoventilation) to stimulate the Bohr effect …
Exhale for Pleasure, Strength and Freedom
In this short video below I discuss the seven main ways you can exhale and how by understanding and mastering these ways of exhalation you can stimulate the pleasure centres of your brain, improve core strength, save energy, reduce stress, make your spine more mobile and flexible, and massage your internal organs to improve the function of your digestive …
Holding your breath for increased strength, flexibility, healthier digestion and to eat less food
Although there are many benefits to learning how to use all the muscles of breathing, and to learn to breathe in many ways, in the more advanced stages of yoga it is the art of breathing less than normal (hypoventilation) that gives the most physiological benefits. The less you breathe in and out the more you will build up carbon dioxide …
How to slow the heart from 88 beats to 32 beat per minute in 45 seconds
This video was shot in the Bahamas in October 2009 at William Truebridge’s Freediving Masterclass where I had the honour of being invited to teach these amazing elite athletes yogic techniques of how to be relaxed in stressful situations. The video shows me using breath-control techniques (pranayama) to slow my heart beat from 88 to 32 beats per minute in …
Yoga for Low-Back Pain: Complementary Medicine Journal Article
Simple yoga stretches and exercises can help alleviate one of the highest causes of sick leave, say physiotherapists Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss. Simon Borg-Olivier, MScBAppSc(Physiotherapy), and Bianca Machliss, BScBAppSc(Physiotherapy), are the directors of Yoga Synergy. These are diagrams from their 2005 article in the Journal of Complementary Medicine. Click on the diagrams to get the full enlarged views, or …