智慧療法氣功
What is Pure Consciousness?
जीवन्मुक्ति (Jīvan-Mukti, “emancipation while still alive”)
Pure Consciousness is the name we give to deep states of consciousness that are beyond definition, beyond conceptualization, beyond thought. It is not possible to fully understand or to accurately describe it using only words, because Pure Consciousness is the direct experience of the essence of who you are.
In a state of Pure Consciousness, we become self-aware... yet at the same time, we venture beyond our own awareness to see things as they truly are, without placing any concept or judgement between ourselves and the essence of existence.
This approach produces quick results.
Mastery of 氣 is really achieved through mastery of consciousness.
We use consciousness in a careful, craftsman-like way, to shape our life, to attain our goals
Pure Consciousness is part of the integrative mind-body practice of 智慧療法氣功, which is a complete system for awakening and cultivating the 氣 & the consciousness to transform, perfect and improve our holistic potential. Through Wisdom Healing Qigong, we are empowered to look within ourself and to listen within ourself, uplifting our consciousness from a condition of an automatic reaction to one of autonomous wisdom.
Vagus Nerve: A Path To Healing
The vagus nerve is actually a bundle of nerves leading from the gut through the heart and to the brain. It is the longest cranial nerve and it communicates with every organ. Its main function is to power the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is part of the autonomic service system known as the “rest and digest” system. It plays a role in heart rate, sexual arousal, digestion, urination, and gastrointestinal activity.
The vagus nerve works tirelessly to control inflammation. It alerts the brain to release neurotransmitters when inflammatory proteins called cytokines are present. These neurotransmitters help the body repair then reduce inflammation.
Another function of the vagus nerve is to trigger the release of acetylcholine which controls muscles, dilates blood vessels, and slows the heart rate. It’s safe to say the vagus nerve may be the most important nerve that the majority of people are still unaware of.
Scientists have linked vagus nerve dysfunction to obesity, chronic inflammation, depression, anxiety, seizures, abnormally low heart rate, fainting, and GI issues.
In fact, the research on this nerve has been so promising that vagus nerve stimulators have been implanted in patients and found success even with untreatable depression and epilepsy. The device is surgically implanted under the skin and sends electrical signals to the vagus nerve. Once stimulated, the vagus nerve starts communicating with the rest of the body.
Vagal tone refers to the activity of the vagus nerve, the 10th cranial nerve and a fundamental component of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. This branch of the nervous system is not under conscious control and is largely responsible for the regulation of several body compartments at rest. Vagal activity results in various effects, including:
- heart rate reduction,
- vasodilation/constriction of vessels,
- glandular activity in the heart, lungs, and
- digestive tract, liver, immune system regulation
- as well as control of gastrointestinal sensitivity, motility and inflammation.
In this context, tone specifically refers to the continual nature of baseline parasympathetic action that the vagus nerve exerts. While baseline vagal input is constant, the degree of stimulation it exerts is regulated by a balance of inputs from sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system, with parasympathetic activity generally being dominant. Vagal tone is frequently used to assess heart function and is also useful in assessing emotional regulation and other processes that alter, or are altered by, changes in parasympathetic activity
Vagal tone can be improved naturally through stimulation with techniques that can be done at home. Working to strengthen our vagal tone will help with mood, digestion, and overall wellbeing.
10 Ways to Improve Vagal Tone
1. Gargling. This is probably the simplest and most accessible way for a person to work on their vagal tone. In the morning gargle some water as hard as I can. When I begin to get a tear response in the eyes I know that I have stimulated my vagus nerve.
2. Breathwork. Deep slow breaths from the belly will stimulate the vagus nerve. Sitting or laying down & breathing in as much as I can. Holding it for a second or two and then release. Repeating this 5-10 times makes me feel euphoric and relaxed afterwards.
3. Laughter. Laughter releases a ton of neurotransmitter which improves vagal tone. So, laughing hard and often is essential.
4. Fish Oils. EPA and EHA lower heart rate which strengthens vagal tone.
5. Fasting. The vagus nerve is the director of the parasympathetic nervous system known as the rest and digest system. Giving the digestion process a breakthrough intermittent fasting or fewer snacks throughout the day will also improve vagal tone.
6. Yoga. The breathing and movement of yoga help with digestion and have been shown to increase GABA levels. Improving GABA levels will stimulate the vagal tone.
7. Singing. Singing works the muscles in the back of the throat which stimulates the vagus nerve. Just singing at the top of my lungs for this effect to take place. A great place to do this is in the car.
8. Cold Showers. Cold showers are tough at first, but they can greatly improve vagal tone. As you adjust to the cold, the sympathetic nervous system lowers and the parasympathetic system gets stronger directly affecting the vagus nerve.
9. Massage. A massage stimulates the lymphatics & improves vagal tone.
10. Aromatherapy. Essential oils such as lavender & bergamot have shown to increase heart rate variability which improves vagal tone.
A single nerve that runs from the brain to the gut may hold the key to treating a host of the 21st century’s biggest public health challenges, according to scientists working to beat obesity and Crohn’s disease.
Europe has a weight problem – and it’s getting worse. One in three 11-year-olds in the European region is overweight or obese, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Issue
The number of obese people in many European countries has tripled since the 1980s, and in 2012 half of Europe’s adult population was considered overweight or obese.
This can lead to health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma and depression. Treating diseases related to obesity accounts for approximately 7 % of annual health spending in the EU Member States.
With the number of obese children on the rise, the EU has developed an action plan to halt the rise in obesity in children and young people by 2020.
‘It’s a lifestyle issue,’ said Professor Steve Bloom of Imperial College London, UK. ‘We sit in front of screens all day, we drive everywhere and food is abundant. The trouble is that this builds up fatty tissue which leads to obesity, diabetes, stroke and cancer.’
The most common remedy for serious cases of obesity is bariatric surgery – procedures that reduce the size of the stomach by applying a gastric band, removing a portion of the stomach or bypassing the stomach altogether.
These operations drastically reduce appetite and the patient loses weight but there is a problem, says Prof. Bloom.
‘We cannot perform surgery on the scale that would be required given the growing numbers of overweight and obese people in society. We would not have the resources, the complications from surgery are high and one-off surgical procedures do not allow for adjustment if a patient loses too much or too little weight.’
However, by studying the impact of bariatric surgery, scientists have discovered that the procedure affects the vagus nerve – a long nerve that plays an important role in sending messages between the gut and the brain. One of its jobs is to tell the brain when the stomach is full, effectively switching off hunger.
This gave researchers an idea. ‘Our mission was to try to find a way to control the vagus nerve without using dangerous surgery, and in a way that could be adjusted according to the needs of the individual,’ said Professor Bloom, whose I2Move project is funded by the EU’s European Research Council (ERC).
— Prof. Steve Bloom, Imperial College London, UK
The project has paired Professor Bloom’s interest in metabolism with the knowhow of engineers in order to devise a way to turn hunger signals on and off using electrical stimulation.
Professor Chris Toumazou of Imperial College likens the vagus nerve to a microprocessor that sends signals to and from the brain. It has many functions within the human body and Prof. Toumazou has previously studied whether electrical stimulation of the nerve could help to treat epilepsy.
‘My frustration with earlier approaches to vagus nerve stimulation was that electrodes can be very unintelligent. They stimulate at regular intervals – say, every five minutes – but do not incorporate patient-specific feedback,’ he explained.
Using regular electrical stimulation in epilepsy patients can have downsides including fatigue and headaches. A similarly blunt approach to controlling appetite would fail to react to whether the stomach was full or empty – giving electrical pulses even when it’s not necessary.
Responsive
To develop a smarter, more responsive system, Professor Toumazou and colleagues have used sensors that detect chemical changes in the stomach. The team is working on a tiny implantable device that would sit close to the vagus nerve in the gut where it could detect hormonal changes.
‘When the hunger hormone is detected, the device blocks the nerve so that this signal is not sent to the brain,’ said Professor Toumazou. ‘This gives real-time appetite control without the need for major surgery.’
The device is set to enter trials in clinical volunteers as early as this year and, as the path to market is much quicker for new medical devices than it is for medicines, it could be available within five years.
‘It has taken a truly interdisciplinary effort to get here as there was a technical mountain to climb,’ said Professor Bloom. ‘This is (a) step toward a larger challenge of achieving total body control and is applicable to many diseases.’
The more scientists have learned about the vagus nerve, the more valuable it appears. This versatile nerve also has a role in controlling inflammation in the gut. For people with chronic inflammatory conditions such as colitis and Crohn’s disease, vagus nerve stimulation could ease symptoms.
Professor Guy Boeckxstaens, a gastroenterologist at the University Hospital Leuven, Belgium, is heading up the ERC-funded CHOLSTIM project which has been exploring the role of the vagus nerve in the gut.
‘We are seeing promising anti-inflammatory actions in animal models for colitis and food allergy,’ he said. ‘Depending on the outcome of that work we hope to move to a small clinical study of around 10 patients.’
Whereas vagus nerve stimulation through the neck is used in certain types of epilepsy, the goal for treating chronic gut disorders would be to insert a pacemaker into the abdomen. It would remain there for several years, like a cardiac pacemaker implanted to regulate the heartbeat.
Professor Boeckxstaens has been in contact with a medical technology company that designs devices in this area and, once his team establishes the right stimulation parameters for their target patient population, the new device could become available quickly.
‘The clinical translation can move very fast once we get the basic science right,’ he said.
Other autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, are also in the crosshairs of vagus nerve experts.
‘Inflammation is even more important than was imagined 15 years ago and the interaction between the vagus nerve and the gut has therapeutic implications for a whole range of disorders,’ Prof. Boeckxstaens said.
‘There is a lot of enthusiasm for this topic. Time will tell whether it is justified or not.’
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