Exercise and the Alkaline Lifestyle
Traditional Cultures and Exercise
Ancient, wisdom-driven cultures long ago recognized that movement stimulates the flow of energy and intelligence throughout the body. Thousands of years ago traditional Chinese medicine developed a medical science of health promotion through Qi Gong movements while the ancient Vedic cultures of India perfected the science of Yoga. Sports and athletics as we recognize them today were well known in classical times.
Deep Breathing Exercises
Through exercise we bring oxygen into the body and excrete acids (carbonic acid) in the form of carbon dioxide. Shallow or uneven breathing patterns limit the intake of life-supporting oxygen. Wisdom-driven cultures from all around the world long ago developed breathing exercises and practices to enhance the uptake of both oxygen and energy from breath.
Light Aerobic Exercises
Light aerobic exercise—that is, exercise of the large muscle groups that bring abundant oxygen into the body, is a preferred form of physical activity. Equally, systematic breathing exercises from the traditions of yoga, Taoism, traditional Chinese medicine, etc., bring fresh oxygen into the body and help neutralize acids.
Mindful Exercises
Ideally, each of us might take 30 to 40 minutes a day to incorporate both mindful exercises that incorporate breathing awareness (yoga, tai chi, Qi Gong, etc.) and the more contemporary aerobic exercises (jogging, fast walking, running, biking, etc.) into our alkaline lifestyle.
