If everyone knows about the incredible curative power of fresh air and harnesses it for healing, there will be an unstoppable epidemic of good health. In fact, every ancient culture and system of healthcare incorporates the power of the breath for achieving equilibrium of the body and mind. Deep abdominal breathing of fresh air is prescribed for longevity and wellness.
Unfortunately, most urban residents are not breathing the kind of air that the human race is made to thrive in.
The element that sets fresh air apart from bad air is the electrical component. Fresh air is highly electrified. In natural environments, air has an abundance of highly mobile electrically charged molecules called ions. These ions are essential to life and have a biological effect on all living things. Breathing air rich in ions promotes health while breathing ion-depleted air breeds diseases.
Air ions are short-lived and are nature's air cleaners. They convey their electrical charge readily to airborne particles which having acquired a charge, clump together and fall out of the atmosphere. Thus, the more polluted the environment the more severe the ion deficiency.
Unfortunately, the indoor air of modern homes and offices is grievously lacking in air ions. The cause of many 21st century health issues has to do with the bad indoor air that we breathe consistently. While smokestacks and diesel trucks are major culprits of air pollution, the US Environmental Protection Agency says that the air inside people's homes can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside.
Modern homes and offices are typically tightly sealed and insulated from the outside air. All kinds of combustion within the indoor environment like burning, smoking or even breathing deplete oxygen ions. A cocktail of chemical pollutants from the use of detergents and aerosols as well as the off gassing of furnishings made from synthetic materials, circulate indoor indefinitely. Air conditioning and electrical fields surrounding appliances all severely disturb the ion balance of the air we breathe.
In an ion deprived environment, airborne particles drift about in prevailing air currents, exacerbating allergies, asthma and respiratory difficulties. Disease germs, in spite of strong antibacterial cleaners, breed and propagate throughout the indoor space passing infections from one person to another.
Distorted air ion balance also contributes to depression, hyperactivity, aggression, anxieties, insomnia, lack of libido and suppressed immunity. On the other hand, healthy levels of air ions increase our lung capacity, boost the immune system, help us breathe better, assist in recovery from illness, alleviate allergies, elevate our mood and help us cope with stress.
Straining out pollutants through high quality filters will do little to improve the wellbeing of the people living and working indoors, until a healthful supply of ions is continuously supplied to the environment. Russian ion scientist A.L. Tchijewsky after years of studying air electricity concluded that "an organism receiving the cleanest type of air is condemned to serious illness if the air does not contain at least a small quantity of air ions."
To effectively improve indoor air quality, we must restore a healthy level of air ions to the air we breathe:
1) Ventilate
An opened window will do wonders in lifting spirits and clearing the clutter of the mind by letting in healthful ions from outside to enliven the room.
2) Keep house plants, build water fountains
Waterfalls, natural forests and crashing waves at the beach produce large amounts of air ions. This explains the good feeling people experience at these places.
The ancient Chinese practise, Feng Shui promotes the use of water fountains, sprays and ferns to achieve interior harmony and a healthy living environment. All these items generate air ions.
3) Eliminate the causes of indoor pollutants
We can significant improve indoor air quality by cutting down on the use of household chemicals and switching to cleaning products that do not contain Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs).
4) Install a medical grade air ionizer
Electrically generating the necessary air ions and propagating them throughout the closed environment with a medical grade air ionizer is an effective and economic solution. In choosing an air ionizer, beware of the extravagant claims of manufacturers of inferior ionizing machines which generate potentially harmful by-products of ozone and other oxides that can be detrimental to our health.
Today, we spend a great part of our lives inside buildings with possibly unhealthy air conditions which can adversely impact our well-being. Restoring oxygen ions to the indoor environment is key to improving indoor air quality.
Rosalind Tan is the author of the Truth About Air Electricity & Health and the Managing Director of Dorea Pte Ltd, a company that promotes and distributes medical grade air ionizers throughout Asia. She teaches and advocates going "back to nature", for unless we align our ways according to those of nature, we can not attain optimal health and happiness.