Growth is Not Optional - The Cyclone Comes Either Way

 

by Julie Telgenhoff

This article is about recognizing when the story you’re living no longer fits—and having the courage to cross the threshold anyway.

Growth Is Not Optional

Life has a rule that cannot be negotiated: you are either growing, or you are dying. There is no pause button. No neutral ground. If growth is resisted long enough, life will introduce a problem big enough to force it. 

Problems are not punishment.
They are pressure with purpose.

When we avoid change, change comes anyway—usually louder, more disruptive, and far less comfortable than if we had chosen it ourselves.

The Wizard of Oz: A Blueprint for Growth

The story of The Wizard of Oz is not a fantasy about magic—it’s a map of transformation.

Dorothy doesn’t leave home because she’s brave. She leaves because she’s overwhelmed. She wants to escape Kansas after Miss Gulch threatens to take Toto—her sense of safety, loyalty, and love.

Then comes the cyclone.

While her family survives by going underground without her, Dorothy straps herself inside the house. She doesn’t run. She stays present. And that choice carries her into another dimension.

That’s how growth works.

Crossing the Threshold

Once Dorothy lands in Oz, she cannot simply go back. She has crossed a threshold, and once crossed, you can never return to who you were before.

From that moment on, the only way out is through.

Growth always requires a confrontation—a battle with fear, illusion, or loss. Dorothy must face the Wicked Witch. There is no shortcut home.

The Wizard’s Revelation: Weakness Is Misunderstood Strength

At the end of the journey, the Wizard is exposed—revealed by Toto as an illusion. But before he leaves, he does something crucial: he reframes each character’s perceived weakness as evidence of their strength.

• The Scarecrow believes he lacks a brain.
  The Wizard points out that he has shown insight, creativity, and problem-solving throughout the journey. His weakness was never intelligence—it was self-doubt.

• The Tin Man believes he has no heart.
  Yet he is the most compassionate, the one who cries, who cares deeply. His pain proves his humanity. His “weakness” is actually emotional depth.

• The Cowardly Lion believes he lacks courage.
  But courage is not the absence of fear—it is acting despite it. The Lion shows courage repeatedly. His fear is not a flaw; it’s the condition that makes courage real.

And then there is Dorothy.

Dorothy’s Truth

Dorothy believes her problem is Oz.
But the Wizard—and Glinda—reveal something deeper.

Her struggle was never about escaping Kansas.
It was about not realizing what home truly meant.

She ran because life felt unfair, threatening, and painful. She believed relief existed somewhere else. But the entire journey was designed to show her that what she was searching for was already within her—and that home was not something to flee, but something to understand.

She didn’t lack power.
She lacked awareness.

The Point

Everyone has problems and every major problem in life exists to initiate growth.

If you don’t grow willingly, life will grow you forcefully.
If you refuse the lesson, the pressure increases.
If you avoid the threshold, the cyclone will take you there anyway.

Once you cross it, there is no going back—only integration.

Growth isn’t optional.
It’s how you stay alive.

The Ancient Breathing Technique That Tells Your Body It’s Safe to Heal

 

Ancient Breathing, Modern Science: How Tummo Signals the Body to Heal

by Julie Telgenhoff

In today’s world, most people are living in a constant state of stress. Deadlines, trauma, financial pressure, illness, and emotional overload keep the nervous system locked in fight-or-flight mode.

Here’s the part most people don’t realize:

👉 The body cannot heal in fight-or-flight.
Healing only happens in the parasympathetic nervous system, often called rest and digest.

This is where Tummo breathing becomes so powerful.

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What Is Tummo Breathing?

Tummo, often translated as “inner fire,” is a breathing and visualization practice developed by Tibetan monks over 800 years ago. Contrary to popular belief, it was not created for enlightenment—it was a survival technique.

Monks practiced Tummo in remote Himalayan monasteries at altitudes over 14,000 feet, where oxygen is scarce and temperatures are extreme. The practice helped them regulate body temperature, conserve energy, and remain mentally clear under harsh conditions.

At its core, Tummo works because it directly influences the nervous system, breathing reflexes, circulation, and brain–body communication.

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The Breathing Pattern

Before you begin, empty the lungs of air — you can even make a soft whoosh sound as you exhale, which signals to the body that you are fully letting go. That audible release reinforces safety, telling the nervous system it no longer needs to brace or protect.

The foundational rhythm most commonly taught today is:

• Inhale for 4 seconds

• Hold for 7 seconds

• Exhale for 8 seconds

Throughout the practice, breathe in and out through the nose.

Why nasal breathing matters:
Breathing through the nose naturally slows the breath and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. It also increases the release of nitric oxide, a molecule that improves oxygen delivery, blood flow, and vascular regulation. Nasal breathing is strongly associated with reduced stress hormones and improved heart rate variability—key indicators of nervous system health.

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Tongue Placement: A Small Detail With a Big Impact

As you breathe, gently rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind the front teeth.

This subtle position has a powerful effect.

Why this works:
Tongue placement stimulates cranial nerves linked to the vagus nerve, which plays a central role in activating the rest and digest state. It also:

• Reduces jaw, facial, and neck tension

• Encourages diaphragmatic breathing

• Helps quiet overactive stress signaling in the brain

This is why similar tongue positioning appears in ancient breathing practices, meditation traditions, and modern nervous system regulation techniques.

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The Hold Phase: Activating the Inner Fire

The hold for 7 seconds is where Tummo becomes more than just a breathing exercise.

During this phase, visualize gentle warmth spreading from the center of the chest (heart area) outward to every extremity — the arms, hands, legs, and feet. This “inner fire” imagery is a core element of traditional Tummo practice.

This combination of breath holding and heat visualization:

• Rewires automatic breathing reflexes

• Influences thermal regulation

• Optimizes blood flow and oxygen delivery

• Strengthens communication between the brain and body

Rather than being mystical, this visualization activates real physiological responses that support circulation, nervous system balance, and emotional regulation.

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What Modern Research Is Beginning to Show

For centuries, Tibetan monks practiced this technique in isolation. When neuroscientists were finally able to study advanced practitioners, the findings were striking.

Research observations suggest that consistent practice may:

• Increase activity and structural integrity in the prefrontal cortex (the brain region responsible for emotional regulation, focus, and decision-making)

• Increase gray matter density in areas associated with stress resilience

• Improve circulation and oxygen efficiency in the brain

Some modern studies report that people practicing this technique for several weeks experienced:

• Significant reductions in anxiety

• Improved focus under pressure

• Greater emotional regulation during stress

The heat visualization appears to enhance circulation rather than overstimulate the nervous system—supporting calm alertness instead of shutdown.

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Why This Practice Promotes “Rest and Digest”

Although the brief breath hold can momentarily activate the sympathetic nervous system, the long nasal exhale is what matters most.

Extended exhales:

• Stimulate the vagus nerve

• Signal safety to the brain

• Shift the body into parasympathetic dominance

This is the physiological state required for:

• Tissue repair

• Immune regulation

• Hormonal balance

• Emotional processing

🧠 No rest and digest = no real healing.

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Why This Matters for Stress, Trauma, and Healing

Chronic stress, inflammation, trauma, and illness all share a common root:
a nervous system that doesn’t feel safe.

Tummo breathing helps by:

• Teaching the body how to exit survival mode

• Increasing tolerance to stress without panic

• Retraining dysfunctional breathing patterns shaped by modern life

People often report feeling:

• Calm without feeling sedated

• Clear instead of emotionally numb

• Energized without anxiety

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How to Practice Tummo Breathing Safely

This practice is meant to be supportive and regulating, not forceful.

• Start with 2–3 rounds, once or twice per day

• Never strain the breath or force the hold

• Keep the visualization gentle, not intense

• If breath holds feel uncomfortable, shorten or skip them

• The long nasal exhale alone is still very effective

If you are pregnant, recovering from surgery, or have cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, practice gently and consult a qualified healthcare professional.

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The Takeaway

Tummo breathing isn’t about forcing relaxation or pushing through discomfort.

It works because it teaches the nervous system—through breath, posture, and awareness—that it is safe enough to heal.

And healing only happens in one place:  Rest and digest.