Perfect breathing Transform your life one breath at a time

Writer Campbell and meditative coach Lee (a 25-year "conscious breathing" practitioner) blame rampant stress and information overload for ruining our bodies' most basic and most restorative coping mechanism: breathing. Even worse, they say, is trying to counteract that stress with "flimsy self-help advice and pills." In their place, the authors offer the mind-body tools needed to break bad breathing habits and recapture the respiratory power we're born with. Exercises like "the 6-second breath" aren't just quick and simple, they can provide relief from conditions like high blood pressure, anxiety, pain, and even asthma and premature aging. Skeptics may be turned off by repeated spiritual and religious references, but the authors' practical advice is suitable for almost anyone suffering pain or illness. For readers who find themselves skipping pages, the last section, "Between Death and Dying," is not to be missed; what the authors and a hospice worker have to say about breath and the dying process is so compelling, it may have skimmers taking a deep breath of their own before returning to the previous sections with a new attitude. (Jan.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.