Breath by breath we make it through another day. For those who breathe deeply, the tensions in the body are released naturally. For those who breathe shallowly, the stress and anxieties of work and everyday life are locked into the places in the body that don't move as you breathe.
Proper breathing can become a healing force in our lives by melting pockets of tension that can be very painful at times. Richard P. Brown, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, and Patricia Gerbarg, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at New York Medical College, are convinced that breathing practices offer a drug-free antidote to stress, depression, insomnia, and trauma induced emotions and behaviors.
The two physician authors provide a sampler of breathing techniques from yoga, Buddhist meditation, the Chinese practice of qigong, Orthodox Christian monks, and others. As promised in the subtitle of the book, Brown and Gerbarg deliver breathing practices that can reduce stress and anxiety, enhance concentration, and balance your emotions. There is also an audio CD that presents breathing exercises such as coherent breathing, resistance breathing, breath moving, "ha" breath, breath counts, body scan, total breath, and more.
