What’s Breath Got to Do With It

Those who “laugh last” are the ones who postpone the last breath and breathe well until the day comes.

My mom practiced Yoga and was a breathwork instructor. I started juggling my breath at the age of nine. Five decades later, I decided to write about my methods, personal experiences, and intimate memoirs, sharing my insights.
The book is a culmination of persistent knowledge-seeking guided by science and cross-examined by personal observations; the approach sidesteps from the trodden path in presentation and interpretation.
Even though Air is light, the subject of breathing can be heavy, burdened with myths and mystic words. I aim to simplify tangled topics yet deeply penetrate the matters discussed. The added humor should assist in digesting the fiber of understanding respiration.

Here’s a summary of what’s covered:

    Basic explanations of the biology and chemistry of breathing.
    Indications to assess personal effects of different breathing practices.
    Practical ways to evaluate an individual’s breathing profile.
    Breathing exercises for physical and mental wellness.
    Breathing tools for responding to immediate situations.

Chances are my breathing practices will affect you differently than they affect me. Therefore, I intend to provide you with the know-hows and ways to tweak my practices so they may better suit you as an individual.

Along the way, I will answer many questions like the ones below.

    Why do traumatic events register differently when screaming out as opposed to holding the breath?
    How can synchronizing smiles with inhaling augment the effect of breathing exercises?
    How can video recordings of night sleeping make mouth-taping redundant?
    How does a ‘breathing clock’ improve body language synchronization when speaking to an audience?
    How does ‘Dying man’s breathing’ assist in overcoming cravings?
    How can the respiratory ‘dead space’ bring a person back to life when performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?
    How to breathe when experiencing motion sickness? Why the breathing equation is changed when feeling seasick (motion + tilting)?
    How to breathe when getting a mouthburn from overeating chili? Why is it better to breathe the exact opposite way when overdosing on wasabi or mustard?

For many, something that costs nothing is worthless; others believe the best things in life are free. Air is free yet extremely valuable, especially when it’s in short supply. One thing’s certain; you will get more out of this eBook than what you paid for—guaranteed!