Perfect Breathing: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time [Hardcover]

Al Lee (Author), Don Campbell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2009

We breathe without thinking about it—but those life-giving breaths are actively at the heart of everything that we do, and the single common denominator underlying every dimension of our being. The power of breath goes beyond the need for oxygen; conscious breathing techniques can accelerate healing, improve cognitive skills, enhance sex and intimacy, intensify meditation, boost athletic performance, and open our receptivity to greater spiritual awareness.
Perfect Breathing teaches us how to become conscious of that all-important breath, to recognize those situations where we need to breathe most efficiently, and to remember to take full, cleansing, powerful breaths every moment of the day. Each section contains valuable information that applies to significant areas of your life—your health, mind and emotions, physical performance, and spirituality—so you’ll grasp the scope, breadth, and influence of breathing on each one. The techniques are all relatively simple to master; with just a few minutes a day and this easy-to-follow program, you’ll slowly integrate conscious breathing into your life and routine.
Backed by compelling science and evidence from people for whom breathing is central (astronauts, fighter pilots, Olympic athletes, adventurers, performing artists, and others), and complete with exercises that address specific problems, Perfect Breathing is an important book in the science of breathing and a critical link to living longer, healthier, more robust lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. 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.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Perfect Breathing: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time Al Lee and Don Campbell. Sterling, $14.95 paper (240p) ISBN 9781402743887

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.) --Publishers Weekly, Web Exclusive Reviews: Week of 1/26/09

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402743882
• ISBN-13: 978-1402743887
• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 5.5 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #373,286 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Research-based, practical and comprehensive, February 19, 2009

By 

Alan Zimmerman (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Perfect Breathing: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time (Hardcover)

As another reviewer noted, these are stressful times. But this book helped me. The last time I was in a business meeting, getting worked up about something, I remembered this book. I took a slow, unobtrusive breath in, held it for a second, and let it slowly out. My tension evaporated and I was able to listen more effectively.

This book's fact-based approach of using the latest research to support its claims really helped its credibility in my opinion. And using the exercises helped me experience the benefits directly. I just wish I could read it while driving on the freeway - it would help me cope with the morning commute!

There's a lot of material here, covering all sorts of aspects of medicine, art, sports, and spirituality. Some of the sections weren't really relevant to me -- I'm not a athlete, for example, so the coaching it offers isn't as helpful to me as it might be to a runner or ball player. But it's easy to pick up if I have just a moment and there's always an interesting quote, practical fact or breath technique I can use.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly Timed for These Stressful Times, January 10, 2009

By 

Patrick Galvin (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Perfect Breathing: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time (Hardcover)

I haven't spent much time thinking about breathing. But, I wish I had. Authors Lee and Campbell provide the how and why breathing is so important beyond merely allowing you to live. Their well-written and engaging book explores how breathing is the key to so many things such as our ability to heal, feel content, perform at work and play, and even deepen our spiritual experience. I particularly liked the stories from breathing masters as well as the practical advice on how to incorporate "perfect breathing" into daily life. In these tough economic times, this book provides great insight into how to use breathing as a way to meet life's challenges.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fresh Air Reading, February 15, 2009

By 

Susan M. Tollen - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Perfect Breathing: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time (Hardcover)

Outstanding! This book has been very helpful and will be on my nightstand forever more (well, for a very long time anyway). I am grateful for this book and all the reminders and exercises it gives. In the past 6 years I have lost my mother, father, and only sibling, as a result of lung diseases; this book reminds me how much I love life and want to benefit from perfect breathing for many years to come. My upcoming spring hike to the Canyonlands in Utah will give me many opportunities to practice breathing and ENJOY LIFE.