The Breathing Book Good Health and Vitality

A groundbreaking approach to improving the quality of your life through the most readily accessible resource: your breath. These safe and easy-to-learn techniques can also be used to treat asthma and ease stress, depression, eating disorders, insomnia, arthritis, chronic pain, and other debilitating conditions.

Donna Farhi is a registered movement therapist and yoga teacher who is a much sought-after guest instructor and speaker throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Australia. She is the author of The Breathing Book and has written for Yoga Journal for over a decade. She lives in New Zealand.

Introduction

xiii

How to Use This Book

xiv

Part One: Fundamentals

The Essential Breath

3

(8)

What Is the Essential Breath

4

(4)

The Breath Connection

8

(2)

The Essential Breath

9

(1)

Untying the Breath

10

(1)

The Breath That Moves Us

11

(36)

Developing Breath Perception

13

(1)

Preparing for the Inquiries

14

(1)

Checking In with Your Breath

15

(4)

The Marriage of Breath and Movement

16

(2)

The Effortless Rest Position

18

(1)

Alternative Relaxation Positions for the Inquiries

19

(26)

How Do I Breathe

22

(2)

Movements of the Breath

24

(12)

Where Do I Breathe

36

(9)

Characteristics of Free Breathing

45

(2)

The Anatomy of Breathing

47

(22)

Going Inside the Body

48

(1)

Primary and Secondary Respiratory Muscles

49

(3)

The Diaphragm

52

(2)

How the Diaphragm Moves

54

(1)

The Pelvic and Vocal Diaphragm

54

(3)

The Anatomy of Breath Holding

57

(2)

Breathing and the Heart

59

(3)

The Dance of the Diaphragms

60

(2)

The Nose

62

(3)

Determining Nostril Dominance

63

(1)

Giving Your Nose a Wash

64

(1)

Your Lungs and Your Rib Cage

65

(4)

Catching Your Breath

69

(38)

Contracting Your Diaphragm

73

(1)

Common Breath Holding Patterns

74

(18)

Reverse Breathing

75

(2)

Chest Breathing or Paradoxical Breathing

77

(4)

Collapsed Breathing

81

(2)

Hyperventilation

83

(5)

Throat Holding

88

(1)

Breath Grabbing

89

(2)

Frozen Breathing

91

(1)

Breathing Deeper: It's Not What You Think

92

(1)

Dismantling Breath Holding Patterns

93

(4)

When Do I Hold My Breath

95

(2)

Bringing Back Your Breath

97

(7)

Back Breathing

98

(2)

Organ Breathing

100

(2)

Lengthening the Exhalation

102

(1)

Soft Eyes, Open Diaphragm

103

(1)

Using the Techniques in Your Everyday Life

104

(3)

Part Two: Opening to the Breath

Room to Breathe

107

(38)

Getting Started

109

(1)

Preliminaries: BodyBreath Synchrony

110

(1)

When Should I Breathe In and Out

111

(4)

Waking Up the Breath

115

(3)

Tapping and Percussion

115

(2)

Breath Stretches

117

(1)

Opening the Center

118

(5)

Roll Downs

118

(2)

The Cat

120

(3)

Opening the Lower Channels

123

(7)

Pelvic and Hip Openers

124

(3)

Revolved Belly Pose

127

(1)

Supported Bound Angle

128

(2)

Opening the Upper Channels

130

(7)

Shoulder Clock

130

(1)

Shoulder and Upper Back Release

131

(2)

Gateway Pose

133

(1)

Diaphragm Release

134

(3)

Deep Relaxation

137

(8)

The Waterfall

137

(3)

Supported Child Pose

140

(1)

Breathing Easy Position

141

(1)

Guided Deep Relaxation

142

(1)

Following the Lure of the Breath

143

(2)

Breathing Deeper

145

(20)

Strengthening Diaphragmatic Breathing

149

(3)

Lengthening the Exhalation

152

(6)

Straw Breathing

152

(3)

Sounding the Exhalation

155

(1)

The Three-Part Breath

156

(2)

Stimulating the Breath

158

(1)

Kapalabhati (The Cleansing Breath)

158

(1)

Stimulating Your Breath Through Exercise

159

(2)

Balancing the Breath

161

(4)

Alternate Nostril Breathing

161

(4)

The Shared Breath: Inquiries for Couples

165

(16)

Mapping Body-Based Sensations

168

(1)

Fostering Intimacy: Touching from the Inner Body

168

(2)

The Inner Body Embrace

169

(1)

The Movement of Love

170

(11)

The Shared Breath: Back to Back Breathing

173

(1)

The Gift of Presence

174

(2)

Speaking with ``Breath Words''

176

(1)

Belly to Belly Breathing

177

(2)

The Wave of Breath

179

(2)

Minding the Breath

181

(48)

Cultivating Mindfulness

182

(5)

Mindfulness Practice

185

(2)

Myths That Take Our Breath Away

187

(4)

Extending Time Generosity

190

(1)

The ``Just This'' Meditation

191

(1)

The History of Your Breath

191

(5)

The Breath of Birth and Death

193

(2)

Entering the Stillness within the Breath

195

(1)

Merging with the Breath

196

(3)

Merging with the Breath

197

(2)

Practice Guides

199

(1)

General ``Feel Good'' Programs

200

(1)

Guides for Dealing with Specific Breath Holding Patterns

201

(3)

Guides for Health Conditions and Specific Interests

204

(25)

Allergies

205

(1)

Arthritis

205

(1)

Asthma

206

(2)

Back Pain

208

(1)

Childbirth

208

(4)

Concentration: Building Mind Stamina

212

(1)

Constipation

212

(1)

Depression

213

(1)

Eating Disorders

214

(2)

Enhancing Sexual Pleasure

216

(1)

Fatigue/Recuperation from Illness

217

(1)

Headaches

218

(1)

Improving Athletic Performance

219

(2)

Insomnia

221

(1)

Menopausal Hot Flashes

222

(1)

Pain Relief

222

(3)

Pre-Performance Anxiety

225

(1)

Post-Traumatic Stress

225

(1)

Quitting Smoking

226

(2)

Sinusitis

228

(1)

Resources

229

(6)

Notes

235

(4)

Acknowledgments

239

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

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The Breathing Book Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials