Breathe Smart: The Secret to Happiness, Health and Long Life
By Aaron Hoopes
4/5
()
About this ebook
Learn the secret Yoga and Tai Chi masters have known for centuries and discover one of the most fundamental dimensions of good health: proper breathing.
Breathe Smart shows us how, through deep, conscious breathing we can raise the level of oxygen in the body and reap the benefits of increased energy, better health, and a stronger sense of well-being.
Aaron Hoopes
Aaron Hoopes has studied karate, kung fu, tai chi, qigong and yoga for over thirty-five years. A native of Vermont, he spent many years in Japan and Australia studying with a number of exceptional teachers. He is the founder of Zen Yoga and the author of numerous books including Zen Yoga: A Path to Enlightenment through Breathing, Movement and Meditation, Perfecting Ourselves: Coordinating Body, Mind and Spirit, Breathe Smart: The Secret to Happiness, Health and Long Life. and The Zen Anti-Diet. His best-selling Zen Yoga Daily Warm-Up DVD has helped thousands of people integrate breathing and gentle movement into their lives. He is a Zen Shiatsu massage therapist and a long-time student of permaculture and plant spirit medicine. He runs the Dragon Mountain Kung Fu School and teaches yoga and qigong classes at the Zen Mountain Healing Center in Vermont.
Read more from Aaron Hoopes
Zen Anti-Diet: Mindful Eating for Health, Vitality and Weightloss Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReconnecting to the Earth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales of Ancient Wisdom: The Adventures of Zin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Breathe Smart
Related ebooks
The Breathing Exercise Bible: Relaxation and Meditation Techniques for Happiness and Healthy Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Breathing Book: Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Breathe: An Enlightened Living Handbook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBelly Button Healing: Unlocking Your Second Brain for a Healthy Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cosmic Nutrition: The Taoist Approach to Health and Longevity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Five Tibetan Rites: Anti-Aging Secrets of the Five Tibetan Rites. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Five Tibetans: Five Dynamic Exercises for Health, Energy, and Personal Power Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Power of Breathing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Healing, Killing Power of Qi: Ancient Secrets for Smart Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Science of Breathing Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Breathing Yourself Thin Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Miracle of the Breath: Mastering Fear, Healing Illness, and Experiencing the Divine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Science Of Breath - A Complete Manual of the Oriental Breathing Philosophy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Qigong for Self-Refinement: Total Health with the 5 Elements Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Perfect Breathing: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMeridian Qigong Exercises: Combining Qigong, Yoga, & Acupressure Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Breathing Book: 11 Exercises to Increase Relaxation, Reduce Stress, and Improve Physical Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Illustrated Five Tibetan Rites Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Qigong for Treating Common Ailments: The Essential Guide to Self Healing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Breathing through the Whole Body: The Buddha's Instructions on Integrating Mind, Body, and Breath Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Power of Breathing Techniques - Breathing Exercises for more Fitness, Health and Relaxation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMind Control Through Breath Regulation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Hindu-Yogi Science Of Breath Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Power of Qigong: A Guidebook for Understanding, and Developing Your Chi Energy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for Vitality, Love, and Wisdom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Breathing: Expanding Your Power and Energy Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Qigong Meditation: Embryonic Breathing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Reviews for Breathe Smart
13 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A very practical book describing how to improve your life by breathing properly. It offers both the rational for better breathing and easily followed exercises. Even though I already follow the practice described, I found the exercises are a good way to take a few minutes to get in touch with my body.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a very simple book to read with easy to follow instructions. In no time at all you will be deep breathing and relaxing. This would also be a good book for woodwind musicians and others I am sure as it clearly explain how to take a deep breath instead of the shallow ones most of us are used to. I enjoyed it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This small, readable book is full of useful advice about learning how to make the most of breathing. I like the simple explanations for teaching the breathing exercises. I've practiced yoga for over ten years and I still find it useful and interesting to read about the breathing techniques, rather than simply being told in a class. I can see myself referring back to this book for reminders and to improve my breathing. The one thing that would improve this book would be some diagrams or pictures to further illustrate the techniques.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I was really looking forward to reading this e-book as being a born worrier tends to play havoc with my stress levels and I am always interested in new techniques to help reduce this. It was a very quick read indeed - but all the better for that. It is a book about changing the way you breathe to improve health and stress levels. When reading about new techniques grounded in alternative philosophies, I don't want to plough through mountains of obscure quotes of wisdom or arguments that go way over my head: I want a book like this to explain the benefts and get to the point of how to achieve them. Happily, this book does exactly that. In fact as I sit here I am practicing my breathing exercises (the author suggests linking tasks such as typing to the breathing exercises which is a very effective memory technique and one I can see working for me) as you can learn them as you read. I also liked the author's writing style - often this sort of self-help book may be interesting, but the writing leaves much to be desired. However, I found the author's arguments compelling and well presented. Having read some of his biography, it's clear that Aaron Hoopes is a master in his field and I am willing to learn from his experience and give the suggestions in the book a try. It makes absolute sense to me that controlling breathing pace can not only revitalise a person, but also help control stress. The biofeedback from breathing slower and not hyperventilating during hectic or stressful times must make a difference to feelings of stress as our psychology is often informed by our biology. I will give the advice in the book a serious go and am interested to see how this will work for me. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring alternative ways to stress reduction and vitality.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What if every breath you took was predetermined, and after so many breaths, you'd die? Well, in a way, that is how it is: we will only take as many breaths as we take. So why not stretch those breaths out, and not squander them?In this book, Aaron Hoopes discusses the are of breathing, explaining how though our bodies breathe without us having to pay attention, it's doing a minimal job. It includes several helpful breathing exercises to help encourage your body to use all that oxygen you're breathing wisely.This short book is recommended for anyone looking for better living through more regulated breathing. Since I've read this book, I've slowed down my breathing considerable, and feel much more relaxed.
Book preview
Breathe Smart - Aaron Hoopes
Breathe Smart:
The Secret to Happiness, Health and Long Life, 2nd Edition
Copyright © 2010 Aaron Hoopes.
Smashwords Edition
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
ISBN: 0-9743247-0-1
For questions, comments or for more information on Breathe Smart contact us:
ZEN YOGA PRESS
1152 North Rd.
Vershire, VT 05079
Phone: 802-685-4448
Email: breathe@artofzenyoga.com
Website: www.artofzenyoga.com
BREATHE SMART
The Secret to Happiness, Health and Long Life
2nd Edition
Aaron Hoopes
Also by Aaron Hoopes
Zen Anti-Diet: Mindful Eating for Health, Vitality and Weight Loss
(Zen Yoga Press, 2010)
Catch the Cat: Healthy Life Skills for Children e-Book
(Zen Yoga Press, 2010
ZEN YOGA: A Path to Enlightenment through Breathing, Movement, and Meditation
(Kodansha International, 2007)
The Zen Yoga Daily Warm-Up DVD
(Zen Yoga Press, 2006)
Inner Sunrise: A Journey of Deep Relaxation CD
(Zen Yoga Press, 2005)
Perfecting Ourselves: Coordinating Body, Mind and Spirit
(Turtle Press, 2002)
UPDATE: Japan
(Intercultural Press, 1991)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Mom and Dad for all of their support and editing skills.
Thanks to Elfeya for her love.
If I had to limit my advice on healthier living
to just one tip, it would be simply…
to learn how to breathe correctly.
-Andrew Weil, M.D.
--//--
The most effective technique,
To deal with anything, is to use the breath.
If you learn to breathe properly,
All things will fall into place.
- Zin the Wandering Sage
--//--
Saying a thing once
is tantamount to saying it not at all.
There are truths that must be enunciated
Again and again and again
In the same words and in different words
Again and again and again.
-Daniel Quinn
Table of Contents
Author’s Note
1 - The Importance of Breathing
2 - Smart Breathing
3 - Breathing Postures
4 - Abdominal Breathing
5 - Breathing Exercises
6 - Remember to Breathe
7 – Stress, Weight Loss and Breathing
8 - Conclusion
About the Author
Author’s Note
A lot has happened in the years since this book was