The Ten Secrets of Authentic Breathing

1. If possible in your daily life, inhale and exhale only through your
nose, even when you are doing aerobic exercise.

2. Sense the movement of your breath frequently in the midst of your
everyday activities. Remember not to hold your breath.

3. Be sure your belly stays relaxed. Let it expand as you inhale and
retract as you exhale. Touch it and massage it frequently. Your belly
is the foundation of your breath.

4. Breath is life and movement. Let your breath engage and fill every
part of your body, especially your belly, back, spine, and chest.

5. To transform your breathing, start with your exhalation, with
"letting go."

6. A long, slow exhalation helps harmonize your diaphragm and turns
on your "relaxation response."

7. Sense the natural pause after exhalation; let yourself rest there
for a moment.

8. Let your inhalation arise by itself, when it's ready.

9. Sense the various breathing spaces of your body several times a
day. Smile into these spaces and observe how your awareness helps them
open and close effortlessly.

10. Remember, you are a breathing being, alive right now and here.
Let yourself feel the mystery and the miracle of your breath and
your life as often as you can.