A Simple Exercise Guide to Increasing Your Oxygen Intake

by Meera Patrica Kerr, and Sandra A. McLanahan, MD
$16.95, 192 pages, 6- x 9-inch paperback, ISBN 978-0-7570-0481-0

Most of us take breathing for granted. What we don’t realize is just how important the simple act of taking in the right amount of air is. Research shows us that breathing affects our physical health, our mind, and our emotions. The speed at which we breathe also determines how much carbon dioxide is in our blood – the very thing that controls our blood vessel constriction, and therefore, our blood pressure level and heart rate. And just as important, the oxygen we take in nourishes every cell and organ in our body. And yet the only time we focus on our breathing is when we experience shortness of breath or perhaps a recurring cough as you inhale. When our ability to take in enough air becomes impeded – for any number of reasons – we know something is wrong

The bottom line is that when this happens, our body is likely not receiving the oxygen it requires, and when that happens, our body lets us know it in many ways. Exhaustion, depression, lack of focus, and dizziness can all set in, not to mention the organ damage created by a lack of oxygen. Prescription medications or an oxygen tank may provide some relief, but there are also a number of effective techniques that we can all do on our own to improve this condition. Yoga instructor Meera Patricia Kerr and Dr. Sandra A. McLanahan have teamed up to provide an effective breathing exercise program based on their years of working with others who have developed these health issues. Their book, Take a Deep Breath, is designed to help those who have any number of breathing problems increase their lung capacity safely and naturally.

The book is divided into two parts. Part One provides information basic to understanding the authors’ time-tested program. The reader will learn the importance of the respiratory system in relation to their health, and how one can improve their breathing through specific time-tested exercises. The reader will also learn about the mental blocks that may prevent them from performing these simple, yet important exercises – and how they can be overcome. 

Part Two presents the full breathing program, from assuming the right postures to carrying out essential techniques for lung improvement. Twenty-six key exercises are provided. The movements for each exercise are fully illustrated with photographs which are accompanied by easy-to-follow instructions. This program offers benefits far beyond easier breathing, including the ability to overcome stress, gain mental clarity, and take greater control over our lives.

While there may not be a complete cure for every breathing disorder, the reader will learn how they can play a crucial role in improving their own condition. Take a Deep Breath will provide them the proven tools they need to control their breathing and optimize their health. And as this book teaches us, all it takes is one deep breath at a time.

About the Author

Meera Patricia Kerr began her study of yoga in the early 1970s. After giving birth to her two children, Meera realized that nobody had adapted traditional yoga poses for the more curvaceous body. As a result, she developed the Big Yoga program, showing people of all shapes and sizes how to enjoy this ancient practice. Meera continues to study and teach yoga, and is the best-selling author of Big Yoga and Big Yoga for Less Stress.

Sandra A. McLanahan, MD, received her medical degree from Wayne State University, and completed a residency in family practice at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. McLanahan has served as Director of Stress Management for the Preventative Medicine Research Institute of San Francisco, California. She is currently the founder and executive medical director of Integral Health Services, a holistic health care practice in Buckingham, Virginia. She is a much sought-after speaker in the areas of nutrition, preventive and holistic medicine, and stress management. A long-time student of Integral Yoga, she has been a featured guest on such television programs as CBS Sunday Morning, NOVA and Bill Moyers’ Healing and the Mind series.

Introduction

If you’ve picked up this book to read, it is likely that you or someone close to you is having a breathing problem. Most of us take the act of breathing for granted. Inhale, exhale . . . what could be easier? However, when the simple act of taking air in becomes noticeable, we know that something is wrong.

Perhaps it’s a shortness of breath, a reoccurring cough, or a constant pain in our chest. While the symptoms and causes may vary, the bottom line is the same. Your body is not getting enough oxygen. Your lungs are no longer working to their full capacity. Hopefully, you have gone to your doctor and now have a clear idea of what the underlying issue is. The trouble is that what they have identified as the cause is not necessarily easy to fix. You were given medications to ease some of the symptoms, but were told that the problem is simply not going away.

For most people who go through this process, the prognosis is very difficult to hear. The treatments are limited and in many cases come with side effects. What you are not told is that there are a number of alternative approaches that can help to ease, relieve, or perhaps reverse your condition. Some of these approaches are relatively new; others are thousands of years old. And as you will read, all of these approaches have been found to work. Of course each condition may be different so the result can vary, but the idea is to find the ones that best work for you.

There is, however, one important consideration to remember, and it is this: Once you leave the doctor’s office, you will need to take on the responsibility of improving your condition. Yes, you can take the meds you have been prescribed, but by knowing what your options are for improvement, it’s up to you to do what you need to do. It’s not just waiting to come back for your next appointment. It’s about what you are going to do from the time you leave the doctor’s office till the next visit. To a great degree, it’s about controlling your own fate. That’s what this book is all about.

The book is divided into two parts. Part One provides the basics behind Take a Deep Breath. It begins by providing pertinent medical information about the lungs that may be helpful to you. Chapter One explains the structure and function of the respiratory system. In the next chapters, various lung disorders are explained, and guidance is offered on how to use natural remedies and nutritional supplements to improve your condition. In Chapter Four the effects of stress are discussed as well as several antidotes to stress, including exercise, stretching, meditation, massage, and visualization. In the next chapters, suggestions are offered on how to prevent infection, alternative therapies that may be helpful to you, and finally an encouraging chapter on why the practices offered in Part Two of the book are going to work for you so that you can take a deep breath! Part Two presents breathing exercises. All these exercises are based on time-tested practices proven to increase your breathing capacity. In Chapter Six we’ll offer some tips for beginning your practice – how to sit, when to practice and other helpful ideas. Then we’ll offer strategies for overcoming resistance to practice. It’s not enough to read this book – it’s like a refreshing bottle of water in a vending machine. It won’t quench your thirst until you drop in your money, pop the top, and take a swig. Ahhh, so refreshing!

Chapter Seven guides you through some basic exercises – simple chair poses to bend and stretch the body, standing poses to build strength, and restorative poses to slow you down as you tune more deeply into your breath. You’ll have practices that cool you off, heat you up, calm you down and pick you up; a little something for everybody. Finally, we dive into the breathing practices themselves. Known in Sanskrit as pranayama, or breath control, these techniques have been around for thousands of years. If you’re interested in lowering stress and anxiety, yoga-based breathing is your magic carpet. The culmination of all these practices is a deeper level of self-awareness, peace, and tranquility.

How to Use This Book

If you’re reading this book because you’re interested in expanding your lung capacity naturally, you may already be practicing some form of physical exercise – that’s fine. You may want to skip over some of the more physical practices that precede the breathing techniques. But if you don’t have a regular exercise routine, I advise you to start at the beginning and try the exercises in the earlier chapters in Part Two. You can begin your breathing practice right away with the easiest and most basic of all the techniques – simple 3-part breath. Once you get a taste for the calm vitality produced by even a short practice, you will want to learn – and do – more. My hope is that you find as much pleasure and contentment as I do in these calming practices.

The more you know about your condition and what you can do about it, the more informed decisions you can make moving forward. It’s important to point out that there are absolutely no miracle cures in this book. However, as you put together your own program, you will be the first to see if your condition improves – and that can make all the difference.