The Art of Breathing, Book 4^th Edition

  The Art of Breathing, Video Edition  

The Art of Breathing, DVD Edition

The Art of Breathing, Book & Video Boxed Set

Chinese Art Song Favorites CD - Nancy Zi (Soprano)

Foreign Translations

The following are excerpts and exercises from the Book and Video:

From Introduction - A Singer's Discoveries: My voice is my career. For more than three decades, much of my time has been devoted to singing and to voice instruction. I have [had] to make certain that my singing voice [was] always in good condition and that my speaking voice does not strain my vocal cords. To maintain the quality of voice I desire, effective controlled breathing is my most important tool.

Controlled deep breathing helps the body to transform the air we breathe into energy. The stream of energized air produced by properly executed and controlled deep breathing produces a current of inner energy which radiates throughout the entire body and can be channeled to the body areas that need it the most, on demand. It can be used to fuel a specific physical effort, such as tennis or jogging. Or you can use this current of inner energy to relieve muscular tension throughout the body, revitalize a tired mind, or soothe localized aches and pains.

My years of experience in training and maintaining the human voice have convinced me that the practice of the art of breathing is beneficial to the health of the whole person, regardless of career or activity...

We know that life begins with the first breath and ends with the last. But it is how we breathe in between the first and the last that greatly impacts how well we live this life. This is what The Art of Breathing is all about.

From PART ONE - The Promise of Chi Yi

The following challenges to the imagination are the first of several "imagery drills," which make use of mental pictures to help you experience specific sensations or feelings in the body. These mental pictures are metaphorical descriptions of particular movements that may be otherwise impossible to describe. They communicate a muscular process indirectly, through the use of images of movement. Such images are useful in elucidating invisible, internal movements and subtle adjustments of the body. This brief introduction to the awareness of inner energy merely suggests the energy source you will learn to tap in the exercises and applications that follow.

These imagery drills may be difficult for those who are unaccustomed to manipulating their breathing apparatus. Many athletes, singers, and musicians who play wind instruments, for example, are conscientious breathers, and will be able to handle the drills easily. Others will need to wait until they have practiced a good number of the exercises in Part Two before being able to complete the drills correctly and with little strain...

The first of these drills, the Eyedropper Imagery Drill, introduces you to abdominal breathing, an important step in learning to breathe to the core at will.

Picture yourself as an upside down eyedropper. Squeeze the bulb and air is squeezed out. Release the bulb, letting it expand, and air is drawn into the body. The complete exercise is animated in the video/DVD and explained/illustrated in the book.

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