The Oxygen Advantage: The Simple, Scientifically Proven Breathing Techniques for a Healthier, Slimmer, Faster, and Fitter You

by Patrick McKeown

The process of breathing has been warped by chronic stress, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, overheated homes, and lack of fitness.

The process of breathing has been warped by chronic stress, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, overheated homes, and lack of fitness.

These in turn contribute to lethargy, weight gain, sleeping problems, respiratory conditions, and heart disease.

These in turn contribute to lethargy, weight gain, sleeping problems, respiratory conditions, and heart disease.

• Do you sometimes breathe through your mouth as you go about your daily activities? • Do you breathe through your mouth during deep sleep? (If you are not sure, do you wake up with a dry mouth in the morning?) • Do you snore or hold your breath during sleep? • Can you visibly notice your breathing during rest? To find out, take a look at your breathing right now. Spend a minute observing the movements of your chest or abdomen as you take each breath. The more movement you see, the heavier you breathe. • When you observe your breathing, do you see more movements from the chest than from the abdomen? • Do you regularly sigh throughout the day? (While one sigh every now and again is not an issue, regular sighing is enough to maintain chronic overbreathing.) • Do you sometimes hear your breathing during rest? • Do you experience symptoms resulting from habitual overbreathing, such as nasal congestion, tightening of the airways, fatigue, dizziness, or light-headedness?

• Do you sometimes breathe through your mouth as you go about your daily activities? • Do you breathe through your mouth during deep sleep? (If you are not sure, do you wake up with a dry mouth in the morning?) • Do you snore or hold your breath during sleep? • Can you visibly notice your breathing during rest? To find out, take a look at your breathing right now. Spend a minute observing the movements of your chest or abdomen as you take each breath. The more movement you see, the heavier you breathe. • When you observe your breathing, do you see more movements from the chest than from the abdomen? • Do you regularly sigh throughout the day? (While one sigh every now and again is not an issue, regular sighing is enough to maintain chronic overbreathing.) • Do you sometimes hear your breathing during rest? • Do you experience symptoms resulting from habitual overbreathing, such as nasal congestion, tightening of the airways, fatigue, dizziness, or light-headedness?