Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Potentialy life-altering, 18 Jul 2001
I bought this book after suffering with anxiety and depression problems and began learning about the importance of breathing techniques in the martial arts, such as T'ai Chi. I had an idea that my breathing techniques could be improved and hoped this book would help me. I can say now that the answer is a resounding YES. I have been reading and practising the exercises in this book for about the last two months and the effects on my self-esteem, relaxation, sports performance, sexual pleasure and happiness levels has been quite amazing. The techniques are taking a while to get used to but that might be because they were so bad before. Every day my breathing is becoming more efficient. It can help you at any time in ANY situation. I tried the breathing for sports endurance whilst out jogging a couple of days ago and I felt like I could have carried on jogging for ages. I used to have a terribly tight chest after exercise and was diagnosed as an asthma sufferer but that has certainly improved also. It has given me a lot of excitememt about the future because I know that my techniques will continue to improve. Gay teaches you techniques that can 'center' you and make you feel revived within minutes, even seconds. I have used the techniques to breath through pain and feel better. This may all sound a little far fetched to any one that has not tried any of this but believe me it works. I would suggest that you try it and persevere for a little while until you begin feeling the benefits, then you won't want to stop. I highly recommend this book to anybody, whether you think you could improve you breathing or not.
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Takes Your Breath Away!, 4 Jun 1999
By A Customer
Sometimes a particular book emerges, from the millions of available publications, which is truly inspirational and life changing. This, to me, is one of those rare books. The contents and ideas are not complicated or revolutionary. In fact it is a simple book with simple ideas. It is this innocent simplicity which makes this a very appealing book indeed.The author speaks with authority and obviously has vast experience in breath control techniques. His ideas are, as I say, simple yet very effective. I have only just started the techniques outlined in this publication but, already, I feel some benefit. I would highly recommend this work to anyone who seriously wishes to improve their health.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The 20th Century West's answer to The Science of Breath, 28 May 1996
By A Customer
Ask people what they know about popular body-centered therapists Gay and
Kathlyn Hendricks and their answers usually contain the words "relationship" and
"breathing." Conscious Loving described the Hendricks's thoughts and experience
regarding relationship transformation. Conscious Breathing, by Gay Hendricks,
Ph.D. details the myriad, transformative uses of breathing he has explored.
Reading Conscious Breathing, I was reminded of the Buddha's admonition to accept
nothing based on faith or teaching, but only by your experience of its truth.
Similarly, Hendricks repeatedly describes how the various techniques in the book
have been refined and honed by his personal experience and by the experiences of
the thousands of clients and workshop participants over the last 26 years. For
example, teaching the age-old alternate nostril breathing, Hendricks shares the
particular variation of which his clients reported the most profound effects.
The wide variety of applications for breathing that he explores, makes Hendricks's
breathing inquiry, and this book, unique. Unlike methods, like Rebirthing or
Holotropic Breathwork, which focus on a particular technique and it's effects (e.g.
Holotropic's design to reproduce hallucinogenic drug experiences through
breathing), Conscious Breathing details breathing practices for everything from
releasing trauma, stress reduction, heightened athletic performance and curing
asthma to raising the body's "positive energy thermostat" and improved sexual
performance. In fact, the cathartic breathing that most people think of as
"breathwork" doesn't even appear in Conscious Breathing (but can be found in the
Hendricks's earlier book, Radiance).
This omission demonstrates the continual evolution of the Hendricks's work. Over
the years, Gay and Kathlyn's emphasis has shifted to subtly and gently removing
tensions and traumas from the body and "rewiring" it to hold a higher positive charge
rather than engaging in less directed, cathartic process sessions. In fact, the
constant development means that those who have previously learned some of the
techniques described in Conscious Breathing (e.g. the "10 Minute Daily Breathing
Program") will find changes in those teachings, and those who attend the
Hendricks's workshops will find both refinements and additions to the material in
Conscious Breathing.
More than merely informative, Conscious Breathing is enjoyable and Hendricks
makes his presence clearly felt. Abundant and entertaining self revelation run the
gamut from Hendricks's valuable diary of how he uses breathing on a daily basis to
the story of how his pre
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