CHAPTER II. 

 "BREATH IS LIFE." 



Life is absolutely dependent upon the act of breathing. 

 "Breath is Life." 



Differ as they may upon details of theory and 

 terminology, the Oriental and the Occidental agree upon 

 these fundamental principles. 



To breathe is to live, and without breath there is no 

 life. Not only are the higher animals dependent upon 

 breath for life and health, but even the lower forms of 

 animal life must breathe to live, and plant life is likewise 

 dependent upon the air for continued existence. 



The infant draws in a long, deep breath, retains it for 

 a moment to extract from it its life-giving properties, and 

 then exhales it in a long wail, and lo! its life upon earth 

 has begun. The old man gives a faint gasp, ceases to 

 breathe, and life is over. From the first faint breath of 

 the infant to the last gaso of the dying man, it is one long 

 story of continued breathing. Life ir but a series of 

 breaths, 



Breathing may be considered the most important of all 

 of the functions of the body, for, indeed, all the other func- 

 tions depend upon it Man may exist some time without 

 eating; a shorter time without drinking; but without breath- 

 ing his existence may be measured by a few minutes. 



And not only is Man dependent upon Breath for life, 

 but he is largely dependent upon correct habits of breath- 

 ing for continued vitality and freedom from disease. An 

 intelligent control of our breathing power will lengthen 

 our days upon earth by giving us increased vitality and 

 powers of resistance, and, on the other hand, unintelligent 

 and careless breathing will tend to shorten our days, by 

 decreasing our vitality and laying us open to disease. 



Man in his normal state had no need of instruction in 

 breathing. Like the lower animal and the child, he 

 breathed naturally and properly, as nature intended him 

 to do, but civilization has changed him in this and other 



