It may begin with shortness of breath or perhaps a recurring cough as you inhale. Your ability to take in more air becomes impeded—for any number of reasons. The bottom line is that your body is not receiving the oxygen it requires, and when that happens, your body lets you know it. 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 techniques that you can do on your own to improve your condition. Best-selling health writer Meera Patricia Kerr and Dr. Sandra A. McLanahan have teamed up to provide an effective breathing exercise program. Their new 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’ unique program. You will learn the importance of the respiratory system to your health and how you can improve your breathing through specific time-tested exercises. You will also learn about the mental blocks that may prevent you from performing these simple yet important exercises—and how you can overcome them. Part Two presents the full breathing program, from assuming the right postures to carrying out essential techniques for lung improvement. As you will discover, this program offers benefits far beyond easier breathing, including the ability to overcome stress, gain mental clarity, and take greater control over your life.

While there may not be a complete cure for every breathing disorder, you can play a crucial role in improving your condition. Take a Deep Breath gives you the tools you need to control your breathing and optimize your health. All it takes is one deep breath at a time.

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 Preventive 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.

Meera Patricia Kerr began her study of Yoga in the early 1970s under Sri Swami Satchidananda. 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.