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Summary: The 20th Century West's answer to The Science of Breath
Review: 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
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Waste Your Money!
Review: Filled with stories and not much substance. The author namedrops Andrew Weil's name ("Andy") early on and pronounces, not suprisingly, that Andy thinks breathing is real important. The book is filled with lots of half-empty pages, so trees are a big loser, too. Summary: lots of fluff but not much information!
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Summary: VIDEO CASSETTE--Conscious Breathing
Review: Hello: I don't know if Amazon sells the VIDEO but I have a copy of the VHS Conscious Breathing and I find it to be very helpful when stressed. It reminds me to slowdown my breathing to allow maximum belly breath. I feel much calmer and clearer after I do the lessons on the tape. You do focus breathing and learn techniques that will help you to get that oxygen thru out the body. We breathe from our chests these days instead of from deep down--STRESS! Take care now!!
Rating:
Summary: VIDEO CASSETTE--Conscious Breathing
Review: Hello: I don't know if Amazon sells the VIDEO but I have a copy of the VHS Conscious Breathing and I find it to be very helpful when stressed. It reminds me to slowdown my breathing to allow maximum belly breath. I feel much calmer and clearer after I do the lessons on the tape. You do focus breathing and learn techniques that will help you to get that oxygen thru out the body. We breathe from our chests these days instead of from deep down--STRESS! Take care now!!
Rating:
Summary: one of the top five books on breathing as of June 1998
Review: I consider Gay Hendricks to be one of my primary teachers concerning the breath and one of the world's foremost experts on the subject A gifted author and therapist, he has facilitated over 20,000 private breathing sessions. This book is a must for anyone interested in the importance of the breath and breathing. I have integrated many of his insights in to my OPTIMAL BREATHING work.
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Summary: Useful techniques, skip the babble
Review: I've been trying the breathing techniques and yes, they lower my stress levels at work. I just wish he would have toned down some of the benefits people reported. Become able to remember when I was conceived?? Ewwww.
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Summary: Profound Tool To Faciliate Healing
Review: In 1996 ago I attended two one-week sessions with the Gaye and Katie Hendricks in Santa Barbara, CA. It was an important transformational experience for me and helped me more fully appreciate some basic foundations of healing. Over the years I transitioned to more effective strategies involving energy medicine but still find most of their work to be valid and helpful.One of the more important parts of their work, and the one that I still teach in our office is breathing. I give out Gaye's book to all the students in our course. It is a profoundly powerful, simple and inexpensive method of healing. This book is a useful tool in learning the breath work that can be profoundly helpful in lowering stress tension and anxiety. The nice thing about breathing, is unlike supplements, you never run out of it or have to rush to the health food store to replenish your supply. Highly recommended.
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Summary: I get the feeling the author wrote these reviews.
Review: Suggestions if you want to waste your money on this book.
1. Skip pages 1 -60 useless, boring, information about the author.
2. Read only areas that are in bold. These are the exercises.
3. Skip all the filler. It is about the author lending no interest, content, inspiration, etc. to the book.
4. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. THIS APPEARS TO BE NOTHING BUT A PRODUCTION AUTHOR WHO CRANKS THESE THINGS OUT EVERY FEW MONTHS. Its as if he wrote the whole thing in a day. The exercises are just rehashed from other people's books and videos.
Rating:
Summary: I get the feeling the author wrote these reviews.
Review: Suggestions if you want to waste your money on this book.
1. Skip pages 1 -60 useless, boring, information about the author.
2. Read only areas that are in bold. These are the exercises.
3. Skip all the filler. It is about the author lending no interest, content, inspiration, etc. to the book.
4. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. THIS APPEARS TO BE NOTHING BUT A PRODUCTION AUTHOR WHO CRANKS THESE THINGS OUT EVERY FEW MONTHS. Its as if he wrote the whole thing in a day. The exercises are just rehashed from other people's books and videos.
Rating:
Summary: Gentle Reminder and Useful Text for Years
Review: The exercises in this book have been beneficial during stressful times for years ... and included is a great 10-minute sequence of three exercises for daily preventive maintenance and self care. The commentary is helpful, not fluff at all, the instructions are easy to follow, and the illustrations of people doing the exercises are very clear. For a more advanced book on the breath, you might also want to take a look at The Tao of Natural Breathing by Dennis Lewis.
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