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Asthma kills 6,000 people a year. Respiratory illnesses affect millions more. According to Teresa Hale, asthmatics and others with respiratory illnesses are breathing wrong. "We have been led to believe that deep breathing is good for us because it increases our oxygen intake. In fact, the reverse is true. The more we breathe, the less oxygen actually reaches the cells of our bodies," says Hale in Breathing Free: The Revolutionary 5-Day Program to Heal Asthma, Emphysema, Bronchitis, and Other Respiratory Ailments. Her breathing program, Breath Connection, teaches you to change your breathing patterns so that you won't need to wheeze, breathe heavily, or take gulps of air after exertion. Hale promises that five days on this program will reduce your need for medications, and regular practice often increases metabolism and leads to weight loss. Breathing Free gives a self-test to assess your breathing and teaches several techniques to improve it. Hale explains how to adapt the program for mild, moderate, or severe asthma; emphysema; bronchitis; panic attacks; general health; and children with asthma. She also suggests dietary guidelines. Hale's program is based on the work of Konstantin Buteyko of the former Soviet Union. It is easy to understand, but will take time and effort to master. But Hale says you have a choice: "Stay where you are, with your daydreams and your deteriorating health, or take control and make some effort to effect permanent change." Hale founded Britain's renowned Hale Clinic, whose clients have included Princess Diana, the Duchess of York, Tina Turner, Richard Gere, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. --Joan Price
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