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 gasp of the dying man, it is one long
story of continued breathing. Life is 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 functions depend upon it. Man
may exist some time without eating; a shorter time without drinking;
but without breathing 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 breathing 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 respects. He has contracted improper methods and attitudes
of walking, standing and sitting, which have robbed him of his
birthright of natural and correct breathing. He has paid a high price
for civilization. The savage, to-day, breathes naturally, unless he
has been contaminated by the habits of civilized man.

The percentage of civilized men who breathe correctly is quite small,
and the result is shown in contracted chests and stooping shoulders,
and the terrible increase in diseases of the respiratory organs,
including that dread monster, Consumption, "the white scourge."
Eminent authorities have stated that one generation of correct
breathers would regenerate the race, and disease would be so rare as
to be looked upon as a curiosity. Whether looked at from the
standpoint of the Oriental or Occidental, the connection between
correct breathing and health is readily seen and explained.

The Occidental teachings show that the physical health depends very
materially upon correct breathing. The Oriental teachers not only
admit that their Occidental brothers are right, but say that in
addition to the physical benefit derived from c