According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S.

We learned firsthand.

My wife Lee had a stroke in early February 2007. It began a dizzying, terrifying period of not only coming to grips with the physical affects, but the mental affects of confusion, making adjustments to daily living, and the arrival of depression and anxiety.

The good news is, conscious breathing can help in many ways.

This exercise is based on ancient Chinese qi gong practices and provides a gentle stretch of most major muscle groups as well as deep, invigorating oxygenation . It is an excellent way to wake up in the morning, or warm-up for your normal workout.

Part One:
To begin, stand with your feet slightly apart and your arms relaxed at your side

1. Inhale deeply as you drop your chin to your chest, neck and shoulders tensed, while at the same time bringing your hands slowly up in front of your chest, stopping at the level of your solar plexus (the upside down "V" where your ribs join together). As you bring your hands up, they should be held with the palms up, fingertips nearly touching.

2. As you exhale turn your palms downward and gently push downward until your arms are completely extended, palms parallel to the floor in front of your groin, fingertips still nearly touching...

You may have noticed that we love our Kanji Breathe symbol. It's a graceful reminder to take a few deep breaths. Especially at work or in your home office. Our online store offers everything from apparel and messenger bags, to this mousepad (pictured), refrigerator magnets, mugs, clocks, notepads, ball caps and much, much more.

If you're looking for a dynamic speaker who can enliven your next corporate event, offsite or health fair, there's still time to schedule your Perfect Breathing seminar or keynote, with Al Lee. You and your company or organization can take advantage of Perfect Breathing's customized training and presentations. This isn't a woo-woo snooze-fest. Al presents not only the latest and most compelling scientific and medical information, but valuable, practical techniques to improve health, battle stress, and become a more productive, creative person.

For bookings:
al@perfectbreathing.com

UPCOMING:"Perfect Breathing"
June 9, 2007 | 10-11:30 a.m.
Riverplace Athletic Club | 0150 SW Montgomery
Portland, OR 97201 | (503) 221-1212

• Practice staying positive in the present (St. Petersburg Times)

• It's OK to Take a Big Breather (Calgary Herald)

• The "ABCD"s of Public Speaking (The Harbus/Harvard Business School)

Thanks for being part of Perfect Breath. Stay tuned! If you have comments, questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,