Tao master, philospher, author of Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain and The Watercourse Way (with Alan Watts), and founder/president of the Living Tao Foundation, Chungliang Al Huang is the living embodiment of the power of the breath.

Affable and delightfully outgoing, Chung was kind enough to work with us for our forthcoming Sterling Publishing book, "As I Live & Breathe." Herewith, are a few nuggets of his wisdom.

Understanding the Importance of Chi
Chungliang Al Huang stresses the importance in modern life of understanding chi and using it to your advantage. "For me, I always encourage myself and my students and people I teach and share the learning, just constantly pay attention to when you're not breathing properly. For me, philosophically, I continue to realize the breath I take is much bigger. The breath I take is much more natural in nature than the way I am as human being. We try to be natural but often, we are very unnatural.

" We live in very unnatural surroundings. We live in square rooms, in cities with traffic. We become very unnatural, very quickly. It is easy. When we become unnatural in our life patterns, we become unnatural in our breath patterns. That is when we need to pay attention to the relationship of our own breath to the bigger life force that we call chi. It takes constant practice. That is why we need to practice, and that is why I use tai chi and qi gong day to day."

Here is an exercise that is well suited for any type of sport or exercise that requires repetitive motion, such as walking, running, hiking, biking, swimming, rowing, etc. The focused breathing helps to maximize your energy intake, while keeping the mind "in the body" and clear of distracting, self-limiting thoughts. .

How it works
For this exercise the breathing cycle is divided into three parts, with each part getting a set number of counts:

1. The Inhale (2 counts)
2. The Hold or Retention, before the exhale (2 counts)
3. The Exhale (4 counts)

Try this breathing method a few times to become familiar with it.

Now, let's look at how we can use this technique while walking, for example. In this case each count corresponds to one step, for example:

1. Inhale for 2 steps
2, Hold for 2 steps
3. Exhale for 4 steps
To adapt to cycling, each pedal stroke gets one count. For swimming, each stroke gets one count, and so on.

Say it loud, "I breathe, I'm proud." Apologies to James Brown, but our online store offers everything from apparel and messenger bags, to this Kanji Jr. Spaghetti Tank (pictured), polo shirts, ball caps, mugs, clocks, notepads and even extremely stylish BARBECUE APRONS , all appropriately adorned with our Kanji logo.

Gain firsthand knowledge of the power of Perfect Breathing with speaker/trainer Al Lee. His dynamic presentation will arm you with practical techniques to help alleviate stress and fuel creativity.

UPCOMING: "Perfect Breathing"
June 26, 2007 | 6:30-8 p.m.
Riverplace Athletic Club | 0150 SW Montgomery
Portland, OR 97201 | (503) 221-1212

For bookings:
al@perfectbreathing.com

Can't believe it's a whole month until the next issue of the Perfect Breath newsletter? Looking for someone to answer your questions? Wish you could share your experience and expertise with others? Want to stay abreast of the latest science, research, and technology? Check us out at The Perfect Breath Blog . We've got what you need. It's where you can stay up-to-date, share your thoughts, get answers, and be part of the Perfect Breath community -- everyday. Stop by and drop us a note at blog.perfectbreath.com. We'd love to hear from you!

• Spring Cleaning from the Inside Out (The Daily Astorian)

• Big Man Meets the Buddha (The Nantucket Independent)

• How to Combat Depression with Easy Breathing (DentalPlans.com)

• The Ki to Longevity (Star Publications/Malaysia)

• How to Be Still and Know That You Are God (Financial Express/Bombay, India)

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

Sincerely,