1

About the author 3

Breathe! 4

The Forgotten Potential You’re Not Making Use of 4

Breathing and the Brain 5

Breathing, Good Relationships and Longevity 7

Breathing and Managing our Emotions 8

Breathing and Meditation 9

Breathing to Improve Athletic Performance 9

Breathing to Improve Professional Performance 10

Our Lungs 11

The Mechanics of Breathing 12

How Oxygen Enters our Bloodstream 13

The Basis for Good Breathing 14

Rhythms 15

Contraindications 15

Medical Examination 15

Let’s Practise! 16
Abdominal Breathing 16
Intercostal Breathing 17
Clavicular Breathing 17
Complete Breathing 18
Rapid Breath Breathing 19
Completing Our Breathing Exercises 19

Breathwork | 2
 About the author

Professor DeRose
Founder of the DeROSE Method network in 1960;
Author of over 30 books with sales of over a million copies worldwide;
DeRose has trained and certified more than 5,000 mindfulness instructors across the globe;
Recipient of awards and commendations granted by various cultural and humanitarian institutes, the
military and government, both in his native Brazil and around the world.

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Breathe!
Life begins with our first breath and lasts until our final exhalation. Our beath flows
naturally, yet rarely do we appreciate the importance of this process.
Breathing occupies first place among the processes vital for life: without food we are
able to survive for several weeks; without water, several days; but without air, just a
few short minutes.
Despite the fact that breathing usually occurs unconsciously, we can optimise the
way in which we breathe by doing so consciously. Optimal breathing can be a
differentiating factor in our athletic performance, our work or even in our personal
relationships.
The quality or rhythm of our breathing is intimately related to our capacity to manage
our emotions, boost vital energy, health, wellbeing and self-awareness, and to
expand our state of consciousness.
From the moment we become aware of the importance of our breathing and its
impact on our daily life, we begin to breathe with more quality; something that
immediately translates to a surplus of energy, longevity, focus and concentration; we
become more lively, lucid and intuitive.
Imagine if we were to calculate the total time lost reperforming tasks that hadn’t
been done right the first time due to a lack of concentration. The energy lost to trials
and tribulations due to a lack of emotional stability. Opportunities lost due to a high
level of stress.
The breathing techniques taught in this pocket book have a significant impact on the
individual’s entire biological system. They are fundamental for the management of
emotions and allow us to better control our levels of stress. Nonetheless, the aim of
the DeROSE Method® is not therapeutic, rather, it is to propel the practitioner to a
higher level of excellence in their sports, their profession or their personal life.
Prepare yourself! This practical knowledge is not taught in school. This book will
provide you with a new vision and powerful tool that will allow you to conquer your
objectives.

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The Forgotten Potential You’re Not Making Use of
Breathing is our cells’ main source of energy, as well as being a key mechanism for
speech, laughter and expression of emotions. Due to the fundamental nature of
breathing, it occurs via a neurovegetative process which is automatic and
unconscious, and which ensures that, while there is life within an organism, it will not
stop breathing.
Despite the fact that breathing is essential for keeping our cells alive, the majority of
humans breathe in a way that is inefficient, which can often leave parts of our body
starved of oxygen and energy.
When we are born, we can be considered the most perfect versions of ourselves,
biologically speaking. Throughout life, we live through a number of phases, each
with differing breathing patterns. As babies, we breathe in way that is abdominal,
deep and slow the majority of the time.
Unfortunately, due to our lifestyles, many of us loose the capacity to breathe in this
way, and we stop taking advantage of our full respiratory potential, which, over time,
results in excessive tiredness, insomnia or interrupted sleep, a lack of concentration
or creativity, as well as a low level of vitality.
The total lung capacity of a fully grown adult is, on average, 5.8 litres of air.
However, our average breathing capacity is between 4.5 and 5 litres, i.e. during each
cycle of breath, we inhale and exhale around 5 litres of air.
However, most people, while resting or carrying out work that is not physically
demanding (or even reading this pocket book) breathe 500 mL of air, or 10% of their
breathing capacity.
In order to perceive the effects of breathing more consciously, pay attention to your
breathing right now. Now begin to breathe more deeply, bringing more air into your
lungs then exhaling. After just a few cycles, you will notice yourself begin to feel
more awake, alert and lively.
Now, imagine if you were to train breathing techniques every day, in order to
increase your breathing capacity. Without a doubt, your level of energy and
enthusiasm would increase considerably.

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Breathing and the Brain
Our brain consumes the most oxygen out of all the organs in our body. A good level
of oxygenation increases memory and concentration, and accelerates the formation
of synapses between neurones; all of which contribute to superlative performance in
our daily activities and the way in which we relate to other people, not to mention the
boost to our professional and athletic performance. When we talk of improving
performance, we are not just referring to physical or mental performance, but rather
to our emotional intelligence in particular.
In the DeROSE Method®, we provide resources that will allow you to use your
breathing, in a way that’s simple, to improve your performance in all areas of your
life. After all, who among us wouldn’t want to improve their quality of life? and
conscious breathing is, without a doubt, one of the best tools for achieving this.
One of the most simple and effective ways of maximising our breathing is by using
our entire lung capacity, which we can do by expanding all three regions of the
lungs: the abdominal, intercostal and thoracic regions. This results in breathing that
is more complete and of better quality (we will discuss this topic in more detail later
in this book), which allows us to deliver more oxygen to our nervous system and
optimise brain function, augmenting our levels of focus and creativity.
In this day and age, the development of a mind that is more focussed, logical and
objective is essential, as we are continuously bombarded by countless stimuli due to
our increasing use of technology and social networks which increase exponentially
the amount of information with which we come into contact on a day to day basis.
Developing our mind in this way allows us to be more productive and efficient in the
face of complex problems.
While creativity is an attribute that’s more subtle, it is also essential if we want to
remain effective in the way in which we live our lives; not to mention being
something that is highly regarded in the labour market. (Note that there is a
considerable difference between effectiveness and efficiency).
In general, people who are more creative tend to be more easily distracted, while
those who are more logical and focussed tend to be less creative due to their
excessive use of reason and rationality. The ideal situation would be to combine the
best of both worlds; creativity and focus. And breathing can be an excellent way of
achieving this elusive combination.
Creativity tends to manifest itself when we’re calm and our brain is well oxygenated.
Therefore, by breathing consciously, we attain a state of mental and emotional

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stability that allows our creativity to flourish. By adding different cadences and
rhythms to our breathing we clear the mind, lending a fluidity to our creative process,
combined with the focus necessary to bring ideas to fruition.

Breathing, Good Relationships and Longevity

The way in which we perceive and react to events shapes the number of breaths we
take during our lifetime. A person who lives under a constant, high level of stress
tends to take shorter and quicker breaths; something that clearly impacts their
quality of life.
As humans, our breath may be random, or it may have a rhythm. We define a
breathing rhythm as carrying out each phase of breathing in a given amount of time.
The four phases of breathing are inhalation, holding air in the lungs, exhalation and
keeping the lungs empty.
Our emotional states can be correlated with our breathing rhythm. A deep, rhythmic
cadence demonstrates a state of satisfaction, confidence and calmness. Breathing
that is short and quick denotes a state of anxiety, insecurity or fear. By learning to
manipulate our breathing rhythm, we can modify and attenuate our emotions and
improve our decision making processes; positively impacting our relationships and
quality of life, which in turn are proven to increase our life expectancy.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development, currently directed by Robert Waldinger,
which is based on extensive data recorded on the lives of a group of people over a
period of more than 75 years (possibly one of the longest studies of adult life that’s
ever been done), recently revealed that the those who were happiest, physically
healthier and who lived longest were those who maintained good human
relationships.

According to Robert Waldinger, “The clearest message that we get from this 75-year
study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.
He goes on to site three big lessons that were learned based on the study:

● The first is that social connections are really good for us, and that loneliness
kills.
● The second big lesson that we learned is that it's not just the number of
friends you have, and it's not whether or not you're in a committed
relationship, but it's the quality of your close relationships that matters.

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 ● Finally, the third big lesson that we learned about relationships and our health
is that good relationships don't just protect our bodies, they protect our brains.

In the DeROSE Method®, our main focus is to improve human relationships, among
other concepts related to quality of life. From a technical point of view, our classes
promote continued respiratory re-education, which contributes to the process of
perfecting human relationships, and hence an inclination to increase life expectancy.

Breathing and Managing our Emotions

From our first breath until our last, our breath flows instinctively, except in moments
of extreme exertion, when our organism requires more oxygen and is forced to
breathe more. In these moments, we tend to voluntarily inhale deeply and exhale
rapidly through the mouth in order to catch our breath. This process also affects our
heartrate. This is a simple example of how our bodily rhythm changes when we
change our breathing. In this case, this change is driven by necessity, however we
can choose to influence our body in this way whenever we like.
Conscious, deep, and especially rhythmic breathing is an extremely efficient way of
stabilising the mind and reducing our impulsive responses to internal or external
stimuli, hence allowing us to achieve a state of calmness, when this is the desired
effect, or determination, when the desired result is to overcome a state of inertia and
get to work.
Voluntarily changing our breathing leads to a change in our state of consciousness:
by making an involuntary act voluntary, we cross over from a state of survival into
one in which we take charge and perceive that a change in the circumstances of our
life is within our power.
The relationship between our breathing rhythm and our emotional state is clear.
When we feel afraid, our breathing accelerates so that our brain receives more
oxygen, quickening our responses so that we can escape danger. In this scenario,
our priority is survival, even at the cost of suffering physical damage. By engaging in
the same process consciously, we are able to optimise our energy supply and make
decisions with more emotional intelligence. Observe the difference between our
behaviour when we act on impulse, and a scenario in which our behaviour is more
conscious. This is the concept behind breathing techniques. We can apply them to
produce different mental and emotional states.

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Each emotion that we experience produces a different breathing pattern. When we
are happy we breathe in a certain way, and when we become frightened, our
breathing changes automatically, and so on. When we are relaxed, we breathe more
deeply, and when we are stressed out or anxious, our breathing is short and rapid.
This is totally natural. However, an excess of stress, anxiety, fear, anger or irritation,
among other negative emotions, alters our breathing pattern, leading to a series of
energetical and emotional imbalances that may cause somatizations.
However, this goes both ways. In the same way that our breathing changes
automatically according to the emotions we experience, the reverse is also true. By
consciously changing how we breathe, we tend to shift any emotional patterns into
which we may be falling. For example, if we suffer a fright on the street due to nearly
being knocked over, we may perceive that our breathing accelerates considerably.
Even in a scenario in which we are afraid, if we breathe deeply and slowly for a few
cycles, the fear dissipates and the tension decreases.
For this reason, becoming more aware of our breathing is hugely important. As well
as increasing our capacity to manage our emotions, it also gives us more mental
clarity that will allow us to make better decisions, and an immense increase in vitality
and health, as we’ll see later on.

Breathing and Meditation

When we are focussed on something, our breathing becomes slower, subtler and
almost imperceptible. In contrast, when we are more easily distracted, our breathing
is irregular. However, if we apply a specific breathing technique that involves a slow
rhythm, our state of mind will change within moments, to one of attention and
concentration; this being the state that precedes that of meditation. This can be
achieved with just a few minutes’ training each day.
Meditation is a pause. It is the hiatus that exists between an inhale and an exhale;
between one heartbeat and the next; between one thought and another. Our
breathing allows to us effortlessly access and prolong this period off leisure, so to
speak. For this reason, breathing is an excellent way of quietening the mind. But,
why would we want to silence the mind? In order to reformat our brain; to restart it
without prior default responses, allowing us to begin to form new pathways and
develop more neurons.

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Breathing to Improve Athletic Performance
For an athlete looking to raise their game, training and re-educating their breathing is
often as much of a game changer as training the sport itself.
Oxygenation of the muscles is fundamental if we want to increase performance,
decrease fatigue (or increase the time before which it arrives) and avoid injuries.
During physical activity, our cells consume more oxygen and produce more carbon
dioxide. In order to eliminate this excess of CO2, we breathe more frequently,
overloading our respiratory system, and potentially causing fatigue in our respiratory
muscles. It is worth noting that the less these muscles have been trained, the faster
they will succumb to fatigue!
When our respiratory muscles are trained, they become stronger and more resistant
to fatigue, generating increased performance.
Athletes have a lot to gain from optimising their breathing technique:

● Rowing: up to a 1.9% improvement in race time;

● Cycling: up to a 4.6% improvement in race time;
● Sprint: up to a 2.1% improvement in race time;
● Swimming: up to a 1.5% improvement in race time;
● A 7% improvement in recovery time between repeat races;
● A 16% increase in endurance.

The importance of breathing in the reduction of lactic acid production and

acceleration of its elimination from muscle mass has also been demonstrated.
Other significant results were seen in professional athletes who also trained
breathing techniques, including, for example: a general improvement in
performance, a reduction in perceived exertion and tiredness and increased
endurance and strength of the respiratory muscles.

Breathing to Improve Professional Performance

A study started in 1991 by Jack Feldman, Professor of Neurobiology at the
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and continued by Mark Krasnow and
Kevin Yackle, showed that breathing affects the mind and its emotional states.
Researchers discovered a neural pathway that makes us anxious when we breathe
rapidly, and relaxed when we breathe slowly.

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Based on the above, what is the effect of breathing deeply and rhythmically on our
mind? Could these effects improve our professional performance or help our
business grow? The answer is yes.
For over 60 years, we have studied, trained and taught thousands of students
throughout the Americas and Europe, including successful entrepreneurs, high level
executives and elite athletes, who we have taught how to reach maximum potential
by cultivating body and brain to develop abilities and capabilities.
The DeROSE Method® includes a collection of over 50 breathing techniques that
have a powerful impact on how our mind functions, as well as increasing energy
levels.
In summary, the main impacts of our breathing techniques include:

● The capacity to change our default emotional responses. When we alter

the rhythm and depth of our breath, we change our immediate emotions.
When we are able to manage our emotions, we are better able to apply
reason, and, at a more advanced stage, intuition, allowing us to make better
business decisions.
● An increase in our levels of concentration and focus. When we apply deep
and rhythmic breathing, the instabilities of our mind and consciousness
decrease, favouring a state of more concentration and focus.
● An increase in productivity. By managing our emotions more effectively and
increasing our concentration, we naturally perform better in a profession
environment, due to an increase in productivity.
● Improved interpersonal relationships. As a result of managing our emotions
more effectively, our relationships with our team, clients and suppliers are
improved.

Therefore, by training breathing techniques and applying them in our daily life we
positively affect our brain activity. With practice, over time, we acquire the capacity
to accelerate or decelerate our breathing as required. Due to increased emotional
intelligence, improved focus and enhanced mental resilience, our professional
performance increases dramatically, allowing us to reach our full potential.

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Our Lungs
I’d like to begin this chapter by proposing the following challenge. Stop what you’re
doing, and observe your breathing. Which part of your body moves as you breathe?
I would hazard a guess that the only part of you that moves as you breathe is your
chest. If my guess is correct, then you have much to learn from this book!
We breathe many times per minute (as adults, between 12 and 18 times) and the
quality of our breathing can determine how we feel about and how we react to the
world. As we have already seen, the way in which we breathe has a direct and
immediate effect on our body, our level of energy and enthusiasm and our state of
mind and emotions.
Our lungs are shaped like two triangles. They can be divided into three sections:
lower, middle and upper. These sections contain, approximately 60%, 30% and
10% of our lung capacity, respectively.
Below is a diagram of the lungs showing the relative capacity of each section. The
top part of the lungs is narrow and able to hold a small amount of air. The middle
part (intercostal breathing) is able to store more air. The lower part of the lungs
(diaphragmatic breathing) holds more than half the lungs’ volume.
Nonetheless, in general we tend to use only the top part of the lungs to breathe, that
is to say we tend to use only 10% of our lung capacity. Besides the fact that we do
not come close to making the most of our capacity to absorb oxygen into the
bloodstream and release carbon dioxide, consider that, whenever we do not use a
particular part of the body, it tends to atrophy.

Based on the above, four different modes of breathing are possible, namely:

● Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing, in which the lower section of the lungs

is used;
● Intercostal breathing, in which the middle section is used;
● Clavicular breathing, which uses the upper section of the lungs;
● Complete breathing (a combination of the three types of breathing outlined
above).

This last mode, complete breathing, is the most important, as it involves using our
entire breathing capacity. In the next section we will explore this in more detail.

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The Mechanics of Breathing
In order to breathe more effectively, it is necessary to develop more proficiency in
controlling the action of the diaphragm.
The diaphragm, considered the main respiratory muscle, is a thin but very wide
muscle that separates the thorax from the abdomen.
The broader the movement of the diaphragm, the greater our breathing capacity.
Inhale. The diaphragm dilates, pressing down on the organs of the abdomen. When
we inhale, the diaphragm contracts, flattening and losing its dome shape, moving
down into the ventral region and increasing pressure in the abdomen.
This movement compresses the internal organs, which, in turn, push the abdomen
outwards.
If we were to contract our stomach muscles at this point, the rectus abdominis
muscle would push the internal organs upwards, preventing the diaphragm from
moving freely, hence limiting the amount of air that is brought into the lungs.
Exhale. The diaphragm relaxes and raises, the volume of the thorax reduces, the
ribs move towards one other and the abdomen is projected inwards. This causes an
increase in pressure on the lungs which expels the air from within.
We can observe that, unlike inhalation, exhalation occurs due to the simple
relaxation of the diaphragm, intercostal and abdominal muscles.

How Oxygen Enters our Bloodstream

When we inhale, air enters via our nostrils, where it is heated, humidified and filtered;
a process which continues as the air passes through the pharynx, larynx, bronchi,
bronchioles and alveoli. In the alveoli, a process of gas exchange occurs, whereby
oxygen enters the blood stream and causes the expulsion of carbon dioxide.
The alveoli fill up with oxygen, while the red blood cells (specific cells for
transporting gases) in the blood that flows through the capillaries in the alveoli walls
are saturated with carbon dioxide. This causes gas exchange to occur, resulting in
carbon dioxide being expelled from the organism via the airways, while red blood
cells, charged with oxygen, distribute this gas to each of our cells.
Based on the above, we know that, by increasing our breathing, we can intensify this
gas exchange process. For this reason, it’s fundamental that we avoid consuming

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any type of substance that may harm this process (for example tobacco), as this will
affect our energy levels in the long term.
Once oxygen has reached the blood flow, it is distributed throughout our organism,
to each organ and tissue until it reaches each of our cells, which is where a process
called cellular respiration occurs.
A large proportion of our body’s energy requirement is derived from the nutrients
contained within the food we eat. That is to say, all the grains, vegetables, fruit and
dairy products we consume are digested and transformed into glucose, amino acids
and fatty acids (a synthesis of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins); substances that
can be absorbed by our cells.
These nutrients are loaded with energy, yet this energy can only be harnessed by the
cells when the molecular structures of the aforementioned substances are broken
down in the presence of oxygen, which allows energy to be released in the form of
adenosine triphosphate (ATP); the primary energy currency of our organism. ATP is
present throughout the cytoplasm and in the nuclei of each of our cells. All
physiological mechanisms that require energy to occur obtain this energy directly
from ATP.
ATP is an indispensable molecule for all living cells. It is found in the cells of all living
beings. Its essential function is the storage and distribution of energy necessary for
all vital cellular activity.
Due to its ability to react with nutrients (syntheses of carbohydrates, lipids and
proteins) to extract energy, and react with many physiological mechanisms to supply
energy, ATP is often referred to as the “energy currency” of our organism, as it both
gives and receives energy simultaneously.

The Basis for Good Breathing

Good breathing necessarily fulfils certain characteristics, among which are the
following:

● Nasal. We should always breathe through our nose, both when we inhale and
when we exhale.
● Slow and deep. By breathing in this way, we can use more of our lung
capacity to optimise gas exchange, allowing us to absorb more oxygen and
eliminate more carbon dioxide.

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 ● Complete. I.e. using all of our respiratory muscles. When we breathe in, we
should dilate the abdomen, followed by the thorax, and finally, the chest.
When we breathe out, we should compress the top part of the chest, then the
ribs, and lastly, the abdomen.

Specific techniques exist that involve breathing more dynamically, or even noisily,
however these are exceptions that should only be performed in certain specific
circumstances. Most of the time, our breathing should be rhythmic in order to
produce states of stability, vitality, concentration, etc.
Breathing re-educational techniques are often difficult at the start; re-educating
behaviour is generally more difficult that learning something new. As human beings,
we tend to unlearn abilities we were born with.
Good breathing stimulates fundamental structures in our organism, for example the
vagus nerve, which is responsible for swallowing, vocalisation, sweating, controlling
our heartrate, coordinating the movement of our oesophagus and intestines and
increasing gastric secretions, among other functions.

Rhythms
The unit of time used to count in breathing exercises corresponds to slightly less
than a second, or the time necessary to blink the eyes. Therefore, we may instruct
the practitioner to “inhale for three seconds”, which is more or less equivalent to
saying “inhale for as long as it takes to blink three times”.
When we come across the instruction to inhale “for a given amount of time”, this
amount of time is the minimum unit of time for which we will inhale, hold air in the
lungs and exhale. This amount of time could be equivalent to one, two, three or more
seconds. Two times means that the phase being referred to is to last double the
amount of time as the first phase, which serves as a parameter. Therefore, when we
refer to the breathing rhythm 1-2-1, this denotes an inhalation of a given duration
(let’s say, three seconds), holding the breath for twice this amount of time (in this
example, six seconds), an exhalation that lasts the same amount of time as the
inhalation (in this case, three seconds), and no time holding our breath without air in
the lungs, as this final phase does not feature in this rhythm. This rhythm is the best
choice for those who have already been practicing for a while. True beginners
should stick to breathing techniques without rhythms.

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Contraindications
Breathing techniques that include holding the breath with or without air in the lungs
or rhythms are not recommended for practitioners with heart problems, high blood
pressure or health issues in general. Our method is not recommended for
therapeutic purposes, therefore we do not recommend our techniques be practised
by those who are in ill health.

Medical Examination
Any practitioner, even those who are young and healthy, should consult their doctor
before practicing breathing techniques.

Let’s Practise!
Now that we have learned a little more about breathing and how it influences our
body and emotions, let’s practise some breathing exercises.
These exercises have been taken from the book Total Breath written by Ro de
Castro.

Abdominal Breathing
(close to 60% of our breathing capacity)
The aim of this first exercise is to develop abdominal, or diaphragmatic, breathing. It
can be done lying down on your back or sitting down with the back straight. Try and
carry out the exercise as you read its description, below.
Place the palms of your hands on your abdomen in order to feel the movement of
the diaphragm. Breathe in and out through your nostrils, emptying your lungs
completely as you breathe out and bringing your belly in. Keep the lungs empty for
a brief moment.
Now allow air to enter your lungs slowly. Relax the muscles of your lower abdomen
followed by those of your abdominal wall as you fill the bottom part of your lungs
with air. Do not hold air in your lungs.
As you exhale, bring your abdomen inwards. Continue to breathe in this way,
relaxing your abdomen as you inhale, and contracting your abdominal muscles

Breathwork | 16
inwards as you exhale. This is an ideal way to breathe as you go about your
day-to-day activities; this type of breathing occurs spontaneously when we fall
asleep.
Once you have mastered the movement described above, continue to breathe in this
way as slowly as you can by prolonging each breath in and breath out.
With practice, you will continue to improve this technique, allowing you to add
pauses with and without air in the lungs after each breath in and breath out,
respectively, which will increase your lung capacity and vitality. Subsequently, you
may add a rhythm.

Intercostal Breathing
(close to 30% of our breathing capacity)
In this breathing exercise, the bones and muscles of the thorax move outwards with
the work of the diaphragm. It is important to train this exercise in order to use the
full capacity of the lungs. In this step, you will learn to expand the movement of the
intercostal muscles, which will allow greater lateral expansion of the thorax.
Place the palms of your hands on your ribcage, on the sides of your thorax, with
your fingers at the height of the solar plexus pointing towards your sternum.
The idea is to breathe using just the middle part of the lungs, therefore, try not to
move your abdomen or the upper part of your lungs. As you empty your lungs, push
the sides of your ribcage inwards with your hands, so that the tips of your fingers
touch. As you inhale, release the pressure applied via your hands and allow your
ribcage to expand laterally so that the tips of your fingers get further apart. Feel the
lateral movement of the thorax.
Carry out this exercise for a few minutes and observe the sense of relief that radiates
from your solar plexus.
Now attempt this exercise breathing as slowly as possible, so that the passage of air
through the airways becomes imperceptible. In order to master intercostal
breathing, add small pauses when the lungs are full and empty. Later, you may
apply a breathing rhythm.
This breathing exercise generates a state of emotional stability and general
wellbeing.

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Clavicular Breathing
(close to 10% of our breathing capacity)
Here we will learn how to isolate and develop clavicular breathing, which will allow
us to use our entire lung capacity.
Maintain you abdominal muscles clenched and your intercostal muscles still as you
inhale in order to draw breath into the top part of the lungs, causing the thorax to
rise.
As you exhale, make sure you eliminate as much air as possible from your lungs.
Carry out this breathing exercise for a few minutes. If necessary, you may place the
palms of your hands over you pectoral muscles in order to feel the upwards and
downwards movements which occur due to the flow of air.
Now attempt this exercise breathing as slowly as possible, subsequently adding a
few seconds’ pause between each breath in and breath out. To continue to perfect
this technique, add a rhythm.
This exercise is important for lung ventilation.

Complete Breathing
(100% of our breathing capacity)
Now, we will practise a breathing exercise in which we use the entire potential and
capacity of our lungs. It’s a technique that provides a distinct feeling of well-being,
lightness and vitality.
Breathing in a way that is complete and conscious unlocks an infinite number of
feelings. Due to increased oxygenation of the brain and an increase in the
production of endorphins, we experience a sense of brightness, vitality and joy.
Sit down in any position that allows you to keep your back straight without
discomfort. Close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing. Perceive the air
coming into contact with your airways; feel the air caress the inside of your body.
Relax.
Now empty the air from your lungs, bringing your abdomen inwards. Begin to
inhale, expanding your abdomen and diaphragm. Let the air into the bottom part of
your lungs. Next, let the air enter the middle section of your lungs by relaxing your
intercostal muscles. Finally, complete the breath in filling the top part of your lungs
with air. Feel the alveoli of your lungs expand.

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Exhale softly, first releasing the air from the top part of your lungs, then the middle
part, and finally from the bottom part. Bring your abdomen inwards and allow your
diaphragm to move upwards as it relaxes.
Continue carrying out complete breathing. Try to prolong each phase of your breath
and allow the air to flow steadily. Fill your lungs from the bottom to the top, and
empty them in the opposite direction; from the top to the bottom.
Subsequently, add pauses when your lungs are full. These pauses in the flow of
breathing should never exceed your natural capacity to comfortably hold your
breath. The exhalation should be slow and controlled.
This breathing technique promotes a considerable increase in our lung capacity,
stamina and general muscle tone, cellular detoxification and oxygenation and a
sense of vitality and rejuvenation.
By increasing the elasticity of our musculoskeletal system, this exercise dissolves
somatic tension in the abdominal region, shoulders and chest.

Rapid Breath Breathing

This exercise occupies a very important place within our collection of breathing
techniques. It oxygenates our organism much more intensely than any of the other
exercises described in this book, in addition to cleaning the lungs and airways, and
being highly energising and revitalising.
Sit down in a comfortable position with your back straight, and begin to practise
abdominal breathing for a few instants. Gradually, begin to accelerate the rhythm of
your breathing, contracting your abdomen more rapidly each time you exhale. This
will cause you to produce a loud noise as you exhale. Inhalation will occur
spontaneously when the diaphragm or abdomen expands between exhalations.
As you exhale, the diaphragm rises and the abdominal muscles quickly contract.
As you inhale, the abdomen is projected outwards. As you exhale, bring your
abdomen inwards vigorously.
You may carry out various cycles of this breathing exercise, counting the number of
exhalations. Start by carrying out a few dozen repetitions and gradually work your
way up to carrying out a few hundred.
Pay attention to your facial expression and posture in general, making sure you don’t
contract your facial muscles or move your shoulders. This technique can be

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practised sitting down or lying down but never standing up.

Completing Our Breathing Exercises

To conclude our breathing exercises, before you stand up and go about your day,
pause for a few moments to enjoy the powerful impact of the breathing exercises on
your body and mind. Feel as though you are immersed in an ocean of vitality and
comfort. Experience the pleasant state of intoxication that comes from increasing
the amount of oxygen in your body and appreciate taking this moment out of your
day or your week to allow yourself to disconnect from the obligations and demands
of daily life and choosing to dedicate this time to caring for yourself. Well done!
The physiological, neurological and behavioural impacts of breathing techniques,
organic body techniques and relaxation techniques, among others, are extraordinary.
However, all of the above is enhanced when practiced in the environment provided
by certified DeROSE Method schools, which has been designed to foster the
metabolism of the profound transformations that arise from the practice.

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