Breathing keeps us alive. But because it is an automatic process, it often receives little attention in our daily activities. Yet there is much to learn about the way we breathe and how it affects us. Short, shallow breathing increases tension and stress while slow, deep breathing brings calmness and relaxation. A yoga class purposely combines rhythmic breathing with postures in order to bring stillness to the chatterbox mind, which usually occupies itself with endless revolving of events of the past or of future ones. Focusing attention on the breath draws us away from these events and into the present moment. It is here where conscious awareness of the inhalation and exhalation helps release discomforts in the body. So the next time someone tells you they want some breathing space, tell them to take a yoga class.