After my stroke I was fortunate to spend three weeks in Scripps rehab hospital in Encinitas, Ca.  There I had the good fortune to be counseled by a Physiologist  known as Dr. Bruce.(I'm sorry, I don't recall his last name and I couldn't find his name on their physician directory)
 He taught me a simple breathing technique to reduce stress and simply slow down.

He said that you can live without food for weeks, without water for days, but without oxygen, you will die in a matter of minutes.
If you want a healthy body that is full of energy, the habit of deep breathing is the key. The more oxygen you put into your lungs, the more energy you will have.
Your body runs on oxygen, and this positive habit will provide your body with more of it.

What can the habit of deep breathing do for you?

* Give you more energy
* Reduce stress
* Improves your immune system
* Improves your mood
* Improvement in the quality of your blood due to its increased oxygenation in the lungs.
* Aids in elimination of toxins
* Rejuvenation of the glands

Breathe From the Diaphragm

Many people have forgotten how to breathe properly.
When you watch a baby breathe, you notice that their belly expands with each breath. This is how humans are supposed to breathe, from the diaphragm. The baby's diaphragm
is creating a suction that pulls oxygen into the lungs.
As we get older, many of us unconsciously switch from natural deep diaphragm breathing to shallow chest breathing. To experience
diaphragmatic breathing, place your hand on your waist. Take a deep breath and expand your belly; your hand should move outward as you inhale and inward as you exhale. If you practice this, you will find that it gets easier and easier to take deep, full breaths
from your diaphragm.
Make deep, diaphragm breathing a new positive habit.

Bob Miller
The Stroke Coach