"It does. Breathing improves the intake of oxygen, and that is vital to maintaining healthy function. It also works to calm the mind. If you are focused on your breath, your mind ceases to wander. And like all other parts of the body, it needs rest and rejuvenation."

She's pleased, quietly, to have so attentive a student.

"Try it ten times. Focus on nothing but the breath, in and out. See if it helps."