When you think about living a healthy lifestyle, what pops to mind? The joy of exercise. Smart eating. A strong, compassionate heart. Tight, rippling muscles. (Dream on.)

What about breathing? Yeah, what about it? It's automatic, part of the autonomic nervous system of our wondrous bodies. Breathing is like blinking, we learned in science class. It just happens, without our needing to think about it.

Yes, but if you do learn to think about your breath — extending it, deepening it and directing it to parts of your body that need to be calmed or energized — you'll have a fantastic tool for connecting mind and body, strengthening your lungs, lengthening your workouts and falling asleep more easily.

WELCOME TO PRANAYAMA. Contrary to what we've been taught in the West, our breath isn't just some mechanical air pressure system that pumps in oxygen and carries away carbon dioxide. There is an art to breath control. Called pranayama, it has been practiced in the East for thousands of years. With regular practice, it can have a profound and positive impact on your health and, rest assured, it requires no belief in gurus, Swamis or anything made of tofu.

Pranayama — also called yogic breathing — comes from two Sanskrit words. "Prana" means your life force or vital energy (not to be confused with Prada), and "ayama" means to lengthen or extend. The breathing techniques involved in pranayama are now a part of mainstream fitness. All sorts of doctors, coaches and trainers recommend them and they can be done by anyone — young or old, yogi or not — who is interested in improving endurance, releasing tension and calming the chatter of the mind.

Here are two breathing exercises you can try on your own, without special training, just to see if you like them. If you do, I hope you'll continue to learn and practice pranayama, or whatever you decide to call it:

NASAL BREATHING. Breathing in and out of your nose when you exercise is a wonderful way to warm your body and get the energy flowing, so that you can exercise longer and faster without getting your heart rate too high. Nasal breathing seems a little weird at first because we are all such mouth-breathers, especially when we exercise and get our hearts pumping. But with a little practice you can master it and when you do, the benefits are amazing.

To get started, just go for a vigorous walk. Count one, two, three steps as you inhale through your nose, lips together. Repeat the count to three as you exhale. Continue this slow, even, deep nasal breathing for a while and when you're comfortable with it, add a count, and slowly, over time, expand your breath count to 10 steps on the inhalation and 10 steps on the exhalation. The goal is 20 and 20. It could take weeks, even months, to accomplish. Be patient. This same counting process will work for running, cycling, or any sport, but don't rush it. Listen to your breath. If your mouth breathing kicks in, slow down. For a complete understanding of how to use nasal breathing to improve your sports performance, physically and mentally, read John Douillard's terrific book, "Body, Mind, and Sport."

TWO-TO-ONE BREATHING. This breathing pattern will bring on a state of profound relaxation and can be very useful for falling asleep. Begin by lying in bed. Put one hand on your belly and feel it rise and fall as you inhale and exhale. Then, slow down your exhalation until it is twice as long as the inhalation. To lengthen your exhalation, draw your abdomen in toward your spine. Don't try to completely empty out or fill up your lungs. The idea is to alter the rhythm of the breath. It helps to do a two-to-one count as you go: counting to three on the inhalation and six on the exhalation, or four and two, or eight and four. Listen for smooth, even breaths without pauses. To use this two-to-one pattern to bring on sleep, do eight breaths on your back, 16 breaths on your right side, 32 breaths on your left side. Please don't wake yourself up to finish the left side.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! BREATHE INTO YOUR HEART

"To live in an enchanted world, we have to assume the role of magician in our everyday lives." — Thomas Moore

Marilynn Preston — fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues — is the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the country. She welcomes reader questions, which can be sent to [email protected]. To find out more about Preston and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.