Going through some boxes, I found two booklets by P. von Boeckmann: Deep Breathing–Physi-Culture and Deep Breathing versus Physical Exercise. Inside one of them is a separate typed sheet from his school on Park Avenue NY, about his course. It is signed by him in a strong artistic script. No date.

Inside the other is a reprint of an article from the American Lumberman on culture and Beockmann. (Oct 9, 1909).

After I found it (my sis sent it to me a few years ago because of my athletic breathing system) I googled it to see about the machine. I found your site.

I immensely appreciate your long article and amazing consideration of the man and his works. I know zero about him. Obviously lived what he preached.

Working as a fitness trainer, with emphasis on respiration, for over thirty years, I realize that breathing, as he describes it, is a foreign language. Most people resent being shown that they don’t breathe fully. I don’t blame them, even after forcing my system on them all that time. It is a bit embarrassing and confrontive for a successful client to witness a so-called limitation, and it is, ultimately, a mis-diagnosis.

It took me so long to finally unravel the problem that exists around respiration. I think that it is taught from limited points of view by people (like me) who want to systematize it.

It becomes a right way vs wrong way, deep vs shallow, etc. The truth is that there is no wrong way or right way. Everywhere you look people are moving, living, breathing perfectly well. Because of the mysterious applications such as in yoga, martial arts, meditation, it is easy to be misled into thinking that if one isn’t meditating, he doesn’t really know the correct way.

Breathing is a basic function. It is also a manual art. That is where the fun begins. There are unlimited applications. All of the methods we see out there are applications. Breathing itself cannot be contained in any system.

Once a person realizes that he can apply breathing apps to any action-golf swing, running, power moves, choreography, the real games begin. Starting as an already skillful breather allows easy access to the innate gifts of the genius applications of breathing.

Enjoyed chatting with you.

Vince Newlin