Don’t forget to breathe and smile: Breathing exercises as warm-ups for art activities in healthcare settings

I began my study of the Eastern martial arts in 1970. Since that time I have continuously immersed myself in the forms, philosophies and healing applications of various martial arts, particularly Taoism and the Chinese internal martial arts.1 In 1975 I began to pursue a career in the performing arts with a particular focus on the applications of these arts in education, healthcare and therapy. For many years I kept these two aspects of my life separate.