Nancy Zi is the author of The Art of Breathing. She is an internationally known classical singer and voice teacher. American born, raised in China, and with a bi-cultural education, Zi weaves together the best of ancient Eastern disciplines with modern Western techniques.
In The Art of Breathing, Nancy Zi shows you how to transform breathing into vital energy to attain a perfect balance of body, mind, and spirit. As a classical singer and Chi Kung expert, she guides you through 24 progressive exercises plus mental imagery drills, and teaches you how to use breathing to reduce stress, to look, feel and be healthier, increase stamina and coordination, work through pain and promote healing, enhance speech, singing, athletics, meditation – and more.
Nancy Zi received her music degree and advance vocal training in the United States. For more than thirty years, Zi performed extensively as a professional soprano soloist in concerts, operas, operettas, oratorios, and television and radio programs. As a much sought after voice teacher, she taught in colleges and her private studios for more than two decades.
Through the practice of Chi Kung, Nancy Zi was greatly influenced by the Eastern belief that our mental and physical well-being is governed by an inner energy call “chi.” She found that in Eastern culture, chi is primarily directed inward for healing and maintaining good health, whereas, in Western culture, this “chi” energy is primarily directed outward for external accomplishment such as for excelling in classical singing, playing the trumpet, sports, and many other performances.
Through her simple yet effective program of teaching breathing, Zi hopes to dispel the mysticism that surrounds the generating, cultivating, and utilizing of inner energy for improving overall performance and well-being. In The Art of Breathing book, video, and DVD, Zi shares what she has learned and developed – a program of effective breathing principles and method created for an international audience.
Learning to control the breath adds a new dimension of control and ease to every action, no matter how simple or how complex it is. In fact, the effectiveness of every activity we undertake - singing, walking, exercising, working, dancing, public speaking - depends greatly on how we use the air we breathe.