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The Death-Gasp Breathing Exercise: Lie flat on your back. Take a deep, quick inhalation through the open mouth, accompanied by the gasping half-loud shriek which such an act involuntarily produces. Then gradually and slowly exhale again.

This breathing exercise tries to imitate the death cry of dying creatures, the vocal expression of their fear of death. Such an imitation of the physical side of dying should bring with it, momentarily, the associated death fear whose gravity and importance naturally swallow up all lesser fears. If this exercise is done twice daily, these lesser fears gradually become weaker, while the fear of death is itself overcome.

-- Notebooks Category 5: The Body > Chapter 6 : Breathing Exercises > # 7