Christmas is such a wonderful time of year! With so many colored lights, sparkling tinsel, and pretty packages, it seems as though world has magically transformed into a glittering paradise. It's also a great time of year because everyone wants to show special people in their lives how much they are appreciated.

But have you ever sat down to think about what gifts to get that special someone in your life, and came up empty? Have you ever asked yourself question, "What should I get for this person?" and realized that you really didn't know what would make a good gift? It seems that every year I hear at least a couple of people mention that they are in this quandary.

There are two basic principles that I use in choosing gifts, and using these principles has always guaranteed a great gift.

The first principle is that I focus on what that person enjoys, and what challenges they have been facing. If I know that my special person enjoys going to movies as soon as they are released, then I know that movie passes will make a great gift. If my special person enjoys golf, then something related to that sport will usually be most welcome.

By same token, if I know that this person has been trying to do something with meager tools, then a gift of a better (or more specialized) tool will be chosen gift. This doesn't have to be an expensive tool, just right one. Maybe they need a basic set of handyman's tools, or maybe a glue gun for crafting.

Also on this same line of thinking would be situation that person you're shopping for has trouble in winter with dry heated air. A humidifier (or even a vaporizer) would be received with shouts of joy. Maybe they have trouble with allergies in summer. An indoor air purifier (many are less than $50) could be best gift you could give.

How would you like a technique that will increase your mental and physical performance? With technique I am about to share with you, you will be able to clear your mind, increase your intelligence, restore your energy, and increase your physical strength. This is also a technique that you can use any time, anywhere you happen to be, without drawing attention to yourself.

I'm talking about 'Power Breathing'. The fundamental concept behind Power Breathing is very old, so it's possible that you've seen a variation of it in other places. One thing that I've found is that some descriptions of process are so vague or misleading that you end up doing it wrong and get none of benefits that Power Breathing can give you.

In Power Breathing, you hold an image in your mind while breathing slightly different from normal. Let's cover mechanics of Power Breathing first, since that is simplest component of technique. In normal breathing, you usually use only about 1/3 of capacity of your lungs. During exercise or other physical exertion, you will use more of your lung capacity, but you breath faster to get more oxygen to your muscles. In Power Breathing, you want to breath deeply, but slowly.