Hi Charlene, thank you for your question and deep inquiry. In day to day life it’s all about balance - if you’re breathing too much oxygen your co2 levels will be too low. If you’re not breathing enough your co2 will be too high. So your doctor is right on that. A nice breath I like to use in daily life is rhythmical breathing (inhale for 3 seconds exhale for 3 seconds) as this creates balance and coherence in the body.

How we breathe most consistently is the most important thing to get right. Extending our exhales is great to do anytime we need to calm down, relax, and reduce stress. I advocate for doing it before those things build up which is why I love chanting and having a regular daily practice of slowing the breath down :)