Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
- Downloads：2515
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-25 00:51:26
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：James Nestor
- ISBN：0241289122
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
'Who would have thought something as simple as changing the way we breathe could be so revolutionary for our health， from snoring to allergies to immunity？ A fascinating book， full of dazzling revelations' Dr Rangan Chatterjee
There is nothing more essential to our health and wellbeing than breathing: take air in， let it out， repeat 25，000 times a day。 Yet， as a species， humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly， with grave consequences。 In Breath， journalist James Nestor travels the world to discover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it。
Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can:
- jump-start athletic performance
- rejuvenate internal organs
- halt snoring， allergies， asthma and autoimmune disease， and even straighten scoliotic spines
None of this should be possible， and yet it is。 Drawing on thousands of years of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge studies in pulmonology， psychology， biochemistry and human physiology， Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head。
You will never breathe the same again。
'Who would have thought something as simple as changing the way we breathe could be so revolutionary for our health， from snoring to allergies to immunity？ A fascinating book， full of dazzling revelations' Dr Rangan Chatterjee
There is nothing more essential to our health and wellbeing than breathing: take air in， let it out， repeat 25，000 times a day。 Yet， as a species， humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly， with grave consequences。 In Breath， journalist James Nestor travels the world to discover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it。
Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can:
- jump-start athletic performance
- rejuvenate internal organs
- halt snoring， allergies， asthma and autoimmune disease， and even straighten scoliotic spines
None of this should be possible， and yet it is。 Drawing on thousands of years of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge studies in pulmonology， psychology， biochemistry and human physiology， Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head。
You will never breathe the same again。
Reviews
Aatish
，
Astounding
Oliver
，
Fixed life-long unhealthy breathing habits。 I now breath better as a result。 Pretty crucial stuff which should be public knowledge。
Patricanne
，
Lots of fascinating detail and more ways to breathe than you ever thought possible。 But I am not an athlete and I don’t have any health issues， so my only takeaway from this book is that we should breathe through our noses， and we should breathe more slowly。 I learnt the in Primary School way back towards the middle of the last century。
Ed
，
Fascinating content but I struggled with the book at times。 Hard to say why， it’s a pretty easy ride
Brittany Petruzzi
，
Intense， fascinating， and a little bit woo-woo。 The coolest experiments were the mouth-breathing vs。 nasal-breathing experiment and the carbon dioxide treatments for amygdala dysfunction。 Dad and I are going to try some of the exercises—particularly the hyperventalation one—and see if we turn into superheroes。 I'd already told him about the Maffetone heart rate training， so both of us were excited to see Maffetone's work cited in "Breath。" Intense， fascinating， and a little bit woo-woo。 The coolest experiments were the mouth-breathing vs。 nasal-breathing experiment and the carbon dioxide treatments for amygdala dysfunction。 Dad and I are going to try some of the exercises—particularly the hyperventalation one—and see if we turn into superheroes。 I'd already told him about the Maffetone heart rate training， so both of us were excited to see Maffetone's work cited in "Breath。" 。。。more
Jamie
，
I listened to 52% of this on audiobook and gave up。 Then I came to good reads to check the ratings again because why in the hell does this have 4。15 stars？ I also don’t like to write harsh reviews because behind the cover is a real person and this is like their baby。 But I am so sorry， your baby is u-g-l-y。 I have a number of issues starting with the title of “new science” when what has been presented so far is anecdotal or very old， unscientific “studies” or observations by random people not sc I listened to 52% of this on audiobook and gave up。 Then I came to good reads to check the ratings again because why in the hell does this have 4。15 stars？ I also don’t like to write harsh reviews because behind the cover is a real person and this is like their baby。 But I am so sorry， your baby is u-g-l-y。 I have a number of issues starting with the title of “new science” when what has been presented so far is anecdotal or very old， unscientific “studies” or observations by random people not scientists or medics professionals。 To be fair perhaps he is starting with the history of the study of breath and will move to this century， and peer reviewed scientifically sound studies， in the last 48% of the book， I don’t know。 I couldn’t make it that far。 In the first quarter of the book he talks about how his nose breathing exercises have nearly cured his snoring and sleep apnea。 But at the 50% mark he states that our processed soft diets means that we don’t chew as much as our ancestors， which changed the structure of our face leading to all these problems。 But wait…are you saying that nose breathing changed the structure of your face？ As Another reviewer mentioned， a quick google of Katharine Schroth whom he states cured her scoliosis via specialized breathing， when in fact that was actually combined with PT。 。。。more
Glenn
，
An author's journey through breath exercise disciplines and experiences with various "breath" gurus。 The book contains a useful section of guided exercises at the end， An author's journey through breath exercise disciplines and experiences with various "breath" gurus。 The book contains a useful section of guided exercises at the end， 。。。more
Loretta
，
This is a well researched book and easy to read。 Anyone who grew up being a mouth-breather should read this book and begin to practice healthy breathing techniques。 It is a treasure book！
Kaspars Koo
，
Not 100% convinced about everything in the book， but have to agree with the general premise that just breathing properly can help us with a lot of mental and physical health issues。。 or sometimes give us seemingly superhuman abilities。 At the end of the book， you will find a list of breathing exercises。 Definitely， something I want to work on more。
Budd Margolis
，
Interestiung to finally understand how to breathe and thus live well！
S
，
I can see why the reviews are so variable。 Perhaps the author should have titled this - Breath: One Man's Discovery of a Lost Art。" Because he adds the word "science" and then spends much of the book citing some rather questionable， potentially disturbing studies and experiments involving breath， it makes one pause。HOWEVER， I LOVED this book and even though it's been sitting on my shelf for months， I wish I had read it as soon as I got my hands on this book。 I will sing what he teaches to every I can see why the reviews are so variable。 Perhaps the author should have titled this - Breath: One Man's Discovery of a Lost Art。" Because he adds the word "science" and then spends much of the book citing some rather questionable， potentially disturbing studies and experiments involving breath， it makes one pause。HOWEVER， I LOVED this book and even though it's been sitting on my shelf for months， I wish I had read it as soon as I got my hands on this book。 I will sing what he teaches to every person close to me and will never roll my eyes when we focus on breath work in a yoga class or when the teacher makes me hold one side of my nostril （what the heck？） and breathe through the other nostril。 I do practice a bit of yoga - hot yoga - not Bikram - more of a vinyasa - and for me till I read this book， it's always been about the physical exercise。 I want to sweat as much I can， I want to stretch as far as I can and I admit， I do not check my ego at the door。 An instructor once asked me "you may want to leave your ego outside the room and not try so hard" and I just thought "how can I get better if I don't put in my 110% - if I fall I fall or this saying may apply " go big or go home" :-） The instructors/teachers all begin each practice w/a focus on the breath and remind us throughout the practice - because the room is hot and we're all struggling with breathing - to focus on our breath， to control our breathing， concentrate on the pacing。 They also counsel us to seal our lips and breathe through our nose to "build up the fire within。" This all seemed like the spacey part of yoga that makes some people cringe but I'm a rule abiding Asian person and I went with it （and my teachers are all great）。 I was thinking I was feeling so healthy because of the physical part of the yoga - but I now think I must contribute at least part of the benefit to feeling so healthy to the breathing that we practiced in that 105 degree room。 They were always asking us - breathe in through your nose， hold your breath for 5 seconds， then exhale through your nose。 I just never understood all this focus on the breathing and the importance。 No one ever told me the "why" and that's what the author hear does so thoroughly and so well。 The benefits of breathing through your nose， the consequences of breathing through your mouth， the scientific practice of breathing and the myriad techniques that exist to support better health are all laid out here。 There are other reviews that provide a very nice summary so I won't say more。 I will end by saying that there are some theories I may not be able to get behind， but that's all part of the author being thorough， investigating the science of breathing - the good and odd science - but in the end， I just want to slap a piece of duct tape on my mouth so I don't accidentally over breathe through my mouth。 My lips are sealed as I write this review :-） 。。。more
Emily
，
Good writing， but full of pseudo science and personal anecdotes plus not citing sources？？！！ As a scientist， this grinds my gears
Jimena Cardenas Mazuelos
，
Breathing ， such an easy task but so complicated！
Ana Medrano
，
I have a similar set of critiques for science books for the masses - the book could have been written in half the number of pages。 I appreciate the journey that Nestor took me in to understand breathing。 I feel that I was on the same journey and not specifically given solid answers until the very end。 I really liked the studies referenced and the physiological and evolutionary context of why breathing is so important。Fun read。 Really interesting。 Made me really curious about breathing。
Kristin
，
This is a must read for the healthy and the people struggling to figure out how to get their health back。 I had some knowledge about breathing due to my history with yoga but James takes it to a whole other level。 I loved the real life studies/examples with sleep apnea and snoring。 I never considered how our diet has changed our facial/bone structures which in turn changes our nasal passages。 This was such an intriguing read I even try to tape my mouth shut when sleeping。 I didn't realize that I This is a must read for the healthy and the people struggling to figure out how to get their health back。 I had some knowledge about breathing due to my history with yoga but James takes it to a whole other level。 I loved the real life studies/examples with sleep apnea and snoring。 I never considered how our diet has changed our facial/bone structures which in turn changes our nasal passages。 This was such an intriguing read I even try to tape my mouth shut when sleeping。 I didn't realize that I'm a mouth breather when I sleep。 It's very hard to try and exercise while breathing only through your nostrils。 This was a good purchase and constant reminder we are breathing too much and not consciously。 。。。more
Anna
，
Really a 4。5。 Sometimes it veered too pseudoscientific for my tastes， but I appreciated the references， the history， the ties in to neuropsych， and the fact that my resting heartrate dropped 15 bpm just with being more cognizant of when I reverted to mouth breathing。
Laura
，
Where was the new science part？ I saw the anecdotes and medical claims。。。 but kept waiting for any evidence to back it up。 Curing emphysema， scoliosis， asthma， and allergies would be really cool if any of this actually worked。
Jackie
，
All too often， we don't go to the doctor when we are feeling well or something just feels mildly off。 As I write this， I'm experiencing sudden hand and wrist pain and wondering how crazy I would look for going into an appointment complaining about 3-4 pain that lasts literally all day and started suddenly。Nestor explores cultures that came before us and are still living among us。 They concentrate on their breathing as a matter of habit with interesting results。 There is evidence that posture and All too often， we don't go to the doctor when we are feeling well or something just feels mildly off。 As I write this， I'm experiencing sudden hand and wrist pain and wondering how crazy I would look for going into an appointment complaining about 3-4 pain that lasts literally all day and started suddenly。Nestor explores cultures that came before us and are still living among us。 They concentrate on their breathing as a matter of habit with interesting results。 There is evidence that posture and breathing techniques can prevent or ease chronic conditions。 He also warns that many have suffered for too long and will not see a complete healing。I've never been so aware of my breathing throughout a book。 It was great to hear the techniques and even better， the audio book includes some at the end。 。。。more
Kathy
，
I had never really thought that breathing properly could make a difference in our health。 As an avid yoga participant， I have learned how to breathe mostly through my nose and only breathe out through my mouth when necessary。 This book takes the reader on the journey of the author as he tests， researches and practices different breathing techniques。 Although Nestor claims that breathing correctly （slowly， through the nose， and deeply） can improve various ailments， I don't think he has actual sci I had never really thought that breathing properly could make a difference in our health。 As an avid yoga participant， I have learned how to breathe mostly through my nose and only breathe out through my mouth when necessary。 This book takes the reader on the journey of the author as he tests， researches and practices different breathing techniques。 Although Nestor claims that breathing correctly （slowly， through the nose， and deeply） can improve various ailments， I don't think he has actual scientific proof。 However I an am open to agreeing with him。 Breathing through your nose should help alleviate snoring and sleep apnea。 Breathing properly can also help you sleep better。 Thankfully I don't have any of those problems， but it was interesting to read about how they could be helped。It's an easy read， full of great ideas and different breathing patterns to practice。 。。。more
Paul Nancy
，
I am here to say a big thanks to Dr Ajayi for making me a complete person again， I was suffering from herpes for the past 6 years。 I have been seriously praying to God and searching for a cure。 I did research online last month to form a solution to my problem and I saw comments of people talking about how they get cured by Dr Ajayi herbal medicine。so i contact Which made me contact you for help and you surprised me and filled me with joy， now I am free from the disease。 I am forever grateful to I am here to say a big thanks to Dr Ajayi for making me a complete person again， I was suffering from herpes for the past 6 years。 I have been seriously praying to God and searching for a cure。 I did research online last month to form a solution to my problem and I saw comments of people talking about how they get cured by Dr Ajayi herbal medicine。so i contact Which made me contact you for help and you surprised me and filled me with joy， now I am free from the disease。 I am forever grateful to Dr Ajayi。 Anyone with such a disease can also contact Dr Ajayi for a cure。Email: ajayiherbalhome@gmail。com Website: https://ajayiherbalhome。weebly。com/WhatsApp number: +2348154724883 。。。more
marta the book slayer
，
DNF @ 65%I was really enjoying this book when I first started listening to it。 It become my companion as I was driving around and running errands。 I've found myself been more busy doing things around my home， and thus lack the time to listen。 Even when I try to listen while on walks， my mind wanders and I cannot concentrate。 TLDR: I'll get back to this one someday。 Listen to it if you have the time。 DNF @ 65%I was really enjoying this book when I first started listening to it。 It become my companion as I was driving around and running errands。 I've found myself been more busy doing things around my home， and thus lack the time to listen。 Even when I try to listen while on walks， my mind wanders and I cannot concentrate。 TLDR: I'll get back to this one someday。 Listen to it if you have the time。 。。。more
L。A。
，
My personal experience is that over the years improving my diet， increasing my exercise， and using my “Breathe” app have taken me from an allergy- and exercise-induced asthma-plagued girl to a 30-year-old wife and mom of one （almost two） who is more fit—and breathing better—than I ever have in my life。 A goal of science is to limit variables to prove conclusions。 Isolating the individual impacts of nutrition， exercise， and breathing is impossible—but the author has a valid point that the aspect My personal experience is that over the years improving my diet， increasing my exercise， and using my “Breathe” app have taken me from an allergy- and exercise-induced asthma-plagued girl to a 30-year-old wife and mom of one （almost two） who is more fit—and breathing better—than I ever have in my life。 A goal of science is to limit variables to prove conclusions。 Isolating the individual impacts of nutrition， exercise， and breathing is impossible—but the author has a valid point that the aspect of breathing in particular is not well-studied or well-documented。 Exercising at all will improve my health， just as improving my diet at all will improve my health。 To put forward that improving our breathing （regardless of the “best” method remaining elusive） will improve my health is a valid conclusion worth pursuing。I have never read anything previously on the study of breath， and I appreciate that the author spent so much of his own time and money to present this topic。 I saw some reviews saying this book wasn’t “heavy” on science， but I don’t think that’s what the author was going for。 He definitely wanted to include science， but it’s very clearly stated that he is not a doctor， and he was not trying to scientifically prove the best method to breathe。 If we had more people in the world willing to personally research and experience like Nestor， we would have made far greater progress in all three health areas: diet， exercise， and breathing！The “Epilogue” is a good summary of the book， and I’d almost suggest starting with that and “Breathing Methods” before you read the rest of the book， just so you don’t get overwhelmed。 Regardless of what you think about Nestor’s experience/research， anyone would benefit to some degree from the breathing techniques provided。 I know I’ll be practicing them！ 。。。more
Mark
，
Really engaging exploration into something that’s weirdly often overlooked， given how often we do it。 A few of the techniques have even changed and improved how I approach sleep。 Highly recommend。
Cameron
，
I can summarise this book very simply - Breath through your nose not your mouth with large and slow inhalations。
Tami
，
What an interesting and important book。 I enjoyed the mix of hard science and individuals （pulmonauts） seeking alternative solutions to poor breathing problems。 There are several take-aways with this book that are important to keep in mind as we age。
Shelby Brakken
，
I am currently obsessed with this book。 one of my fav non-fiction books of the year
Amygk
，
If I have talked with you in real life lately， chances are I have talked about this book。 It's a really interesting look at breathing。。。which sounds simple， but the author does a great job talking about breathing over time and how our current method of breathing （mostly through the mouth） is doing us harm。 Worth a read！ If I have talked with you in real life lately， chances are I have talked about this book。 It's a really interesting look at breathing。。。which sounds simple， but the author does a great job talking about breathing over time and how our current method of breathing （mostly through the mouth） is doing us harm。 Worth a read！ 。。。more
Beth Cleland
，
Nestor presents research that takes a novel approach to breath and its association with overall health and well being。 It is an integrative holistic approach towards breathing and health that introduced me to research I had not been aware of。 Nestor argues this research was suppressed in order to validate more profitable treatments in dental and health care。 He also provides scientific explanations for the benefits of practicing pranayama and other ritual practices of breath control。 An interest Nestor presents research that takes a novel approach to breath and its association with overall health and well being。 It is an integrative holistic approach towards breathing and health that introduced me to research I had not been aware of。 Nestor argues this research was suppressed in order to validate more profitable treatments in dental and health care。 He also provides scientific explanations for the benefits of practicing pranayama and other ritual practices of breath control。 An interesting and thought provoking book about what we do all the time but aren’t necessarily mindful of - breathing。 。。。more
John Hsieh
，
I was pretty disappointed in this book。 I really wanted to dive deeper in the science behind all that is talked about。 What were the studies， how many people were included， and how were they conducted。 I also wanted more of a scientific explanation behind each of the different methods and why they may or may not work。 I also felt like the author spent more time illustrating his personal journey to investigate than explain the results to the readers。
Shannon
，