Breath by James Nestor gives some great information on how to breathe and an overview of how different types of breath techniques affect the body. This isn’t a how-to book, but it provides solid background on the different breath modalities and why it is important to learn how to breathe properly. Some standout passages include:
- His account of an experiment he and a friend did to see what happens if you only breathe through your mouth (spoiler alert, it was not pretty).
- An overview on how the bones of our faces have come to be shaped in a way that makes breathing harder for us in modern times and some techniques that help remediate this. This book also taught me that face bones can grow throughout our whole lifetime based on the mechanical forces applied to them.
- Some really amazing accounts of breath practitioners doing superhuman feats.
- A list of breath modalities to try out.
Breath did not really explain how to do these techniques, but Nestor gives you enough information to seek out training materials. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in biohacking, breathing, human optimization, health and well-being, mindfulness, and learning more about some of the amazing things humans can do with their bodies.
Find Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art on Amazon.
