A New York Times Bestseller, Breath, by journalist James Nestor, delves into the history, science, and spirituality of breathing, emphasizing its significance in our well-being. Despite being essential to our health, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, resulting in grave consequences.
Nestor travels globally to uncover what went wrong and how to fix it, finding answers in ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, choir schools, and smoggy cities. He explores ancient practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo, and partners with pulmonary experts to test beliefs about breathing.
Recent research reveals that even small adjustments in how we inhale and exhale can improve athletic performance, rejuvenate organs, alleviate snoring, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and even correct scoliotic spines. Breath challenges conventional wisdom, combining medical texts and modern studies on pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology to transform our understanding of this basic biological function.