Breath

The New Science of a Lost Art

By: James Nestor

Narrated by: James Nestor

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

A New York Times Best Seller

A Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of 2020

Named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR

“A fascinating scientific, cultural, spiritual and evolutionary history of the way humans breathe - and how we’ve all been doing it wrong for a long, long time.” (Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic and Eat Pray Love)

No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly.

There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being 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. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren’t found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe.

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, 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 medical texts and recent 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.

©2020 James Nestor (P)2020 Penguin Audio

New info

I've been ripping thru 2020 books on my subjects. I blew thru this Audio book the same day. Minutes after I used the AIRSIP BREATH, a "new", easy entrance to trance. Cleareyed thought. Might be my genetics, still two years working Joe Dispenza's Supernatural, super book. MInutes into Airsipping…, I was floored, rather "floated"

WOW! Breathing is a lost art

Love how the author narrated his own book. So much information but eloquently put together with a wonderful flow. Making it entertaining as well as a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for putting this together!

A must read for every human

At first I was like how can a person write a whole book on breathing-what is there to know? I was totally wrong! James Nestor did him homework again and again and shed so much light on breath that it has changed the way I breath daily! Thank You from the bottom of my lungs.

Wow. Game-changer.

I LOVED this book. So well written. Life changing. I genuinely did not know/understand the importance of breathing through our noses. Much more is detailed in the book & the science and authors experiences are fascinating! LOVED IT!!

What an Incredible Read!

Never had I read a “sciency” book that was a page turner until this one. Utterly fascinating, and so well written. It’s sometimes a little gross, sometimes funny, but thoroughly interesting.
I also think the information in it will change my life. The narration is also excellent.

Amazing...

I am in my 7th decade. I would gift this book to all of my friends if I could. I love it! This book is everything the other positive reviews stated and more. A gift? It certainly is challenging in a positive way.

phenomenal read

This book was not only fascinating, but life changing. Every one will benefit from this book. Very engaging, well written and read.

The Best Book I read about Life in 2020

I have been a strong believer of the art of breath for last 10 years with my first exposure to Yogic breathing. But with the hustle and bustle of life forgot about it. It’s not just me who knew about this subject. Many others who are not even aware of this subject are missing heavily on this simple but profound foundation of life. James Nestor has brilliantly resurrected this lost art at a time when the world needs this the most during this pandemic. This is a MUST read for everyone who breathes. Filled with scientific research and excellent interviews with the experts that goes so much in depth. One would wonder, is there so much to just a simple inhale and exhale. Thank you so much James for spending 10 years of your life in bringing this to this world so we all can breathe our way to a Happy and Healthy Life.

Great Book

Amazing how important breathing is. This book really opened my eyes to the problems related to mouth breathing. Highly recommended to anyone who suffers with snoring or sleep apnea.

A must read

Actionable tools for a healthy life. I can only recommend this work. This should be taught from pre-school onwards.