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A review by mysana
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
1.5
Interesting! But not scientific. Pop science at best, misleading and dangerous pseudoscience at worst.
Some of the examples and ideas are well supported by science, like nasal breathing being better for health tha mouth breathing, while others are not, like mewing / orthotropics. Nester doesn’t make it clear which is which.
I wish the book had been more of a look at breathing and its art through history. His own anecdotal stories around breath are interesting, but mean little to me without trust, which was thoroughly lost in the section on John Mew. Perhaps future research will validate John Mew, but it hasn’t yet and to ignore that seems like a serious failing in a supposedly scientific book.
In summary of the books ideas:
- How you breath matters. The ideal breath is 5.5 seconds in and 5.5 seconds out, through the nose.
- breath through your nose as much as possible, encourage the same in children
- Carbon Dioxide is the not the enemy, it is an essential part of breath, life, and health
- practice breathwork to
A) learn breath all air out of your lungs with every breath to be more efficient
B) breath more rapidly for short durations for specific benefits (see: Wim Hoff method and Tummo breathing)
C) practice holding your breath using specific techniques to reduce anxiety and panic attacks
- chew hard foods
- modern western medicine treats serious and acute maladies much more effectively than mild/moderate chronic or early stage maladies.
Some of the examples and ideas are well supported by science, like nasal breathing being better for health tha mouth breathing, while others are not, like mewing / orthotropics. Nester doesn’t make it clear which is which.
I wish the book had been more of a look at breathing and its art through history. His own anecdotal stories around breath are interesting, but mean little to me without trust, which was thoroughly lost in the section on John Mew. Perhaps future research will validate John Mew, but it hasn’t yet and to ignore that seems like a serious failing in a supposedly scientific book.
In summary of the books ideas:
- How you breath matters. The ideal breath is 5.5 seconds in and 5.5 seconds out, through the nose.
- breath through your nose as much as possible, encourage the same in children
- Carbon Dioxide is the not the enemy, it is an essential part of breath, life, and health
- practice breathwork to
A) learn breath all air out of your lungs with every breath to be more efficient
B) breath more rapidly for short durations for specific benefits (see: Wim Hoff method and Tummo breathing)
C) practice holding your breath using specific techniques to reduce anxiety and panic attacks
- chew hard foods
- modern western medicine treats serious and acute maladies much more effectively than mild/moderate chronic or early stage maladies.