Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

A New York Times Bestseller

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.

In Breath, journalist James Nestor travels the world to discover what went wrong and how to fix it. He explores ancient burial sites, Soviet labs, New Jersey choir schools, and Brazilian streets to uncover the hidden science of ancient breathing techniques like Pranayama and Tummo.

Modern science now confirms that even small adjustments to how we inhale and exhale can: improve athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs, halt snoring and asthma, reverse autoimmune diseases, and even straighten spines.

Drawing from ancient wisdom and cutting-edge research in pulmonology, psychology, and physiology, Breath turns our understanding of this vital act on its head. You will never breathe the same again.

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases and Audible signups.