Book Review: Breath by James Nestor

I just finished Breath by James Nestor and I my thoughts on this book are all over the place!  My thoughts ranged from “Yes I need to try some of these breathing techniques, to “some of this is just insane.” I had questions about why some of the ideas presented in this book aren’t supported by more scientific research which was replaced with some full blown conspiracy theory ideas on my part.  Luckily the conspiracy theories were eventually replaced with some healthy skepticism.

This is a  Chat GPT summary of the book. “Nestor takes the reader on a global and cross-disciplinary exploration, weaving together science, history, anthropology, and personal experimentation. He reveals how contemporary lifestyles—urban design, processed foods, sedentary work, chronic stress—have slowly reshaped the very way we breathe, often to our detriment. The book is a reminder of how deeply our bodies are influenced by societal structures and cultural norms. He illustrates how nasal breathing, slow exhalation, and simple breathwork techniques can influence stress responses, sleep, immune function, and even emotional regulation.” 

The book is broken into three parts: The Experiment, The Lost Art and  Science of Breathing and Breathing+. I found the first two parts quite interesting. I had a hard time getting through the third section of the book.  

I have to commend his commitment to research for this book as he subjected himself to what some might call “crazy” breathing experiments.  The book includes a lot of historical data, theories and ideas that are not all recognized by modern science.  Through it all Nestor introduces us to many ideas about breathing, how it has evolved and the importance it plays in our life.  I found the information about how and why our skulls have evolved and how that has changed how we breathe quite interesting.

The first thing that I learned from this book is that I am a recovering mouth breather.  I try to find at least one thing in every book I read to hold on to.  The key from this book that I will not forget is the importance of breathing through your nose. The epilogue of this book summarizes the key points that Nestor wants you to remember but the main point is that how we breathe matters.  

Just in case you have been waiting to find out more about my dip into conspiracy theory while reading this book here it is.  More than once Nestor would discuss times when breathing techniques were used to help with various medical problems but they always seemed to be dismissed by medical professionals.  At one point while I was reading I had those “Big Pharma is suppressing the research so we have to stay reliant on medications” thoughts.  While that might be true to some degree, Nestor does acknowledge the importance of modern medicine in our lives which helped me back off of my conspiracy theories, at least a little bit.

Personally I have found using different breathing techniques that I have learned from the gym or from yoga to help me with many different types of social anxiety issues.  So I think there is definitely merit to the ideas that Nestor presents in this book.  While I don’t plan to participate in some of the more “advanced” breathing workshops that he participated in, this book is reminding me that I need to get back to a more regular meditation and yoga practice.